Here's the first Sowing & Growing Update for the 2023/2024 cut flower season and already we're well underway with sowing our seeds, mainly hardy-annuals, which will flower (and we will be cutting) next spring. In order to get to that happy point in the process we need to nurture our baby seedlings through the autumn and winter and get them to the stage where we can plant them out into our cut flower patches. Here's our very simple step-by-step guide to getting your seedlings patch-ready.
Sowing
At The Cut Flower Patch we sow 3 different seeds every month and we produce a step-by-step, seed-by-seed video to show you how, you can access all our videos here www/thecutflowerpatch.co.uk/blog
After sowing we put the majority of our seed trays somewhere warm, like a kitchen window sill, until the seeds show the first signs of germination. The trays then get moved to the greenhouse as the seedlings need light and air in order to grow and flourish. If you don't have a greenhouse here are some alternatives which are equally as effective.
Keep the compost in your seed trays moist but please be careful not to over water.
Pricking out
At The Cut Flower Patch we sow most of our seeds in seed trays which are ideal for tiny seedlings. However as they grow they need more space and nutrients to thrive and we need to prick them out into larger pots..
When your seeds first germinate they produce a set of leaves known as seed leaves, these are followed by the first set of true leaves and it is at this point we need to prick them out.
Carefully lift the seedling out of the compost by its seed leaves. Use a pricking tool (alternatively a plant label or pencil will do the job) to lever the roots from the compost. Lift as much of the root a possible.
Fill a 9cm diameter pot with peat-free, multi-purpose compost. Make a deep hole in the centre of the compost (I use my trusty Cut Flower Patch wooden seed dibber - free with with your first subscription box). Carefully lower the seedling and root into the hole and fill around the sides with fresh compost. Water lightly and leave in the greenhouse (or similar) where it is warm, light and protected from frost.
Keep the compost in your pots moist but please be careful not to over water.
Click on the link below to see our 'How to Prick Out' video
https://www.thecutflowerpatch.co.uk/post/how-to-prick-out-your-cut-flower-seedlings
Ventilation
Seedlings are prone to a condition called damping off, it's a fungus that enters young seedlings from the soil. Good air circulation, to reduce humidity, along with not overwatering, is key to avoiding this condition. As long as it's not freezing outside I open my greenhouse doors every day and on mild-ish winter nights (5 degrees Celsius+) I leave the doors open all night too.
Watering
The most important requirement is, of course, water and seed trays and small pots can dry out very quickly. However there's a fine balance as overwatering can cause damping off. I water most days but I try and keep my pots moist rather than damp.
Pinching out
Pinching out benefits certain plants that have a tendency to shoot upwards and produce a leggy plant with only one stem. Pinching out encourages bushier growth, numerous stems and plenty of flowers.
When the stems are around 10cm tall or when they have 4 or 5 sets of true leaves, using your fingers pinch out the growing tips above the third or fourth set of leaves.
I have indicated below which plants will benefit from pinching out.
Potting on
If you turn your pots upside down and you can see the roots appearing through the drainage holes, it's time to transplant them into larger pots. Try and find pots that are one size larger, and carefully remove the plant by loosening the root ball so it comes out whole. Put it in the new pot on a base of fresh compost and fill around the sides with fresh compost too.
Plot planning
I know that many of our growers have limited space to nurture, pot on and care for their seedlings so I thought it might be helpful to look ahead slightly and think about what we are going to plant out and when.
As a general rule most autumn sown hardy annuals can be planted out into our cut flower patches around six weeks before the first frost, if they have reached a reasonable size (roughly fist size). Alternatively they can be planted out in mid-spring as the soil begins to warm up. There's obviously regional variations, planting out can begin earlier in milder areas in the south and west and later in colder northern gardens.
I usually plant the larger more robust hardy annuals into my patch in October and then hold some back for a spring planting.
Half-hardy annuals shouldn't be planted out until late spring or early summer, after all danger of frost has passed.
I use this online tool to help predict when the first and last frost dates are in our area
https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-last-frost-date-map.php
With the above in mind I've indicated below which plants are hardy and which are half hardy.
Seed-by-seed update
The information below is grouped by the month the seeds were included in our seed boxes. For the purposes of comparison, for each plant I specify the number of weeks since sowing as I am aware that not everyone is sowing their seeds at exactly the same time. The photographs were taken on or around the day of writing this blog.
The August Seeds - Corncockle, Cornflower & Stocks
Corncockle - Week 6
Classification: hardy annual
Height: 100cm
Final spacing: 30cm
Pinch out: no
Position: full sun
Over the next month: My corncockle seeds germinated within days of sowing and a few weeks later they were ready to be pricked out. They are going to stay in my greenhouse a for a while longer. I will lightly water them regularly as small pots can dry out very quickly. As corncockle is hardy, if the plants have reach a reasonable size (around the size of my fist) roughly six weeks before our first frost, I will plant them out into my patch. Our first frost is predicted to be around 20th November, so I'd be looking to plant out around 9th October, am going to pop a note in my calendar to remind me. I will overwinter some of my corncockle plants in the greenhouse just in case it's a hard, cold winter and the ones in my patch don't make it.
I find this tool really useful when it comes to trying to predict the date of our first and last frost.
https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-first-frost-date-map.php
Second sowing/successional sowing: If you want to sow another batch of corncockle you can do so indoors up until the end of Sept, alternatively you can direct sow in April or May.
Cornflower, Black Ball - Week 6
Classification: hardy annual
Height: 120cm
Final spacing: 30cm
Pinch out: yes when about 15cm tall
Position: full sun
Over the next month: My cornflower are looking a bit straggly so am going to pinch them out by removing the growing tips, see photo opposite. I will water the pots regularly and like the corncockle I hope to plant out some cornflowers into my patch in October. In the meantime if I see roots growing through the base of the pot, I'll pot them on into larger pots, see 'Pottng on' section above.
Second sowing/successional sowing: If you want to sow another batch of cornflower you can do so indoors up until the end of October, alternatively you can direct sow from March to May.
Stocks, Brompton Lady, Mixed - Week 6
Classification: hardy biannual
Height: 45cm
Final spacing: 30cm
Pinch out: yes
Position: Full sun
Over the next month: Like the cornflower these stock seedlings are starting to look a little leggy so will pinch them out this week. I wont be planting these out in my patch until next spring so they'll be overwintered in my greenhouse. Again I will keep an eye on them and if the roots start to appear through the drainage holes I will pot them on into larger pots.
Second sowing/successional sowing: It's now too late to sow any further stocks this year but if you keep any spare seeds in a dry envelope they'll be good to sow next July or August.
The September Seeds - Nigella, Lavatera & Larkspur
Nigella, Miss Jekyll - Week 2
Classification: hardy annual
Height: 45cm
Final spacing: 25cm
Pinch out: no
Position: full sun or partial shade
Over the next month: I'll be pricking out by nigella into 9cm pots once they have their first set of true leaves.
Second sowing/successional sowing: Nigella seeds can be sown indoors up until the the end of November, alternatively they can be direct sown from March through to May.
Lavatera, Mont Blanc - Week 2
Classification: hardy annual
Height: 60cm
Final spacing: 75cm
Pinch out: yes
Position: full sun
Over the next month: These are looking good, slightly concerned they're a little leggy so will add some compost to make sure the stems are supported.
Second sowing/successional sowing: Lavatera can we sown indoors right up until the end of March or can be direct sown from March through to May.
Larkspur , Limelight, Light Pink
Classification: hardy annual
Height: 120cm
Final spacing: 45cm
Pinch out: yes
Position: full sun
Over the next month: My packet of larkspur seeds are still in the freezer, now it's a little cooler outside I'll be sowing them very soon.
Second sowing/successional sowing: Larkspur can we sown indoors right up until the end of November or again in February or March.
That covers all for now and I'll look forward to seeing you when we sow our October seeds in a couple of weeks time.
hello@thecutflowerpatch.co.uk