Pyracantha ? any good for this area in right corner

[Ladygardener]

Don't be apologising for asking questions wendya I'm happy to help where I can and I'm sure others are as well.

Normally I use cells or small pots or the containers that grapes come in to sow my seeds. They don't take up as much room as big trays found in GC's. I use multipurpose compost but other people use seed compost. If using MP then do try to crumble or remove any big chunks of it as the seeds won't grow through them. I sow a few seeds to each pot if sowing Cornflower or Cosmos, if you're using little cells then 1 or 2 seeds to each cell would be better.
When each seedling has grown proper leaves, that its, not the little seed leaves but the ones that follow which are the proper leaves of each plant. That's the time to pot them on carefully into bigger pots or containers. When they're a good little size and you have hardened them off by setting them outside for a couple of weeks then you can plant them into the garden.

Hope this helps.

[Jilly]

Don't worry at all about asking questions at all wendya, we're always happy to help.

I would add to Ladygardener excellent advise that if you don't succeed first time & nothing comes up, please don't think that you've done anything wrong, I've been growing things from seed for years & I'm having a rubbish start to the season with nothing coming through properly, but that's the great thing with seeds, unless you want hundreds of the same things, there's always enough in a packet to have several goes & chances are the next lot will germinate fine. I think it's just the mood they're in sometimes  

[wendya]

Thanks Jilly and thanks lady gardener.
Now one more question

I bought plugs of lobellia and geranium and petunia hanging plants about 5 week ago, some i planted right into balcony containers i thought i would chance it, the other half i kept on my windowsill indoors in small pots, now whilst the ones indoors are bigger and needed pinching out, the ones outside are still alive, but smaller. So i am now wondering if these ones inside now need to be put outside in the day time and maybe brought back in if cold. I just don't want them to get too used to being inside. Or could they go out all the time now as my balcony is quite sheltered?

[Ladygardener]

I agree totally with Jilly. Seeds sometimes are unpredictable and sometimes come through better than other times even if you do everything right.

As to your plug plants, it would be a chance you're taking to put them out this early wendya. Even 'tho you're in London and a the temps are higher than here I'd still give them some protection. I think having them inside is too warm for them 'tho. Do you have a little mini growhouse or the like? That would perhaps be best for them for another month or so.

[wendya]

They are in a cold bedroom, no heating Ladygardener, just a sunny window cill, i just thought maybe it would be ok to bring them out in the day time and move back in at night. No i haven't a growhouse. Im not sure what one even is?

The seeds i was talking about, would go into a mini green house, just plastic tiny pots with a see through lid, but then when they get bigger, would the window cill with no heat in the room be ok or not? before they go outside.

[wendya]

pics of plugs in bedroom



Plugs outside on balcony for 4 weeks

[Jilly]

Sounds like your seed sowing set up is very similar to mine wendya. I overwinter plants & grow seeds on in an unheated bedroom too. I use a heated propagator (a bit like your little mini green house but with a heating element in the bottom) but tbh it's not really necessary. I'm sure the sorts of seeds you are growing will be fine on the windowsill whilst they are growing on. I would get them out of the mini greenhouse and onto the windowsill as soon as they've germinated, as they can get very leggy, very quickly with the lid on. Says she speaking from experience   .

With the plug plants, I wouldn't be happy putting them outside quite this early, although if you are at home a couple of hours in the fresh air on a sunny afternoon would probably be OK. I work full time, so anything that goes out in the morning has to stay out until I get home & I certainly wouldn't be doing that for about another month at the earliest. Geraniums are quite tough if they're kept dry at the roots, but nothing sulks so spectacularly as a cold Petunia  

[Jilly]

We were posting at the same time, just seen your pics, your plugs are looking very healthy, the inside ones aren't leggy at all, so they windowsill must be suiting them fine. Even the outside ones are looking good, it is difficult to remember sometimes how different the conditions are on a sheltered balcony in the city centre compared to for instance where I am on the south coast, which even if it's warm can be very windy.

[wendya]

Yes Jilly the inside of my balcony is much warmer next to the apartment, so the plugs I put out 3-4 weeks ago, seem ok hopefully, but the ones in bedroom are doing very well and don't seem leggy at all, I will maybe take them outside for a few hours on a warmer day, as i work from home, so can bring in quick if weather changes. Im just very impatient, i know i should not be, but this is really my first time at doing anything like this.

Maybe i should get a thermometer.



Thanks

[Ladygardener]

wendya one thing that gardening has taught me is patience. I'm sadly lacking in it otherwise.

[wendya]

Glad i am not alone, I must be more patient

These are the boxes i am hoping to put the seeds in, that arrived today from the Sarah site.



My question is do they need light whilst in these, as one box too big for windowsill.

[Ladygardener]

I'm not sure they need light for germinating, if they do it will say so on the packet wendya but as soon as they're through they'll need as much light as you can give them. Otherwise they will get leggy.

Your plants out on your sheltered balcony look good. I'd be inclined to move those ones you have inside to the sheltered balcony as well now that I see how sheltered it must be.

Perhaps your seedlings in the black cells might be ok outside during the day if it's really sheltered where you are. That would help prevent them going too leggy. Cornflower seeds are hardy annuals anyhow and can be sown in the autumn and I've left mine that I sowed in september or something, outside all winter and they're fine.

[wendya]

OK Thank you, weather isnt very nice today but i may put my plugs outside soon and just bring back in at night time. Yes parts are rather sheltered, if they are on the inside against the apartment wall I think they will be ok, but not on the outer balcony as some have got a little battered there