Well what can I say, if you have found your self reading this you are about as new to this one as I am. I only started growing Bedding Geraniums in 2023 as it was always one of those plants we get asked for but we have always bought them in as they take a lot of faffing in my opinion but they are a fantastic bedding plant and basket plant. As well as the perennial. But our focus is the bedding one for now. But if looked after and over wintered they can last a long time.
Lets talk about growing them from seed
where do we start, well let me tell you a fresh packet of seeds goes a long way.
I start with, a flat this is a tray with about 185 1 cm cells
you don't need much more and the tray sits on a heat mat. this is important this time of year February / march time as they need to be about 18 to 20 degrees to germinate as well as keeping them frost free as up here that can be as late as may.
I like to use peat based potting mix, I know but it still gives me the best results. I fill the tray with the soil and level it off don't firm it down to much what we are going for is well drained but with good contact. So the water can drain and the air can get to the soil.
If you firm the soil to much it stays soggy and stop's air getting to the seed.
We now need to make a small hole in the center
of the cell, I use a penal 4b works best :) a shallow hole for the seed to drop in to the center.
Dib all the holes in the top now it only takes longer if you do one at a time. At my age the faster the better as I have so meany to do.
Open the seeds and take them out and place one in each cell using a seed dropper or fingers I use tweezers as well as I have fat fingers. You can fill the tray with other things if you only fill some or half or use smaller trays or pots depending on the seeds you have in the packet.
Tip:- sow more than you need as some may die, as well as some times we forget about them I am wonderful at forgetting to water things and getting lost in doing something new and fun.
Using a metal sift place some compost in it and sprinkle the compost over the tray. Or pot you don't need much. just to cover them.
With a mister bottle mist the tray once full and place in the propagator on the widow sill or in the poly on the heat mat under the propagator.
In out how we grow seeds I talk about mats and the best way to implement them but a thermostatically controlled one is best)
Check once a day and mist if needed. With the heat mat normally twice a day.
When seeds are about an inch or you see good roots out the bottom of the cell they are go to pot on. Ether in the next pot size or a nursery pot 9 cm.
I hope this helps you to start growing Geraniums. This is what works for me, I have had good success this way and it also works for most seeds.
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