Autumn Plant Nursery Update

October is the month of potting, potting & more potting. All the hardy annuals sown at the end of August & start of September are getting big enough to come out of their plug trays & brave the polytunnnel!

They’ll spend the winter there, developing their root systems without being hounded by wind & snow, but getting a little tougher than they would if they were mollycoddled indoors under a grow light.

Seedlings in progress…

Here’s a little taster of what we’ve got going on right now:

At the front are Sarah Raven’s Viola cornuta ‘Red Blotch’, the August sown ones are already in flower! In the middle the tall ones are cornflowers destined for a few wildflower areas I’m putting in for some gardening customers (a post on how to wild your lawn coming soon!).

At the back are a bit of a passion project – Schizanthus. The first batch I sowed rotted away when I was still experimenting with potting mix recipes & they stayed too damp for too long. I’ve sowed them again & probably shouldn’t have as they’re not hardy & I’ll have to keep them indoors under grow lights all winter. If I mess something up I find it so hard to wait until next year to try again!

Finally a new one for me – Ranunculus. Why is it that no matter how many times you do it, you’re still amazed & delighted when things sprout? I did a happy dance when I saw these come up – people say they’re hard to get going, but I literally just put them in a pot & watered them so give them a go! They need keeping out of frost – these are upstairs in the garage next to a window & will end up under a grow light when the seedling situation is sorted out.

Overwintering

Most things planted in June or July are now big enough to go in to their final pots & sit outside for winter. They’re grouped together for warmth just like penguins! If it looks like it’s going to be really cold I’ll put a floating row cover of horticultural fleece over the top, I’ll try & avoid it as much as possible though, to reduce the risk of damp diseases like botrytis.

Onwards & Upwards

The nursery just keeps growing (pun intended)! I’ve expanded the grow light set up – there are still many more seeds to sow before winter comes. Watch this space to learn about how we sow & nurture baby plants through their precarious first few weeks.