What We Are Sowing in April
I feel like April is when the garden really gets going! Our community of women have been working so hard at our Open Days throughout March to prepare our garden ready for planting and upcoming growing season. We’ve sown all of our hardy annual seeds and now it’s time for the half hardy annuals. These plants can’t handle the cold and will not tolerate any frost. This is why it is important to take your time and not rush sowing! We sow all of our half-hardy annuals under glass in our greenhouses - or in my kitchen if they are really fussy!
The best way to figure out if it’s the right time to sow seeds under cover is by working back from the last frost date. In Sheffield, the last frost tends to be at the end of April/early May, but I’ve experienced frost in June, so be careful! Most seeds sown under cover should be started off 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
There are lots of different ways to sow and care for seeds, but this is just the way I do it. It seems to work for me! I sow all my seeds into peat-free compost in seeds trays or cells. I actually prefer sowing in cells because you can then see how many have not germinated. I then pop them in the greenhouse or in the propagator if they need a higher, consistent temperature to start growing and keep them watered. Some seeds need to be ‘surface sown’, this means that you don’t bury the seed under compost as it needs light to germinate. It will tell you on the packet if this is the case for your seeds. In this instance, I water the compost before popping the seed on top, so it doesn’t get washed away when you water it from overhead. Make sure you press the seeds down onto the moist compost to ensure it has good contact with the soil.
When the seeds have germinated and have produced at least two true leaves, I will prick them out. A ‘true’ leaf is one that can perform photosynthesis, the process plants use to make their own food. When a seedling sprouts, the first leaves that appear are not true leaves, but rather ‘cotyledons’ or seed leaves. The true leaves look different to the seed leaves in either colour or shape. To prick out seedlings, I tent to use a pencil and gently move them on to bigger pots so they have space to grow and become established plants. I keep theses watered and in the greenhouse until they are. ready to be hardened off. Hardening off is the term used for acclimatising your plant babies to the outdoors. You must do this little by little as to not shock the plant and therefore weaken it. On a warm day, pop them outside to soak up the sun and then bring them in at night. Repeat this for about 1-2 weeks or until they are ready to go outside permanently.
Take a look at some of the half-hardy annuals we are sowing in the Bloom greenhouse this April. We’ve got some new things to try and some old favourites to re-visit.
Amaranthus ‘Coral Fountain’
Nicotiana ‘Lime Green’
China Aster ‘Tower Chamois’
Helianthus ‘Valentine’
Helianthus ‘Red Sun’
Helianthus ‘Autumn Beauty’
Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Salmon Rose’
Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant White’
Zinnia ‘Queen Lime Orange’
Zinnia ‘Queen Lime Red’
Cosmos ‘Double Click Snow Puff’
Cosmos ‘Cupcakes Blush’
Cosmos ‘Apricotta’
We are very excited to see how these new guys get on and we can’t wait to see the gorgeous late summer colour that fills the garden. If you fancy coming along and planting some of these seeds for our community garden, why not come along to one of our April Open Days. They are free to come to and you don’t need any experience. They are a lovely way to spend a few hours - meeting new people, having a go at something new and enjoying the outdoors.