As Christmas starts to seem a distant memory we look forward to 2012 in the garden. January is a great time to take stock and make plans for the year. The ground is often frozen during this month so spend time indoors studying seed catalogues for your favourite plants and particularly new ones to grow for the coming year.
Seed sowing saves the gardener an enormous amount of money especially during the main planting seasons of spring and summer. Growing from seed not only saves money but it is very rewarding watching those little seedlings grow into mature plants. It gives the gardener a real sense of achievement.
It is very easy to start growing from seed. All that is needed is a seed tray or pot. If you are lucky enough to have a propagator then this will enable you to grow much more variety of seed with greater success. Along with the container you will need seed compost, labels, clear plastic bags, a well-lit place and a sense of adventure!
Initially choose seed that is easy to grow. Hardy or half-hardy annuals are often the best seeds to start with. The instructions are written on the back of the seed packet and should always be followed.
Choose seeds that can be sown in succession so that sowing can continue until April. Make a plan and keep a record of the dates of sowing so that you can use this as a guide next year.
When the first shoots come through the compost this is called 'germination'.
It is essential for successful seed growing that the equipment and surrounding area are clean. Always wash everything especially containers in hot water if they have been used before and always use fresh compost, never garden soil.
If you cannot sow the seed straight away keep the packets in a cool dry place. Keep the seed in an airtight box in the fridge with a sachet of silicone gel in with the seed until ready for sowing.
Most seeds are very simple to sow however some have to have other preparations done to them to make them germinate.
Some seeds have a hard coating around them that needs to be broken before they will germinate. They can either be soaked overnight in warm water, chipped with a knife or rubbed with a file. This action is called 'breaking the dormancy' of the seed.
Some seeds need a period of chilling before they will germinate. This is known as 'stratification' and is done by covering the seed and placing the pots against a north-facing wall in winter or more often than not in the refrigerator.
Seeds also come in a variety of sizes. Some are as small as dust and need to be mixed with silver sand to ensure spacious sowing while others are large and can be placed at the best distances apart.
Whatever the seed choice it will be great when those little seeds become plants and start to flower. If your head is spinning with which choice of seed to grow then you can always go out in the garden if it is not frozen and work off those excess pounds gained over Christmas!