Sowing seeds in Autumn

cassie.a.stewart

Sorry this is probably going to be a long one...

I'm planning on growing a lot from seed for next year and I was wondering whether its worth sowing some perennials in autumn? And whether when it says 'sow indoors' does it mean in a warm house, or in a cold frame? I've heard people say perennials hate heat and need the cold to germinate and its all a bit confusing so some help would be great! 

My plan was:

Sow indoors in September 2019:

Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria) 

Heather (Calluna Vulgaris) 

Yarrow 

Comfrey

Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) 

Echinacea purpurea

Purple Toadflax 

Semiaquilegia 

Betony (Stachys officinalis) 

Sow outdoors in September 2019:

Verbascum Thapsus 

Verbascum Phoeniceum 

Sow indoors in March 2020:

Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) 

Hollyhocks

Vervain (Verbena Officinalis) 

Valerian (Valeriana Officinalis) 

Chamomile 

Feverfew 

Morning Glory 

Nicotiana Rustica 

Salvia Turkestanica 

Dahlia Coltness Hybrids 

Malva Sylvestris 

Fleabane 

Sow outdoors in March 2020:

Chicory 

Salvia Horminum

Or am I just better waiting till March to sow them all? 

K67

If they sell the seed they give very detailed information on when and how .http://seedaholic.com/

Ceres

That's a very ambitious list. If you are planning on sowing things indoors (i.e. in the house) then it is best to wait until spring otherwise you will end up with a host of very lanky and weak plants that have spent all their energy trying to get the best from the feeble winter light.

Things like feverfew grow like weeds, indeed to a lot of people that is a weed, and as it self seeds all over my garden I would be inclined to let it germinate in its final planting position. Ditto yarrow which can be a ****** if it gets into the lawn. Comfrey will self seed happily so once you get one plant up and running, you will never need to plant another one.

Things like verbascum and hollyhock need a decent growing season before planting out so spring is a good time to sow those.

K67's advice to follow the instructions from the seed company is very sound. Many seeds have not read the blurb on the packet and will germinate whenever you chuck them in a pot of compost but winter can be a cruel time for young plants.

cassie.a.stewart

Ceres said:

That's a very ambitious list. If you are planning on sowing things indoors (i.e. in the house) then it is best to wait until spring otherwise you will end up with a host of very lanky and weak plants that have spent all their energy trying to get the best from the feeble winter light.

Things like feverfew grow like weeds, indeed to a lot of people that is a weed, and as it self seeds all over my garden I would be inclined to let it germinate in its final planting position. Ditto yarrow which can be a ****** if it gets into the lawn. Comfrey will self seed happily so once you get one plant up and running, you will never need to plant another one.

Things like verbascum and hollyhock need a decent growing season before planting out so spring is a good time to sow those.

K67's advice to follow the instructions from the seed company is very sound. Many seeds have not read the blurb on the packet and will germinate whenever you chuck them in a pot of compost but winter can be a cruel time for young plants.

Self seeding wont be a problem as most of them will be harvested before they go to seed for medicinal purposes!

Ah right ok then, so sowing in the autumn is pretty pointless unless you have a grow light or something? 

cassie.a.stewart

K67 said:

If they sell the seed they give very detailed information on when and how .http://seedaholic.com/

Thanks they have really detailed instructions! 

Mary370

The advantage of sowing in the autumn is that the plants establish a good root system......also they are more hardy.  Good luck with you plans

cassie.a.stewart

Mary370 said:

The advantage of sowing in the autumn is that the plants establish a good root system......also they are more hardy.  Good luck with you plans

Thank you, so it would actually be ok to follow my plans and sow in autumn in a cold frame? 

nutcutlet

Any that are Uk natives can be sowed outside in autumn. 

cassie.a.stewart

nutcutlet said:

Any that are Uk natives can be sowed outside in autumn. 

In the open or cold frame?

I'll do some research but I think a lot of them are UK natives. 

Mary370

I place my pots on a shelf against my garden wall, where they have shelter from the worst of the weather.  Watch for slugs though.