Pricking out

little_green

Hi there, 

New to the forum and new to growing flowers from seed! 

I’m just wondering if anyone can give me advice on which flowers need to be pricked out individually and which can be potted on in clumps. I’m growing:

Godetia Azalea 
Brachycome Swan River Island
Candytuft
Ox-Eye Daisy
Petunia (Rose of Heaven)
Antirrhinium Tom Thumb
Bells of Ireland
Cleome Spider Plant
Chrysanthenum Snow Ball
Bellis Pomponette
Limnanthes/ Poached Egg 
Nigella/ Love in a mist
Nicotiana
Lagarus Ovatus/ Bunny Tails 

Many thanks in advance 😊

Busy-Lizzie

I can only tell you about the ones I have grown on your list, not many. These I have pricked out and potted on individually:- Brachycome Swan River Island, Petunia, 
Antirrhinum, Cleome, Bellis and Nicotiana.
Lobelia is one of the only plants that I pot on in clumps - they are so tiny! But not on your list.
Ox Eye Daisy is a wild flower and grows around the edges of my garden anyway, by itself. Nigella is a hardy annual. One year I threw seeds in a raked bed outside and they grew by themselves ever since, seeded themselves.

little_green

Thank you so much Busy Lizzy, yes I’ve sown lobelia too but it’s easy to find the information that it’s better to do in clumps lol 

I think I’ve sown my Brachycome a bit thickly but I’ll learn for next time! 

Buttercupdays

Not many plants are usually grown in clumps, apart from those where individual seedlings are too small to handle, like my tray of Lobelia. Competing plants grow smaller and more spindly, and they need to look similar to make a good clump.

Of those you have, the Lagurus and Nigella would probably work, though part of the charm of Nigella is its diaphanous nature. 

Bellis, Brachycome and Limnanthes you could perhaps put 3 to a pot, but the first 2 would likely be mixed colours. 

All the rest need individual pots, so you will need a lot of pots, a lot of compost and a lot of indoor space until it is safe to plant them out!

You will need to select plants: a few well grown plants will make more impact than a lot of scrawny ones, so choose the best and bin the rest

This year has been difficult, so you might not have been successful, but if you wait a little for warmer temps you can usually sow direct for things like Nigella, Limnanthes, Bellis, Candytuft, the Bunny tails and the daisy.

I have been hanging on to my seed packets until this much promised rain arrived and now the ground has had a good soaking I will be out there later this week in a frenzy of sowing. Have a frenzy of moving things to get done first, everything has been on hold! Good luck with your annuals

little_green

Buttercupdays this is very helpful! I just sowed last week as most of the packets said to do by April and I panicked. Also some of the seeds are so small, it’s hard to tell how much you’re sowing lol. Almost all the seedlings have popped up now and are under grow lights around the house. I think I’m going to need to do another pot order haha This is my first year with a greenhouse and I’m already running out of space there too. 

The plan for the annuals is window boxes which I’ve never done before but wanted to do a really full display, going to be making a few for friends and family I think with this hoard 😂

Buttercupdays

Try Freecycle and the like for pots, even your local recycling centre, you can apparently often get them for nothing. I've never needed to try, I seem to have collected thousands over the years!

Chris-P-Bacon

Buttercupdays said:

Try Freecycle and the like for pots, even your local recycling centre, you can apparently often get them for nothing. I've never needed to try, I seem to have collected thousands over the years!

Good tips.
Also..Asda do 50 plastic drinking cups for £1.00. Drill some holes the bottoms..great for potting on and reusable.