How long does it take to grow a flower from seeds?
The seed packet should tell you how many days to bloom, which means how long it takes from germination to flowering. If you have a short growing season and the packet says it will be 80 or 90 days to bloom, you will need to start the seeds indoors if you want to see them flower for a couple weeks before frost. Put the seeds on the paper towel before wetting it with a spray bottle, or damp it only slightly before pressing the seed into it, and then adding more water once all the seeds are placed.It is traditional to soak some seeds before planting them. Soaking can accelerate germination and increase the proportion of seeds that successfully germinate. Seeds have evolved a protective coating around the embryo so the embryo can survive being dispersed by some means.Germinate seeds faster The paper towel method creates prime conditions for seeds to germinate in less time. Depending on the type of seed, the controlled moisture and heat conditions within the bag can enable seeds to germinate in a few days.In a bowl, cover your seeds with warm water and leave to soak for 6-24 hours. Smaller seeds and those with thinner coats need the shorter time, and larger seeds with thicker coats need the longer period. Some seeds will naturally float, and some will stay below the surface.
What is the easiest flower to start from seed?
A Dianthus Supra Pink flower and an Evening Scentsation petunia (that has a sweet fragrance). I grew them both and paired them in a container. They are among the easiest flowers to grow from seed. Sunflowers, zinnias, nasturtiums, and spider flowers are all fastest growing plant flowers that bloom quickly from seed.
What is the best month to plant flower seeds?
In the very early Spring (end of January to March) you can sow hardy annual seeds. These are seeds that will produce plants that are tolerant of frost – they’ll put on strong deep roots all winter long and produce flowers from June until the first frosts (where I live in Surrey that happens in early November). You can start sowing in early spring and replant your flowers outdoors at the first sign of warm weather. When you start flower seeds indoors, you can get blooms by the end of spring or early summer. Prepare a seed tray with potting soil or use a seed starter.Sow seeds early in the morning so the water has enough time to permeate the soil and get warm throughout the day. You can do it in the evening but make sure the seed flats stay warm overnight. Keep sown seeds away from direct sunlight and keep at a temperature of 75F-90F degrees—double check for specific seeds.For annual flowers, in general, spring is the best time to start sowing annual seeds. For hardy annuals, such as Bachelor Buttons and Snapdragons, start planting seeds as soon as the ground is workable. This early planting lets them establish strong roots and withstand any late spring frosts that might occur.
What’s the best way to start flower seeds?
A general rule is to plant the seed twice as deep as its longest side. Drop 1 or 2 seeds (unless it’s a multi-seeded variety) into each hole until the tray is completely full. Cover newly sown seeds with a light dusting of fine vermiculite or seed-starting mix. Be careful to not bury the seeds too deeply. As a general rule of thumb, your seeds will sprout even if you don’t soak them. But with soaking, the germination time decreases and the germination rate increases. Seeds that have a continual flow of moisture have much higher chances of success.If the seeds are very small, they will clump together and be more difficult to sow unless you let them dry first, which defeats the purpose of soaking them in the first place. Think seeds like carrots or lettuce, or flowers that have super tiny seeds, like sweet alyssum or campanula .Seeds such as Morning Glories, Lupine, Sweet Pea, and more have very hard seed coatings, which you can see just by looking at them. For the most successful (and quickest) germination of these seeds, you can scarify and soak the seeds before planting.Only larger seeds with tough exterior coatings should be soaked. Tiny seeds with thin outer shells do not require soaking. Soaking tiny seeds can cause them to clump together, making them almost impossible to sow.
Do flower seeds need to be soaked before planting?
That tough outer coat is nature’s way of protecting seeds until they have a more ideal moment to sprout into new plants. But when you’re growing them at home, a tough seed coat can slow down germination. Soaking seeds in water hacks that protection system and makes seeds sprout faster. Almost all seeds can be pre-soaked, but it is large seeds, seeds with thick coats and wrinkled seeds that will benefit most. Small seeds benefit less and are difficult to handle when wet. Examples of seeds that benefit from soaking include peas, beets, cucumber, corn, squash, pumpkin and beans.Quickly germinate your seeds by placing them in a zip-lock plastic bag with a wet paper towel or moist growing medium at a temperature between 68 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit is usually the quickest way to germinate seeds.Different seeds take different lengths of time to germinate, so it is always worth checking how long it typically takes. Some are quick to germinate, taking 1-2 weeks at most, such as chillies, beans, sunflowers and pumpkins. Some seeds take more like 2-4 weeks, such as mango and parsley.Generally, experts advise soaking seeds before planting for between 12 and 36 hours. If you aren’t sure which is best for your seeds, you might soak some for 12 hours, others for 24, and still others for 36, and see which works better.