17 March 2025
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Ruth gets to work with seeds and tubers
For many gardeners , this is the most howling time of the yr , when the weather is improving and we have gardens to fill with colour and beauty . This hebdomad I am live to be separate through seed , and seed some fearless ones inside and undercover , and begin to pot up our dahlia genus Tuber . They are one of my must - have plants ; I am entranced by their variety and beaut , their rich colours and bronze leafage . I also like the fact that the simple single varieties are enceinte for pollinator – beauty and benevolence combined !
The tubers have been overwintered in the greenhouse in pots of wry sandy grease . If potted up in clean multipurpose compost now , they will presently get down to push out new shoots and I will be using some of these as cuttings to make more plants .
When it follow to sowing hardy yearly you have two options – inside and out . Both have their pros and confidence game . Inside you have a good chance of sprouting as conditions are stable , but your windowsill will soon fill up up with ejaculate tray . You also need to remember to keep the compost watered ( H2O from the bottom , attempt to avoid wet the piffling leave ) and remove the come tray lid at germination to minify the danger of fungal diseases .
If you sow in straight off into the dirt you have less work to do but seeds and seedlings are at greater risk of being eaten , lave off or incline to rot in the cold and wet .
Below , I search at some of the basic requirements for successful sowing indoors which also go for when we start sowing half - hardy annual in a few week ’ time .
Good hygiene is significant
1 Buy fresh seeded player compost and vermiculite and either buy new mental faculty or trays or , as I do , give your old I a wash in affectionate water supply .
2 mute the compost using fresh tap water . debar harvest rainwater as it can be contaminated with debris that may cause seedlings to go .
3 When sowing little seeds , always sort the compost to hit larger debris that can block their progress .
4 Scatter seeds lightly and treat with a light layer of compost or vermiculite . If seedlings appear cramped , thin them out later on .
pot up Dahlia pinnata tuber
1 Give your tubers a gentle squeeze to check that they are firm and healthy . Discard any that feel soft or are rotting .
2 Pot them up in multipurpose compost , water and stick out them somewhere light and frost - free . They should soon start to direct out shoots .
