Some people want to simply add a bit of history to their garden with heirloom plants. Others want to delve more deeply into the history of gardening itself - and discover what gardens looked like in centuries past so that they understand more about the plants they have. A few brave souls want to go farther, and try to recreate a particular period of time with their gardens. You may be any (or all) of these. This page features articles on period gardening. If you've ended up here, you'll hopefully find something of interest and value. If you have questions, or there's a particular aspect of heritage gardening you'd like to see an article on, feel free to email me at heirlooms@cottagegardener.com. I'd love to hear from you!
Articles:
Over the years as seed-sellers, we have received numerous questions from people who are new to seed-growing, or to a particular method of seed-starting. So, we thought we'd compile a list of the most common questions to help you out. We want you to be a successful seed-grower, and if you know a few basics it's not hard!
"Soil-less" mix is sold specifically for starting seeds indoors in. It's often called "Seed Starter Mix". It is composed of primarily peat moss, with added vermiculite and perlite. You use this to start your seeds in because potting soil is too heavy and dense. Seeds often drown because they get too waterlogged in potting soil.
You should be able to buy soil-less mix in most garden centres or nurseries. Just go in and ask for starter mix for seeds. Examine the bag to make sure that it's made up of peat moss – some store sales people don't know much about gardening.
A number of people, if they're not starting too many seeds, prefer to use peat discs – these are little round "discs" of compressed, hardened peat. You just put one seed in the middle of each disc and add water – they plump right up and provide the perfect growing medium for the seed. These also you can get at your local nursery.
One thing you need to keep in mind about peat products – they're very light and porous. This makes them perfect for starting seeds, but they also dry out very quickly. So, you will need to watch them to make sure your seeds don't dry out, and water them more frequently than potted plants. One of the keys to successful germination is to keep your growing medium moist – not too wet but also not too dry. Either condition will kill your seeds.
Many seeds need to be exposed to light to germinate. All seedlings need light to grow once they have emerged from the seed shell. Because starting seeds indoors is giving seeds an artificial environment, we want to give them the best replication of their natural outdoor environment.
In terms of light, this means giving them a consistent source of bright light that encourages slow, steady growth. Because plants need light to survive, young seedlings will actually "reach" for the light. If the light source is too far away, or too weak, the seedlings will grow quickly to try to reach it and will become long and straggly, with weak stems. If they're in a window, they are likely to grow on a slant as they reach for the window.
So, the answer to the window question is – your window won't be optimal, but depending on how much light comes through it, it may be sufficient. South-facing or west-facing windows are the best – north or east-facing windows may not get enough light. You should also turn your pots a quarter-turn each day, so that the plants grow straight.
If you use lights, start with the light about 4" above the soil. As the seed germinates and starts to grow, gradually move the light up to maintain the 4” distance. This will ensure that the seedling grows slowly and, therefore, develops a strong, sturdy stem. This will equip it well for survival when it's transplanted outdoors. You can buy individual grow-lights relatively cheaply; you can buy lights that fit into a standard lamp that you can then shine on your pots.
Temperature plays a major role in seed germination. Referring to the above, we're trying to mimic the outside environment when we start seeds indoors. To germinate, seeds need the following conditions: warmth, moisture and light (generally, there are exceptions which I will discuss under a different question). If it's not warm enough, the seeds will stay dormant; if it's too warm, seeds will die. So it's important to be able to monitor the temperature – 20C is normal, not-too-warm room temperature.
Some seeds need a cooler germinating temperature – say, 15-18C. If that's the case, I indicate this in the sowing instructions.
Some seeds have naturally very hard seed coats. This protects them in their natural habitat from breaking open too soon and, therefore, dying. Indoors, we have to help them along a bit with breaking the seed coat. What we're trying to do is make an opening in the seed coat to allow the moisture to penetrate. Without moisture, the seed remains dormant.
The most common method of scarification is to sand the coats lightly with fine sandpaper. It's fiddly, but worth it. It's important to sand enough to let moisture penetrate but not too much – or you can damage the seed inside.
A number of seeds, mostly perennials, cannot germinate without going through the freeze/thaw cycle that they would experience outdoors. So, we have to mimic that process for them. "Stratification" is a process that exposes the seeds to the cold while they're in a moist environment. This can be done a couple of ways.
The first is to sow the seed in the soil-less mix in a pot, as you normally would, with moistened mix. Then, cover the pot with a plastic "baggy" – this helps maintain the moisture level of the soil-less mix. Put the pot in the fridge (*not* the freezer – exposing wet seeds to freezing temperatures will kill them!), and leave it there for as long as the directions say. Check frequently to ensure the pot isn't drying out. When the pot has been in the fridge for the required time, remove it and take the baggy off it – then place it under lights and wait for it to germinate.
Another method, that I much prefer because it's easier, is to sow the seeds in pots as outlined above and then put the pots outside in winter in a sheltered spot, but a spot that will get snow/rain, etc. Leave the pots there to experience the normal freeze/thaw cycle. They should start germinating in the spring.
Got other questions? Send them in! We’ll add them to the FAQ's page.
