Would You Believe It.

[melv16]

Sowed some foxglove seeds int polytunnel a couple of months ago. They failed to germinate, so I chucked contents on bed behind the polytunnel.
Guess what? They've all germinated! Lots of pricking off to be done:-)

[Maydup]

Fabulous. They wanted it their own way!

[Prudie]

Lucky you. Don't be too disappointed though, Foxgloves are biennials so won't flower until next year.

[Chipchopper]

A bed full of digitalis, not for the faint-hearted!

[melv16]

Lol @ chippy. The foxgloves will make a welcome addition to my wild flower border int allotment.

[Chipchopper]

I've only had a couple of plants come up this year, but seeing as the're biennials, I'm hoping for a bumper year, next year.
The red campion is going great guns though!

[melv16]

I've got to the end of my tether trying to grow wild flowers. I now sow cornflowers in modules and plant them out in position. Don't get me started about my nemisis... parsley:-(

[alavahalf]

Melv parsley dont like it too warm for germination, much above 27c and you will struggle. About 2 weeks ago the wife said she had found some tip for growing seeds .. yes dear .. in one ear and out of the other it went !
As it happens it is totaly amazing and it works, I even had to tell her she was right !
We always seem to be hit and miss with seeds, some germinate and lot's dont. Beans are an absolute pain, we usualy put 3 in, hoping that 1 will come up..
But since trying the tip just 1 week ago, we have had
100% success and now have to separate and replant the spare bean plants .. we weren't expecting. It has worked on the peas and the beetroot as well.
Get your soil all nice and fine breaking it down with the tip of your spade. Water the soil and put your seed in as normal whether on the surface, or down an inch, whatever.
Cover them lightly with a fine layer of seived soil. Then get a piece of wood, a plank or some off cuts of plywood, anything will do. Wet it or soak it and lay it on top of the soil where the seeds are sown.
After a few days, check under it to see if there has been germination. The soil wont dry out where the wood has been on the soil. As soon as you see some seedlings remove the wood and carry on looking after them as normal .. I can't believe the success rate, it's well worth a try !

[melv16]

Thanks for the tip, chippy. For beans I use a trick that my father used to use.
Get a plastic container, a takeaway curry one will do, put some kitchen roll in the bottom then dampen it.
Put the seeds on the paper, then cover it some more roll. Dampen it and loosely fit the top. Check it every day for moisture. The seeds should germinate in a week or so.

[haras2]

After failing to germinate parsley many times I bought a pot of parsley
in Tesco.
When finished, planted it in a shady corner and 3 months later I have a really good plant

[haras2]

P.S. Hope you don't think this is cheating !

[melv16]

You're a disgrace, haras:-)