The Annual on Annuals: Starting Seedlings

With spring in the air, it's time once again to dust off the article about starting annual seeds.


Item # 99330 		Zinnia grandiflora
Prairie Zinnia

each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99

20% Off! $4.39
Phlox paniculata 'David'
Item # 77546 		Phlox paniculata 'David'
Tall White Garden Phlox

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Phlox paniculata 'Laura'
Item # 77548 		Phlox paniculata 'Laura'
Laura Garden Phlox

Each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Tagetes lemmoni 'Compactum'
Item # 93451 		Tagetes lemmoni 'Compactum'
Perennial Marigold

each $7.99
3 to 6 plants $7.79
7 or more $7.59
Phlox grayii
Item # 77112 		Phlox grayii
Arizona Pink Phlox

each $5.99
3 to 6 plants $5.79
7 or more $5.59
Blue Talavera Trio
Item # C0092 		Blue Talavera Trio
Container Garden

Each $14.99
Red Talavera Trio
Item # C0090 		Red Talavera Trio
Container Garden

Each $14.99

Item # P0010 		Ribbed Terra Roma Urn
Plastic Pot - 12"

each $15.95
  • Topic: Annuals
  • Author: High Country Gardens
  • Keywords: techniques, annuals, seeds, hardy, propagation
  • Date: February 2006

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

With spring in the air, it’s time once again to dust off the article about starting annual seeds. Marigolds, cosmos, impatiens, petunias and all the other annuals add colorful splashes to any garden. And nothing is more rewarding than growing your own seeds. It just takes a little bit of forethought, and now is the time to begin.

Some of the more hardy annuals such as the marigolds can be sown directly into the ground once it warms up. But others need a bit more care to get them started.

When buying seeds, check the packets for specifics. Some seeds need to be covered with soil, some don’t. Some need a deeper covering than others.

Basic instructions:
1) Loosely fill trays or pots with potting soil, leveling off about an inch from the top. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly.

2) Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, according to directions. If you’re growing petunias, you don’t cover them at all. Some seeds (impatiens, begonia, petunia) need light to germinate. Other seeds need darkness. If so, cover the tray with newspaper.

3) To water, spray lightly or if the tray has holes, set in a container so the water will be absorbed then let it drain.

4) If you need to maintain a warm temperature, cover the tray with glass or plastic. But keep out of direct sunlight.

Most seeds germinate between 5 to 15 days. Thinning seedlings so they aren’t cramped is the next step. Then be sure to “harden off” seedlings before planting outside. About six weeks before transplanting them, move them to gradually cooler places so they will acclimate to the weather. After 2 or 3 weeks, the plants should be ready for the garden.

The following are easily started from seed. However, because of differing opinions about their light needs, “experiment with light” is indicated where you might want to try it both ways—covering them and keeping them uncovered.

Alyssum, barely cover, needs light, germinates 10-15 days
Bachelor Button—plant 1/4”, experiment with light, germinates 5-10 days
Black-eyed Susan Vine—plant 1/8”, experiment with light, germinates 15-20 days
Cosmos—plant 1/4”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days
Marigolds—plant 1/4”, needs light, germinates 5-10 days
Nasturtium—plant 1”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days
Petunia—scatter, barely cover, needs light, germinates 8-10 days
Phlox 1/8”, cover from light, germinates 10-15 days
Zinnia 1/4”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days

When spring is in the air, nothing’s more tempting than planting seeds. Then what fun to have a garden of color that you started from scratch.