5 tips to make sowing as easy as possible!

In my first year as a gardener, I thought sowing seeds was something for total nerds. I much preferred filling my garden with countless roses and hydrangeas and had no time for all that complicated "little stuff." It took another three years before I really developed a taste for it. By then, the hydrangeas had long since withered in the dry, hot Potsdam summer, and the roses had pretty much every rose disease imaginable. And the money was gone.

In contrast, the costs for seemed to me seed packets Incredibly cheap considering the number of plants you can grow from it. I certainly made a lot of mistakes with my first attempt, yet I ended up with a surprisingly large number of healthy plants in my garden that even bloomed all summer long. Nevertheless, I'm still someone who isn't particularly meticulous when sowing seeds, mostly due to lack of time. Therefore, here are my tried-and-tested tips from over the years to make things as easy as possible.

1. Less is more

When I browse through growers' catalogs in winter, I usually have a list of at least 30-40 varieties that I absolutely want to see blooming in my garden. Of course, that's far too many. In my experience, the more varieties you have, the more maintenance is required. Especially at the beginning, I would limit myself to a maximum of 5-10 varieties of annual summer flowers. And it's best to choose ones that go well together. To significantly reduce future maintenance, choosing the right location is essential. Select the sunniest spot with the best soil, and a good harvest is guaranteed.

2. Better late than sooner

I generally don't start sowing until the end of March or the beginning of April. There are two reasons for this: Firstly, only then is there enough natural light to give the plants a good start. And secondly, this eliminates the need for repotting. I sow the seeds indoors and plant them directly in the garden in mid-May. If I start in February or early March, the plants are so large by April that I have to repot them indoors. At the same time, it's still too cold outside to plant them in the garden bed. So: hold your hands and feet until April!

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3. Pressing instead of curdling

There are many ways to sow seeds. My current favorite is working with the Soil balerFirstly, it is the most sustainable way of growing seeds, since you only need to remove the seeds each year. Seed starting mix needs. Secondly, I've noticed that I need to water the small root balls less often. When they're packed tightly together, they retain moisture much better. And besides, pressing the root balls down is really fun, especially with children. I put them in an old plastic box that I reuse every year. Then I place the whole thing on a bright windowsill in my study. I water them every two to three days, which takes two minutes. Really easy!

4. A place of one's own to grow up

The easiest way to grow the plants successfully in the garden later is to give them their own bed or large pots. If they are planted in an existing bed, they often suffer from shading by other plants or competition for resources. This requires considerable gardening knowledge. To start, a few square meters or 3-5 large containers are sufficient to plant enough flowers to regularly make small bouquets.

5. Keep scissors within easy reach.

Once the summer flowers have reached a certain height and come into bloom, I've made it a habit to use a small, handy Garden shears I placed them right by our coat rack. When I go into the garden to make a phone call, have a coffee, or play with the children, I simply grab them and cut off a few stems. Because of this regularity, deadheading becomes unnecessary, as the plants continuously produce new flowers as long as they haven't produced seeds. It never feels like gardening; it just happens naturally.

As you can see, it's not that complicated at all, and perhaps this short text has inspired one or two rose and hydrangea gardeners to simply try it out for themselves. I would be delighted!