The 6 most common mistakes in seed cultivation

Flowers from seeds Pulling is actually very easy – once you get the hang of it. There are quite a few things you can do wrong on your first try. I've personally made at least each of these mistakes myself, and with this article, I want to help you succeed on your first attempt. Here are the six most common mistakes.

1. Early starters

Especially as a beginner, you're often overambitious. And if the winter weather is getting you down, starting a garden seems like the obvious solution. It's certainly good for the soul. Many people start sowing seeds as early as February. This is possible if you're using artificial light, but the sunshine at that time of year is far from sufficient to nourish the seedlings on the windowsill. They stretch and strain – and eventually collapse. It's best not to start before mid-March. The light conditions are much better by then!

The only exception: Cool FlowersThese are hardy annuals. They're ready to start from the end of February in a cool, bright spot, such as a greenhouse. In some regions, where spring is already in the air, they can even be sown outdoors now. A little cold won't hurt them. But if the temperatures are very cold, I'll hold off.

2. Too warm, too dark

Most seeds germinate well at temperatures of around 17-18 degrees Celsius, provided there is sufficient light. However, living spaces are often much warmer, and windowsills aren't always bright enough. The combination of too much heat and too little light often leads to seedlings becoming leggy. They shoot up, but are far too thin and weak, and eventually topple over. If you observe this type of growth: more light and a slightly cooler location might still save some of the seedlings.

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3. Mold

Sowing is often done in a mini greenhouse. The advantage: constant humidity means less watering is needed. The disadvantage: one morning, a familiar white film appears over the pots and seedlings. Mold! These days, I recommend working without a cover, waiting a little longer for germination, and watering (or spraying) more frequently, because the warm, humid climate almost always leads to mold growth, which isn't healthy for you or the seedlings. If you do sow with a cover, however, ventilation twice a day is essential. Generally, you should keep the soil moist at the beginning of the growing process, but soggy soil is always a bad idea. After all, you're not sowing pond plants.

4. Too many seedlings

I usually put two seeds in each pot, but of course many more often fall in, especially the very fine seeds (here our Seed chute (Remedy this). The result: a whole meadow grows in each pot, and you think you're on the right track when things sprout so profusely. Nevertheless, now it's time to either prick them out or kill them. Either transplant the seedlings from their pots or simply pull them up. In the end, only one – the strongest – should remain in the pot. It needs all the nutrients for itself to really thrive.

5. Too few nutrients

Seed starting mix usually has a very low nutrient content, and that's a good thing. Even babies don't need a three-course meal at first. But as soon as the seedlings become plants, they need nutrients. Either the young plants are transplanted into good, nutrient-rich soil, or they need to be fertilized. I start about two to three weeks after germination with a very small dose and then fertilize every two weeks, both indoors and outdoors. My goal is to produce lots of flowers for a vase, and our soil is sandy and nutrient-poor. The flowers will certainly bloom even without fertilizer, but you should definitely try it if they start to look wilted. Ideally, use an organic liquid fertilizer; I use... this oneAnd once a year it is advisable to amend the garden soil with compost and horn shavings to enrich.

6. Going outside too early

Most annuals cannot tolerate frost and should only be planted out once the danger has truly passed. And now the impatience mentioned in point 1 comes into play again. Even if the whole of April offers glorious weather with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius – three frosty nights at the beginning of May and the fun is over. I've experienced this several times here in Brandenburg, and I don't believe in a frost-free spring before May 15th. The losses have already been too great, and a polytunnel wasn't always readily available to potentially save the small plants. So: it's better to repot them again or simply not start sowing too early. Even flowers sown in April will be in bloom from mid-July onwards, and summer is still long!