The first two days of January have shown us just what a lottery the weather has become. New Year’s Day it was howling wind and torrential rain, today is the start of a cold ‘snap’. Both potent reminders of the joys of owning a Hartley Greenhouse, as you can start sowing from early January, whatever the weather.
‘Snapdragon’s’ or ‘Antirrhinum’s’, traditional cottage garden plants that are loved by bees, make excellent cut flowers or pot plants, are happy in sunshine in containers or borders and flower from late spring until the first frosts, in full sun and fertile soil. They also self-seed in gritty soil, though the colours may be different from the parent. Last year ‘Costa Apricot’, with pale apricot-cream flowers performed well in a less-than-ideal location and I am hoping that they over winter; as short- lived perennials, which are grown as annuals, they can last for several years.
Sow snapdragons in the greenhouse from January to March, in trays or modules of peat-free seed compost. Tap the container twice on a hard surface to settle the compost then gently firm, so it is just below the rim, soak the compost using tap water, with the fine watering can rose pointing upwards, then allow it to drain for about an hour. As ‘Snapdragon’ seeds are tiny, mix them in the packet with a little silver sand as a carrying agent, then make a v shape in the opening of the packet with your fore finger, middle finger and thumb, tapping the packet gently so the seeds don’t come out in a rush. You can also pour the seeds carefully onto a white plate and dampen the tip of a tooth pick to pick them up. They need light to germinate, don’t cover the seed with compost or a layer of Vermiculite instead.
Seal the tray in a clear plastic bag or put them in a propagator at 20°C. If you cover the tray with a sheet of toughened glass, remove it as soon as the first seedlings appear and lightly dampen the surface with a light spray of water, if needed.
Prick out the seedlings, into 6cm pots of peat free multipurpose compost, when they are large enough to handle, then later into 8cm pots. Grow on in cooler conditions outdoors in a sheltered spot or cold frame for two weeks and plant them out once the danger of frost has passed.
You can also sow seed lettuces; cauliflower and cabbage for summer, spinach, salad onions and turnips in modules, sowing 2-3 seeds per module then thinning to leave the strongest seedling. Sow broad beans, like ‘The Sutton’ in 7.5cm pots of multipurpose compost and continue to sow Onions in a cold greenhouse. Here’s to a happy and successful gardening year. Take care, Matt.