Pulsatilla vulgaris seeds. I have been forced to sow this week, owing to having far too much time on my hands and being in receipt of my RHS members’ seed order. They say you should cut the tails off Pulsatilla seed, which partly made me want to leave them on. I compromised and sowed two trays, one with tails on, one with tails off. Call it an experiment. They also said that they need a cold spell to break dormancy. Now if only we had some really freezing weather, I could leave them outside and see how they go…
Come and have a go if you think you’re hard(y) enough. My favourite patch of Cyclamen coum will be fine, hard as nails, but what else will sail through? There will be casualties, of that you can be sure.
Obligatory photo of Walthamsnow/Walthamglow.
Germination of my first sowing of the year has been variable so far. It’s so hard to get an even temperature on a windowsill. First up is Mattheola incana, which I have never grown before. Look at their little phototrophic sprouts, cute.They will want pricking out this week and then where am I going to put them?
Talking of casualties, I took a really late cutting of Salvia Armistad as insurance against bad weather when the mother plant was pruned in November. Dug five others up, potted them and kept them in the cold greenhouse in Autumn. The cutting was trying to flower today so I pinched it out. It is right as rain and very healthy. Glad I bothered. The five in the greenhouse look to be gonnas. Although they may surprise me. I hope so.
Time to get dahlia tubers out of storage, pot them up and start them into growth somewhere protected. That’s a job for later in the week when we are over the sub-zero nonsense.
Love your rebellious pulsatilla sowing, I would be the same. In the wild does someone chop off their furry tails? I don’t think so! Great graveyard shot. 🙂
Maybe little mice nibble them at night. (More likely to eat the seed & leave the tail, I suspect.) So Tim, you’ve reminded me of dahlias which I’ve somehow forgot. I like the idea of potting early & taking cuttings. Based on my past success rate, not sure why that’s an appealing idea.
Maybe mice use the tails of the seed as little feather dusters for their nests. Dahlias should be easy, but may not be. Get the things growing strongly, use a very sharp knife or razor blade and cut as close to the tuber as you can, then pot up in gritty multi-purpose and keep warm plus wet. Let’s see if that works.
Tim Hewitt, Gardener 
Your cyclamen look pretty in the snow. I was planning to wait a few more weeks before potting up my dahlia tubers.
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Yeah, might be a bit early, but I want to take cuttings from them and feel like the worst of the weather is behind us.
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That salvia cutting looks healthy. I’m off to sow some peas!
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Thanks, bring on outdoor sowing weather!
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Love your rebellious pulsatilla sowing, I would be the same. In the wild does someone chop off their furry tails? I don’t think so! Great graveyard shot. 🙂
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Maybe little mice nibble them at night. (More likely to eat the seed & leave the tail, I suspect.) So Tim, you’ve reminded me of dahlias which I’ve somehow forgot. I like the idea of potting early & taking cuttings. Based on my past success rate, not sure why that’s an appealing idea.
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Maybe mice use the tails of the seed as little feather dusters for their nests. Dahlias should be easy, but may not be. Get the things growing strongly, use a very sharp knife or razor blade and cut as close to the tuber as you can, then pot up in gritty multi-purpose and keep warm plus wet. Let’s see if that works.
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Feather duster – perfect. I shall try your method of dahlia cutting. Do you take any of the tuber or stop just before?
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Stop just before. This is Early May or somesuch time when you judge them to be growing strongly, assuming you start soon.
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