June 2023 Talk: Success with Seeds

CABAHS welcomed back Tim Ingram who last gave a talk in the 1990s. Along with his wife, he is the owner of Copton Ash Gardens in Faversham. He has featured  in a wide range of publications and is co-author of Success with Seeds, a Hardy Plant Society Booklet published in 1997. He is a member of the Hardy Plant Society, Alpine Garden Society and the Plant Fairs Road Show. He is a very keen grower of  plants from fresh seeds, most of which he sources from his own garden. He gave a very informative visually illustrated talk on seeds with great enthusiasm which was catching.

He started the talk with a quote from George Bernard Shaw: “Think of the fierce energy concentrated in an acorn! You bury it in the ground, and it explodes into an oak! Bury a sheep, and nothing happens but decay.”

Tim described how he grew fresh seeds, and the conditions they need for successful growing, the how and when to grow different seeds. Seeds sold in Horticultural Garden Centres are grown to germinate easily at 20C. Fresh seeds may need different and specialist requirements. Seeds vary widely and some seeds are more difficult to grow. Seeds vary in size  and shape. The orchid is very small whilst the coconut is very large and size impacts on how they are sown and the conditions needed for growth. Some fresh seeds have to be sown  soon after they are picked, whilst others may be kept for a long time. Cowslips for example, need to be sown quite fresh in autumn and need a spot of outside winter cold to kickstart them. Early flowering plants such as bulbs and ericaceous need a cold bout to kickstart germination too.

Tim gave examples of how he grows from seed. He  said you need to think like a seed.  He said he used  trays, pots and propagators and used John Innes compost and for drainage grit, perlite or sharp sand. He said he was fond of ferns and one example he used were their spores. They need moisture retentive compost and he used half compost and half sharp sand. To prevent weeds and contamination the soil needs to be sterilized before planting by putting a cloth over the propagation tray and pouring boiling water on it.  He then puts the tray on the windowsill in his bathroom.

If Tim’s stimulating talk has encouraged members to try growing from seed  or those who have been unsuccessful at doing so in the past and been put off doing so and now want to try again, he recommended accessing the website and catalogue of Jelitto Perennial Seeds which specialises  in seed production, breeding and seed technology, as its catalogue provides a description of  sowing conditions needed. Also there is a range of books on seeds. He particularly  recommended Thor Hanson’s The Triumph of Seeds (2015). 

Influenced by his talk,  Kathy Aitken has since suggested that CABAHS members might like to collect their own seeds and bring them in each month along with a photograph of the flower for a ‘swap table’.  Sounds like a good idea to me.  What do members think?

Angela B

Finally, the Show Table had 7 entries and the winner was Debbie.