Seed Guide 2007 pgs 01/41 - McKenzie Seeds

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The actual date when you sow your seeds will vary from season to season and also with the area in which you live. In a cold, late season for example, it is beneficial to sow later than usual, as earlier sowings will most probably suffer from the untypically cold weather they experience. Later sowings will often catch up and do just as well as early sowings made in cold Light/Dark Until germination, seeds needing light should be placed in subdued lighting out of direct sunlight and should have no newspaper, brown paper etc., placed over the trays. <strong>Seed</strong>s needing dark for germination should be placed in total darkness. Compost Most reputable seed composts will be quite adequate. On no account should potting composts which have additional fertilizers be used. Special treatment of seeds before sowing Some seeds benefit from pre-treatment before sowing or from being sown in a particular way. Here are brief explanations of the techniques mentioned in the following list. In almost all cases it is not critical that you carry out this pretreatment but if it is not done the seeds will usually take longer to germinate. Chipping Some seeds, e.g. Sweet peas, Ipomoea, etc have hard seed coats which prevent moisture being absorbed by the seed. All that is needed is for the outer surface to be scratched or abraded to allow water to pass through. This can be achieved by chipping the seed with a sharp knife at a part furthest away from the 'eye', by rubbing lightly with emery paper or, with very small seed, pricking carefully once with a needle etc. Some of our geranium seeds have already been treated in this G R O W I N G I N F O R M A T I O N Sowing Times Additional Information weather, which may have to struggle just to keep going. Likewise, in cold Northern areas you may have to sow several weeks later than in warmer areas for the same reason. Our recommendations are merely a guide which should be set against current weather conditions and your own experience of when sowings are made in your area. way when you received them and if you examine them carefully you will see that a tiny part of the end of the seed has been carefully clipped off. Soaking Soaking is beneficial in two ways; it can soften a hard seed coat and also leach out any chemical inhibitors in the seed which may prevent germination. Anything from 1-3 hours in water which starts off hand hot is usually sufficient. If soaking for longer the water should be changed daily. <strong>Seed</strong>s of some species swell up when they are soaked. If some seeds of batch do swell within 24 hours they should be planted immediately and the remainder pricked gently with a pin and returned to soak. As each seed swells it should be removed and sown before it has time to dry out. Pre-chilling In some instructions you will find a reference to 'pre-chilling'. This is a pretreatment of the seed which often helps to speed up the germination of otherwise slow to germinate seeds. However, even after pre-chilling some seeds can stubbornly refuse to germinate until a W W W . M C K E N Z I E S E E D S . C O M 5
G R O W I N G I N F O R M A T I O N year or more has passed, so never be too hasty in discarding a seed container. Pre-chilling was traditionally done by standing the pots outside in a cold frame during the winter. It is often quicker to adopt the following technique using a domestic refrigerator and this is of particular value if you obtain your seed outside the winter months. To pre-chill, first sow the seed on moistened seed compost, seal the seed container inside a polythene bag and leave at 60-65F (15- 18C) for 3 days then place in a refrigerator for the recommended period. For convenience large seeds can be mixed with 2-3 times their volume of damp seed compost, placed direct into a polythene bag which is sealed and placed in the refrigerator. However; there must always be sufficient air inside the bag and the compost should NEVER become either too dry or over wet, After pre-chilling these seeds can then be spread with the compost on top of a seed container and firmed down. The seeds must be moist whilst being prechilled, but it will harm them if they are actually in water. During the period in the refrigerator; examine the seeds once a week and remove all the seeds into the specified warm conditions if any of them start to germinate. Light also seems to be beneficial after pre- chilling, so pre-chilled seeds should have only the lightest covering of compost, if any is required, and the seed trays or pots, should be in the light and not covered in paper. Double dormancy Some seeds have a combination of dormancies and each one has to be broken in turn and in the right sequence 6 before germination can take place; for example some Lillies, Tree paeonies, Daphne etc need a warm period during which the root develops followed by a cold period to break dormancy of the shoots, before the seedling actually emerges. Some seeds need a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold period before they will germinate. In all cases the times and temperatures have been provided in the sowing instructions. Outdoor treatment The above mentioned methods accelerate the germination process and help to prevent seeds being lost due to external hazards (mice, disease etc) but outdoor sowing is just as effective except longer. The seeds are best sown in containers of free draining compost and placed in a cold frame or plunged up to their rim outdoors in a shaded part of the garden, preferably on the north side of the house avoiding cold dry winds and strong sun. Recent tests show that much of the beneficial effects of pre-chilling are lost if the seed is not exposed to light immediately afterwards. We therefore recommend sowing the seeds very close to the surface of the soil and covering the container with a sheet of glass. An alternative method especially with larger seeds, is to sow the seed in well prepared ground, cover with a jam jar and press this down well into the soil so that the seeds are enclosed and safe from predators, drying out etc. Sowing Where outdoor sowing is recommended moist soil which is weed free and has been raked down to a fine tilth is essential. For hardy annuals and perennials sowing can be carried out from late winter onwards as soon as the ground is workable and has warmed up; half hardy annuals after all danger of frost is passed and when the soil has warmed up.
Page 1: 30-9th Street, Brandon, MB R7A 6E1
Page 4 and 5: Copyright ® by McKenzie Seeds McK
Page 8 and 9: Advice is given throughout this pub
Page 10 and 11: Vermiculite is a natural, non-toxic
Page 12 and 13: survive in plant or soil debris. Th
Page 14 and 15: When seeds germinate, the first lea
Page 16 and 17: As with many other aspects of life,
Page 18 and 19: Planting the basket If using a mesh
Page 20 and 21: gourd with a small piece of stem at
Page 22 and 23: pot spacing the seeds out so that e
Page 24 and 25: Some plants can be sown in crevices
Page 26 and 27: Broccoli, green and white sprouting
Page 28 and 29: Chinese vegetables Interesting flav
Page 30 and 31: Onions can also be grown very succe
Page 32 and 33: in the summer direct into moist, ri
Page 34 and 35: Sow the seed individually in 3in (7
Page 36 and 37: M C K E N Z I E S E E D P R O D U C
Page 48 and 49: Alyssum Royal Carpet 100016 A more
Page 50 and 51: Begonia ‘Go-Go Mix’ 127451 A ga
Page 52 and 53: — CINERARIA — Annual botanical:
Page 54 and 55: — GERANIUM — Annual aka: Cranes
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Set outside only when all danger of
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heavy rain. McKenzie has many varie
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Morning Glory Flying Saucers 120628
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flowers are edible and excellent fo
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— RAIN DAISY— Annual aka: Afica
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hold their colors superbly after dr
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ange. Soak seed for 24 hours prior
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shape, though the "bell" in Campanu
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— AQUILEGIA — Annual botanical:
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— CLEMATIS — Perennial botanica
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dependable performance in many type
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dried flower displays. Fresh flower
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of falling water when permitted to
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V E G E T A B L E S M C K EV NE ZG
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GARDENING ACCESSORIES • 6" Copper
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ORGANIC SEEDS CERTIFIED ORGANIC BY/
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GUSTO ITALIA BASIL • BASILIC •
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ALPINE ALYSSUM Alyssum Alpine displ
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McKENZIE LAWN SEED L A W N R E PA I
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Get a head start on Spring! While m
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weeks from May to July for a succes
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— MINT — Perennial botanical: M
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Parsley Single Hardy Italian 101475
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— TARRAGON — Perennial botanica
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• use tools to reduce work - use
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— ASPARAGUS — Perennial botanic
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if planted, in a circle around a ti
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growing season plus warm days and n
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harvest. Most corn varieties fall i
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V E G E T A B L E S Extended period
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seems to help to lower the blood pr
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otanical: Allium cepa For larger on
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Snow Pea Snowflake 101525 Stir Fry
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frost has passed. When the fruit se
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Squash Butternut 101624 Winter Vari
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once all danger of frost has passed
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Tomato Yellow Pear-Shaped 125918 A
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We have included convenient Quick R
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F L O W E R S Q U I C K R E F E R E
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V E G E T A B L E S Q U I C K R E F
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Q U I C K R E F E R E N C E C H A R
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O R N A M E N T A L G R A S S E S F
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F L O W E R S TYPE LIGHT PREF CONTA
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Place carrot seeds in rows, then ca
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GARLIC When the tops of the garlic
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RADISHES After planting and harvest
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When your tomato plants are safely
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margarine container. Pour in warm w
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sweet peas. They climb up a seven f
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I use old peas and beans to help re
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leaf lettuce in your border and a t
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each one, so if one spoils, it will
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To prevent aphids in the garden or
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G A R D E N I N G Clever Animal Tac
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MOLES If you are having problems wi
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For growing seedlings on a window s
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As an additional seed starter tray,
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Seed Guide 2007 pgs 01/41 - McKenzie Seeds

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