How to grow aquilegia from seed at stinky ditch nursery March’20

[@woofpet]

Thank you Robbie. Came back to this video again AFTER sowing (in a used mushroom container of course 😂) up my saved seed from last year. Aquilegia was one of the very first plants I grew when I first started a big empty new garden and didn’t have much spare cash around 45 years ago. I had no idea what I was doing, just bought a packet of McKanas Giant hybrids & “painted” (with a child’s paintbrush) the seed into shallow drills straight into the garden in mid spring and most if not all came up in under 1 month and gave a lovely display the following spring and early summer. They really liked that garden - always had self sown seedlings after that. Still as excited to sow seeds and spot the first seedlings to germinate now as I was then 😁

[@lisawong4559]

Love this. Just had my plant flower this year, now died, I’ve harvested all its seeds( millions) lol so going to start some more off as you’ve done ready for 2024 flowers:) thanks so much for sharing .

[@donisenberg3032]

I start my seeds in summer, plant them out in the fall and they bloom the following spring.

[@franconianable]

Thank you. I have always thought the foliage on Columbine are just as lovely. Look forward to your posts. From the US.

[@juliemcgugan1244]

Last year I planted asparagus for the first time, not expecting to get anything. Colour me surprised last week when I went to check on it after heavy winter rains and there were three spears sitting there, waiting for me! I thought that I’d be waiting until into the second year to get anything from it!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Julie Mcgugan, you have just hit on my philosophy of growing, we can decide what we want to grow but in the end it’s almost like the plants choose us! I always focus on the plants that clearly want to have a relationship with me. My cyclamen did this to me, I had little interest them until I tried growing a few and discovered that they love me, now I have become obsessed with the little beauties and love them back ❤️

[@funkdoubt1]

Thanks for sharing 👍🍀

[@juliemcgugan1244]

You really don’t remember what you planted or when. You kid yourself at planting time, but when you go back, you have no idea and then you are googling ‘*plant name* seedling images,’ to try and figure out what everything is! If you’ve got 4-5 varieties of some things, then you have no chance until they flower! Lol! Or if you are more organized like me, you label everything in pencil, go back after a week and find that everything has somehow faded and you can’t read it anymore!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Julie Mcgugan, so true, so true! I have found that if you find the right pencil hardness, I think I use a 2B, it doesn’t wash off in the rain, like ‘permanent’ marker! Thanks for watching, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@kenkp86]

How did these get on? I sprinkled some seeds this summer and now have lots of young plants. Didn’t know they flower next year so thanks for that.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi kenkp86, aquilegia were the first plants I grew that I had to wait for a year or two to see the flowers, I found the patience such a wonderful teaching about growing stuff, if that makes sense. The ones in the video did fine, I just planted them around the nursery, got a couple of beauties growing in the greenhouse! I have found that they are good for 3-5 years, coming back each year. All the best of luck with your babies, don’t worry if they die back for the winter, it’s all part of their annual cycle. Robbie 🌻

[@wendyrual7179]

It's now October...how are they doing Ròbbie?😀💕

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Wendy Rual I don’t know, I’ll have a look later today. Many things got neglected over the summer when I was out of sorts. They may have become casualties of my madness, oh well, just gotta plant some more 🌻

[@HopelessCatTrainer]

The start of March 2020, a time for optimsm....

[@thcookies]

You leave them alone until they germinate, but when do you start watering them again? And how much? Sorry, beginner here

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Thursday Fam, watering is such a tricky thing to explain. It depends totally on the environment the seed tray is in. Rule of thumb with seeds is to keep an eye on them, once the surface of the compost has dried out then give them a little more water, if it’s in a humid environment this happens far less frequently than if it’s dry air. Sometimes I can leave a seed tray for weeks until it needs more water, sometimes only a few days. The idea is to keep them damp, not wet and wait. Sorry it’s not more of an exact science, not too wet, not too dry. Aquilegia can take some time to germinate so patience is key. I hope this is of some help, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@aidanharrison3888]

In this area (SW Scotland) Columbine are thriving . Their leaves are big and bright . A profusion of flowers . Could be the weather ? Whatever it is they seem to like it .

[@louiseahmedtropicalplantgr5000]

I didnt know about the fungus that attacked Aquilega that explains why I lost a few of mine, they never grew back. I've got some seed and plants now, is it too late in November to sow seed indoors or should I wait for spring

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Louise Ahmed, now is the perfect time to sow them outside, in trays or in the ground. Aquilegia seeds benefit from a cold spell, (stratification). It’s a thing some seeds need, it’s a way they can ensure that winter has happened so they germinate in spring. Clever seeds! So, yes, now is the time to sow. I hope this helps Robbie 🌻

[@Drazaanna]

Can you please tell me where to get all the ingredients for potting mix ? I'm trying to do my own this year but struggling to get it right :)) thank you

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Anna Drążkiewicz sorry for such a late reply, in these strange times I’d just use anything, just soil from outside maybe, it is after all what seeds grow in naturally! Normally I’d get the sand from a builders merchants, top soil from a garden centre with some multipurpose compost, about a third of each makes a good mix. But as I said at the moment a bit a soil from the ground, sieved well will be fine, I hope this helps and keep safe Robbie

[@ShadowHat]

Can these be kept as an indoor plant?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi shadowhat Meow, they are outdoor plants but all plants are really. To be honest I’m not sure if they would thrive indoors, maybe for a few weeks at a time, only one way to find out! Have a go and see how they do. All the best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@ShadowHat]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 ok, thankyou for letting me know! 🌻

[@stevenhowe6677]

What's it like to smoke?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Steven Howe, probably not too good, aquilegia are poisonous!

[@charmainepapworth9994]

How is it that I didn't know about Aquilegias dying in 2015?? Wow!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi charmaine papworth, yes, a new fungal infection came to the UK in 2015. The lady who had the UK national collection lost here life’s work. In our eyes nature can seem so unfair, but it’s just nature being nature! I’m going to try a few more aquilegia this autumn, hopefully with some success. Thanks for watching Robbie 🌻

[@charmainepapworth9994]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 I look forward to that. Thank you for doing these videos. They are very informative. x