Growing flowers, fruits or vegetables from seed is a simple and economical way of raising new plants for your garden. Seeds can be sown directly into free draining soil in the garden, or started under cover in seed trays, pots and boidegradeable growing cells. Germination is usually quicker and more reliable in a protected environment.

Direct sowing suits plants that germinate quickly and easily once the soil and weather conditions are suitable such as poppies, cornflowers, radishes and salad leaves. Outdoor seed beds should be raked to a fine tilth or texture, with no lumps larger than a marble, and seeds sown thinly to reduce the amount of thinning required. It is important that the soil is kept moist without waterlogging, but a soak is better than a sprinkle as this encourages the roots to follow the water deep into the soil. Keep seed beds weed free so that your young seedlings are not competing for light, water or nutrients.

Seeds sown indoors or under the cover of greenhouse, cloche or conservatory can germinate, grow on and establish under shelter until outdoor conditions allow for them to be transferred into the garden and spaced appropriately.

Some plants are very sensitive to root disturbance and therefore require direct sowing or starting off in deep, root training, and compostable growing cells which can be planted out without disturbing the root structure of the young plant.

When transplanting seedlings into larger individual pots or final growing positions take care to handle the young plant by its leaves rather than the delicate stem or roots and gradually allow the plant to acclimatise to outdoor conditions for a couple of weeks before moving it permanently outside.