There’s something a little bit magical about popping a tiny seed into the soil and watching it transform into a fruitful plant. Whether you're dreaming of juicy tomatoes, colourful blooms, or herbs to jazz up your dinners, sowing seeds is where it all begins!
If you're new to it, don't worry, seed sowing is much simpler (and more forgiving) than it might seem. Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
Pick Your Seeds:
Before you grab your trowel, have a little think about:
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What you love (Do you want veg for your plate, flowers for your vases, or herbs for your windowsill?)
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Your space (Some plants need lots of room, while others are happy in a pot.)
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Your conditions (Sunny, shady, dry, damp… there's a seed for every spot!)
- Your requirements: Are you looking to grow organic or heirloom seeds, or working on a budget and happy to grow whatever seeds come you way?
Top tip: Start with something quick and satisfying, like radishes, sunflowers, nasturtiums, or salad leaves. They’re speedy, forgiving, and great confidence boosters!
Growing Mediums
Your seeds don’t need fancy food right away, just a lovely light, well-draining compost to settle into.
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Seed compost is specially made for little seeds. It’s low in nutrients (so seedlings don’t get overwhelmed) and fine-textured for easy rooting.
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Coir (made from coconut husks) is another great eco-friendly option. It's light, fluffy, holds moisture beautifully, and very helpfully, can be used over and over again. It comes in blocks or disks - just add water and watch it grow.
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Or a mixture of the two!
Why Do Seeds Prefer Low-Nutrient Compost?
Seeds already come packed with their own mini food supply, which gives them everything they need to start growing. If you sow them into a rich, high-nutrient compost too early, it can overwhelm those delicate first roots. Seedlings might shoot up too quickly, become weak and floppy, or even suffer damage. A light, low-nutrient compost gives them the gentle, steady start they need until they’re ready to be transferred into richer soil at a later date.
Sowing Big Seeds vs. Tiny Seeds
Big seeds (like peas, beans, sunflowers, and squash) are easy to handle.
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Poke a little hole about twice as deep as the seed is wide, drop it in, and gently cover it over.
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They can be sown straight into pots or modules (little trays with cells) to give them their own space to start.
Tiny seeds (like basil, lettuce, or lobelia) are a bit more delicate.
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Sprinkle them lightly on top of damp compost and either leave them uncovered or dust a very light layer of compost over the top.
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Top tip: It can help to mix them with a little sand first to spread them more evenly.
Patience is key with tiny seeds, they can take a little while to get going!
Sowing Seeds Indoors, Undercover, or Outside?
When you sow depends a lot on the weather, and let’s be honest, here in the UK, that can be a little unpredictable! Here's a rough guide:
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Indoors (late winter to early spring): Start seeds that need a longer growing season, like tomatoes, chillis and peppers. Sow them in a warm spot (a sunny windowsill works) around February–March.
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Undercover (spring): Use a greenhouse, cold frame, or even a sunny porch for half-hardy plants that still need protection. Courgettes, cucumbers, and sweetcorn love a cosy start around April.
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Outdoors (after the last frost): Hardy plants like peas, carrots, radishes, and hardy annual flowers can be sown straight into beds once the soil warms up, usually from March onwards.
Refer to the seed packet for guidance on sowing times and spacing, but don’t let it put you off if you can’t follow it exactly - gardening is one big experiment and nature is remarkably resilient!
A Few Tips for Success
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Label your seeds – Trust us, all green seedlings look surprisingly alike! Our Head Gardener Shan is only now learning to properly label everything after 8 years of saying 'I'll remember what that is!'.
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Don’t overwater – It’s easy to give your seeds and seedlings a little too much love, but try to refrain. Damp is good, soggy is bad. A fine misting or watering from below works wonders.
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Give them light – Most seedlings need plenty of light to grow strong. If they get leggy (tall and floppy), they’re reaching for more sunshine.
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Thin them out – As counterproductive as it might seem, in some cases, particulaly with smaller seeds you will need to be a bit ruthless and sacrifice the weaker plants in order to give the strongest ones room to thrive. Once they sprout, you can gently remove the smaller seedlings, being careful not to disturb the roots of their neighbours.
Growing Your Confidence, One Seed at a Time
There’s nothing quite like the excitement of those first green shoots poking through the soil. And of course, not every seed will make it (wonky veg and surprise gaps are part of the fun!), but each attempt is a tiny triumph.
So why not pick a packet or two and give it a go? With a little love, light, and patience, you’ll be harvesting the fruits of your labour before you know it.
Happy sowing!