bedding plants in shops, but mine tiny

hwalkerh

Hi

All the shops seem to have started to sell bedding plant but the ones that i am growing from seeds are tiny with only 2 leaves.

is this normal? It is the first time i have tried growing bedding plant.

Money_maker

Many of these are purpose grown in Holland. Yours will catch up and probably be stronger.

amcluesent

Yep, one chill night and those grown in Dutch greenhouses will be goners. That said, I can't see any point in growing bedding plants from seed, so long as you buy plants at the right time.

savemoney

Yes its very normal. I tend to buy some just to fill gaps until my own grow sufficient size

I think mine will be late this year though due to cold, crap weather we are still getting

A._Badger

I absolutely agree about the danger of bought-in plants dying when they are faced with the delights of the average British Spring - and also that homegrown ones will catch up.

I don't agree about growing bedding plants from seed, however - which I do quite extensively. The main reason isn't price (though seeing what is charged for some bedding plants that grow like weeds, I'm quite sure it can save money) but for choice.

If all you want are patches of colour then plug plants or whatever may do - but if you want specific varieties, particularly uncommon ones, then your only recourse is to grow them yourself, from seed. It's also an enjoyable pastime - with the possible exception of pri****g-out, which is the job I hate most!

(Asterisks to appease idiotware that thinks that fine old garden torture known as 'pri****g out' is an obscene practice. It is, of course - just not in the way the programmer thinks)