Start Biennials – Now is the Time

Now it’s Time to think and plan for color in next year’s hardy border, especially if you are going to raise your own plants from seed. Some of the most colorful early Summer gardens are the result of well placed groups of biennials like foxgloves, canterbury bells, sweet william, English daisies, violas and many others. Biennials, you know, are plants which normally require two years to complete their life cycle after which they produce seed and die. Purchasing these plants already started is not easy these days, and if you wait until next Spring to get them, you will find that they are somewhat costly. Actually most biennials are no more difficult to grow than annuals – start them early so that they will have produced healthy growth by frost time.

The Time – Mid-June to mid-July for healthy vigorous plants.

The Place – A small coldframe and partial shade – if in full sun shade with burlap screen until seed has germinated.

How to start them – Prepare soil as for any good seed bed. Mix tiny seeds with dry sand for even distribution in the rows.

Care – Do not allow seed or tiny seedlings to dry out. Too much water means damping off – too little water, burning up.

Time to Transplant – When seedlings have four to six true leaves and are easy to handle. Water them carefully until they are well established. If the weather is unusually warm, cut twigs from shrubs six to 10 inches long and stick them among newly transplanted seedlings to provide shade until firmly rooted.

Where to Grow Them – Provide a spot in your cutting garden or in your vegetable plot to replace an early crop or in a coldframe if you have one. Do not over fertilize; this will cause lush growth and the crowns of the plants may rot during Winter.

Winter care – Mulch with marsh hay, cranberry twigs or evergreen boughs after the ground has frozen hard to protect plants from heaving during warm spells.

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Early Summer – Time To Start Perennials
• Don’t be Misled… Biennials are Easy
• May Pointers and Tips for Northern Gardeners
• Growing Coleus from Seed