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Jekka's Top Tips for Winter Seed Sowing


At this time of year as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop to freezing we turn our attention on the Farm to seeds: drying, cleaning, packing and sowing.

This is a fantastic time to start planning for next year and to decide what you would like to have in your garden. 
Cardoon seed head  
Woad seeds in frost
Many of our UK native herbs that are naturally sown at this time of year require the frost to germinate. These seeds tend to stay dormant till the cold hits.

Here are some of our top tips for winter seed sowing:
Drying seeds:

Dry seeds in a tray on plain paper, in a light airy room where the temperature is constant (not in the kitchen!)

Paper envelopes are ideal for storing seeds as they will allow the seeds to breath and do not cause the seeds to sweat.

Photo: Sweet Cicley seeds
Allium Nutans seeds
Angelica seeds
Seed Compost:
It is well worth investing in some sterile compost rather than using soil taken from the garden. As garden soil is not sterile and therefore, your lovingly cared for seed will have to compete with weeds.  Whatever you do decide to use please choose a seed compost not a multipurpose or potting compost as these are too high in nutrients for seedlings. 
Breaking the seed's dormancy:  
You can either do this naturally by sowing fresh seeds into the ground, in a prepared site or into a pot that can be left outside exposing the seed to frost.  
Alternatively one can mix some seed with damp vermiculite into a small clear plastic bag and then place it in 
the salad compartment of the refrigerator (not the freezer.)  Check every so often to see if the seed is breaking through the outer coating of the seed. Once this starts to happen the seeds can be potted, grown on, before planting outside once the soil has begun to warm.
Here are two of our favorites herbs that we have sown this month; Angelica and Sweet Cicely.
Angelica, Angelica archangelica
Angelica is a show stopping plant with its dramatic flower heads and has often been the centre piece of many of Jekka's RHS displays. Angelica is a wonderful culinary herb and there is a superb recipe for Angelica Jam in Jekka's Herb Cookbook.

Angelica is a monocarpic herb, the first couple of years it will produce leaf and in its second or third year it will flower. Once it has flowered collect the seeds as the plant will die and the process starts again.

The trick with Angelica is to sow fresh seeds in autumn, as seeds sown fresh do not need to be exposed to frost.  However if your seeds are last years then it is best to put them in the refrigerator for a couple of months, following the directions mentioned in 'breaking the seed's dormancy'. 
Angelica seeds drying
Sweet Cicley seeds ready for harvest
Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata
A wonderful plant that is one of the first to emerge after winter and one of the last to die down. A natural sugar flavoured herb that we use in making deserts especially Rhurburb Crumble.

Be aware if you have light, well drained soils you may find it spreads all around the garden compared to us, with heavy clay, where it is well behaved. If you have not eaten all your Sweet Cicely seed, which has a sweet anise flavour and nutty texture, it time to sow for spring germination.

The important tip is to break the seed's dormancy by exposing it to several months of cold winter temperatures. When germination starts, bring the seeds into a cold greenhouse. It is also very important to use a loam based compost when sowing Sweet Cicely as it does not like peat or coir.

Please remember that with both Angleica and Sweet Cicely germination can take 2-6 months, and it can be erratic so be patient and do not discard the container.
If you require more information about sowing from seed please see the new edition of Jekka's Complete Herb Book.

Alternatively see more about the plants on our website through the link below.
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