Verbena bonariensis

[didireallysaythat]

How do I get verbena bonariensis to germinate? Is it one of those seed that needs a cold snap?

[Dontsweatthelittlestuff]

Bit late to be sowing now . I tend to start mine indoors or a heated greenhouse around feb and they take about a month to germinate.
They like to be in the dark and warm so bury them so they are completely covered and I put a bit of cardboard over the tray which I take off as soon as they germinate.

I do have a couple of established plants in the garden and they self seed as well and any plants I get from them I just see as a bonus.

[Dontsweatthelittlestuff]

Forgot to add you can sow directly outside if you wish now the weather is warming up. Scatter them in a sunny spot and mulch. They like a bit of moisture but don’t like it too wet and claggy.

[didireallysaythat]

Thank you - I suspect I've blown it then. I've had them in a seed tray in an unheated greenhouse for 4-6 weeks now and no sign of life. Maybe I'll just tip the compost out into a pot, cover and see if anything emerges.

[GardenWoes231]

@didireallysaythat I had a similar issue. I sowed a tray in January of collected seed and about 2 put their heads up after a full month! Some websites recommend giving them a cold shock which was what I was about to do when the seedlings appeared.

Because of this I took a slightly f-it approach and in the half the tray that nothing germinated I absolutely liberally chucked seed all over it thinking what did I have to lose. This time those germinated wonderfully and in less than half the time! I read a lot about the light thing but I just covered them in soil and then put them on a south facing window sill - no particular light deprivation.

Mine was collected seed so it might be that there was a high failure rate in the seedlings so when I sowed more heavily this helped?

No idea but I have them in pots now and they’re getting strong and healthy. I gave some to my mother and some to my MIL!

[GardenWoes231]

@dontsweatthelittlestuff should I expect seedlings to flower in the same year do you know?

[sackrifice]

Buy one plant and then let it self seed.

If a neighbour has any they might be more than happy to dig a seedling up for you.

We've got loads, do pop over!

[sackrifice]

I'd chuck the full tray in the place that you want them and use it for something else.

[didireallysaythat]

See I've bought one before and it didn't self seed. It died...

I've moved the two seed trays I've sown so we'll see what happens. They've been dark, light, cold and today their punishment is the greenhouse where it's 30+C.

I might stick to hollyhocks. Those geminate when you look at them ...

[Dontsweatthelittlestuff]

Mine always flower the first year. Once the flower stalks appear they soon start to shoot up.

[sackrifice]

They don't need a greenhouse, perhaps it is too warm for them.

How old is the seed?

[didireallysaythat]

Owing to an abundance of cuttings, the greenhouse has the most space but I could just put the trays on top of the raised beds.

I bought the seed in Feb or March...

[BlauVogel]

Its almost like a weed (albeit a pretty one) and self seeds everywhere. No other plant in my garden has a better success rate of germination than VB.

[Ellenborough]

Plant an actual plant of it and it will self seed with abandon.

[didireallysaythat]

@Ellenborough - tried that, just ended up with a dead plant. Hence wanting to try and reduce the cost by trying from seed.

If nothing has appeared in the trays by the end of May I'll splurge and buy another

[lapofhonour5]

Try plug plants from eBay. good success rate compared to seed but cheaper than buying established plants