Growing perennials from seed

Hello all,

I've just spent a day sowing what feels like a million different perennial seeds to start me on my way to a full and exciting garden!

So far they're all in seed trays until they've germinated and can be moved. My question is, what's the best thing to move them to? Would you go straight for a 3" pot for each seedling until it's ready for the garden, or would you go for one of those trays which have individual modules in them (and move them on to individual pots afterwards/ or straight into the garden)?

Am I right that I should move them as soon as they have a pair of leaves, or maybe leave them a bit first?

In case it affects the answer, here's what went in today!

Verbascum (flush of white and violetta)
Poppy Royal Wedding
Agastache
Echinops
Hollyhock
Delphinium
Polyanthus
Chilli peppers
Berkheya
Echinacea
Dahlia Coltness
Viola Tricolore

Thanks for your help

 

Just from personal choice I always transplant in to 3" pots and then sometimes to larger pots from there, depending on the vigour of the plant.

You could use trays with cells (jumbo plug size) if you have numerous seedlings of each species; which you probably will initially.

Either way generally I would transplant them as soon as they have developed their first pair of true leaves, unless it is a particularly small species, then leave them a little longer.

Hope this is of some help..?

 

I personally think there is more root disturbance pushing a plant out of a module cell than knocking it out of a 3" pot - so I grow all mine in 3" pots (I also use 9cm pots for things that may want to grow faster / bigger before planting out as it gives a little more leeway)

The books say to wait for the first true leaf before pricking out. I often do it when just the seed leaves are present as I think there is more root damage by the time the true leaves appear - but its more fiddly, and you need more manual dexterity, if you do it earlier