The life of a bedding plant…

At the beginning of the year when the weather is cold, I begin my journey…

I will have either been saved from seed from my parent plant last season or bought in as seed from a specialist seed company.  I am sprinkled onto the correct compost to give me all my nutrients for the next few weeks.  I am covered and placed on heated beds with the correct amount of daylight to germinate…

A few weeks later up I spring along with hundreds of my brothers and sisters… At the correct time and before I begin to get too leggy, I am carefully transplanted into a tray which I will share, with 5 or 8 others, we do have our own cell, which protects our roots, making it easier for you to plant us out.  We will stay here now for sometime, to grow into healthy sturdy plants.

Our condition will regularly be checked to ensure that we receive the right temperature and feed, we may also be pinched back or sprayed to ensure that we grow into bushy plants and flower at the correct time.

Once all this has been done, the frosts have gone and only when we have grown into strong healthy plants are we allowed to be released into your care for you to enjoy over the coming months…