Seeding Tips and FAQs

For beginner gardeners, we know that seed starting is an exciting but overwhelming topic at times. We have curated our most basic tips and tricks on this page to help you be most successful in starting your own cut flower garden from seed this year.

Some essential factors to consider are:

• Moisture / Water - Seeds will need just enough water to grow. It is important to provide consistent water but avoid overwatering. Soggy, swampy soil leads to mold, disease, and rot.
• Temperature - Every seed has an ideal temperature range at which to germinate. Some seeds prefer warm temperatures like zinnias. Other seeds, like Bells of Ireland, prefer cool conditions.
• Light - All seeds will need light in order to grow once they've sprouted. But did you know that some seeds, like snapdragons, should be left uncovered as they require light in order to germinate?
• Air - Seeds need a good flow of oxygen in the soil. This is why it is ideal to use a nice, airy soil mix. If soil is overwatered/waterlogged, the flow of oxygen is cut off and root rot can set in.
• Seeding Depth - Each seed has an ideal seeding depth. Some seeds like sunflowers can be sown a little deeper, whereas snapdragons are not covered at all!
• Seed Viability - We recommend storing seed in a cool, indoor location where they will not be exposed to extreme temperature swings or high humidity. Seed is generally fine to be saved from year to year, but germination rates may decrease as time goes on.
  

How is one person supposed to keep all of this information straight in their heads for every single flower variety, you might be asking? Some of this comes with repetition and experience, but most of this information is usually available on the back of your seed package/envelope.

What if some of this information is not on your seed package? Our best advice is to make Google your best friend. Even after doing this for years on a large scale, we are still Googling exact seeding details just to confirm that we're doing things correctly! There is no question too big, too small, or too silly for our friend Google.

You may have heard about cold-season hardy annuals, warm season crops, and so on. What does all of that mean?

Hardy annuals are annual plants (plants that will only last 1 season) that are more tolerant of cold conditions. You can plant them out earlier and they will thrive in the chilly early spring. Examples of these cold-tolerant flowers include Bells of Ireland, calendula, larkspur, snapdragons, etc. 

On the flip side, some flowers should only be planted out once it is warm out, like celosia, zinnias, etc. They have zero cold/frost tolerance; they will be damaged by the very first frost.

Why is this important to understand? Knowing the conditions that each flower variety likes helps you to know what to plant out and when. This way you are not wasting seed or sending pre-started plants to struggle in conditions they are not meant for.

Again, often your seed package will tell you when a certain variety should be transplanted out or direct seeded. Usually this will sound something like "Direct seed after chance of frost has passed..."  "Seed in early spring as soon as soil can be worked..." etc.

Understanding when to start your seeds indoors or direct seed can be another overwhelming topic for beginner gardeners.

Why do we start some seeds indoors? Often they are slow growers, so starting them inside gives them a head start.

What is direct seeding? This would be putting your seeds straight into the soil, just like you would do in a vegetable garden with beans, corn, etc.

Why would we want to direct seed? This is often a good choice for flowers that grow quickly or for flowers that don't like the root disturbance that can come from transplanting.

Your seed package will typically tell you the recommended method for seeding (transplant or direct seeding) and how far in advance to start them if transplanting is recommended. Often this is stated as a time range (e.g., 6-8 weeks ahead, 4-6 weeks ahead) so you have some flexibility within that time frame.

What are the transplanting times based on? Start X weeks ahead of what? The seeding recommendations are based off of the average last spring frost date for your area. This date will be a little different for you depending on where you live. To build your specific seeding schedule, you'll need to find your frost date and work backward from there (i.e., 4 weeks back, 6 weeks back, 8 weeks back, etc.).

For us here in southern Manitoba / Zone 3, our last average spring frost date is approximately mid to late May (usually around Victoria Day weekend).

I HAVE SEEDS FROM LAST YEAR. ARE THEY STILL OKAY TO USE?  |  For the most part, seeds should still be fine from one year to the next. The longer they are in storage, the more you may find the germination rate may decrease. But it never hurts to give it a shot!

DO I NEED A HEAT MAT?  |  A heat mat is a great tool that should be used strategically, like any other tool. Some seeds may benefit from the warmer soil, whereas other cold-loving varieties will do poorly if put on a heat mat. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

WHY ARE MY SEEDLINGS STRETCHING OUT OR LEANING?  |  If your seedlings are looking thin, leggy, pale, or if they are leaning in one direction, typically that is a sign that they are not receiving enough sunlight. A sunny windowsill is nice and looks bright to our human eyes, but your little plants are hungry for even more, stronger light.

WHY DIDN'T A CERTAIN SEED GERMINATE?  |  This is a really difficult question to answer. Without being in your space and seeing your whole process at every stage, we have no way of giving you a definitive answer. Factors that contribute to poor germination include over or under watering, inconsistent watering, low humidity, improper seeding depth, improper temperature, not enough light, low seed viability due to a variety of factors, and so on. We recognize that this is disappointing, but this is part of the learning process.

DO I NEED TO COLD-STRATIFY MY SEEDS?  |  Cold stratification just means exposing the seeds to a cold period to mimic a natural season cycle (the cold of winter and then warming up in spring). The seeds we use and sell here at Lily Stone do not require stratification (we do not do this for our own seeding), but you can certainly do so if you would prefer. We cannot speak to the requirements of seeds purchased elsewhere.

CAN I START MY SEEDS EARLIER THAN THE PACKAGE SAYS?  |  We do not recommend starting your seeds much earlier than the package says. If started too early, your plants will become rootbound in their cells or containers. This often leads them to struggle to reestablish a healthy root system after transplanting. Overgrown plants transplant poorly (even if they are not root bound) as the plant tries to settle into a new home while trying to keep a gigantic plant alive. This rarely works out well.

We understand that especially for Canadian gardeners who are tired of winter, it is super exciting to get some seeds started as soon as possible! We see it all the time in garden forums on social media - starting zinnias in January, cosmos in February.... We love the enthusiasm, but unless you have a good indoor greenhouse system (strong lights etc), this is simply too early if you are hoping to still transplant these plants into the garden. If you would like to pre-start your zinnias and cosmos, as an example that we see often, please stick to the 4-6 weeks ahead of your last frost date as recommended on the package.

CAN I USE SEEDS THAT I SAVED FROM MY GARDEN?  |  Yes, you can use saved seed. Your germination rates may vary and the resulting flowers may be different from the parent flowers due to cross pollination. It is always worth experimenting!

If you have questions about starting ranunculus or anemone corms, be to scan the QR code on our packaging, or click HERE to view our info sheet.

If you have questions about starting lisianthus from seed, please click HERE to view our info sheet. Remember that growing lisianthus from seed is definitely an advanced project that requires patience, consistency, and attention to detail.

If you still have some questions about the seed starting process, consider joining us for our Basics of Cut Flower Workshop! Click HERE for more information.

If there are certain seeds that feel too intimidating to start on your own (that's okay! we all start somewhere), we will be running our specialty cut flower greenhouse again for the 2025 spring season. Click HERE to learn more about this year's line up.