Starting perennials from seed is a budget-friendly way to add a lot of plants to your garden. Perennials come back year after year, so you sow them once and they give you many seasons of color and fragrance. Perennials generally take longer to grow from seed than most annual flowers and some perennials need special care to get them to sprout, but the effort pays off when you fill your beds and borders with vigorous and healthy plants you grew yourself. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Perennials To Start from Seed
The challenge of growing perennials from seed is that many of them require specific conditions to germinate and some take a whole season of care before they’re ready to go in your garden. That said, you can choose from plenty of options that will be brilliant additions to your seasonal display. Consider some of these:
- Columbine: The seeds for this late spring/early summer bloomer need chilling before planting.
- Coreopsis: Place the seeds on top of the soil, because they need light to germinate.
- Delphinium: Sow these seeds directly in the garden in midsummer and they will bloom the following season.
- Dianthus: Consistently moist soil kept at 60 to 70 degrees F ensure these seeds will germinate.
- Echinacea: Purple coneflower seeds must be “stratified,” or chilled, for one to four months before they sprout.
- Gaillardia: Set the seeds on top of the soil, indoors or in the garden.
- Poppy: Direct seed in your perennial bed in early fall or early spring.
- Shasta Daisy: Cover the seeds with just an eighth-of-an-inch of soil mix.
Planting Perennial Seeds
A seed-starting kit like the SuperSeed Seed Starting Tray, 16 XL Cell makes caring for perennial seedlings easy and convenient. Be sure to use a light, soilless mix and not garden or even potting soil, which hold too much water for little sprouts. A heat mat ensures the seeds are at the exact right temperature for germination. Many types of perennials need to be transplanted from the cells to larger pots before they’re ready to go in the garden. Biodegradable Plantable Round Fiber Pots are ideal because the perennial seedlings can stay in the pots when you plant them.
Understanding the Germination Process
Growing perennials from seed can be a test of your patience as you may have to wait three to five weeks before they sprout up. And not all the seeds will germinate at the same rate. While germination rates for perennials may be lower than for annuals, you can expect most to come up.
The first two leaves to open on a perennial seedling are called cotyledon, the embryonic leaves stored inside the seed. If you’re starting perennial seeds indoors, move the sprouts under grow lights when the sprouts have a second set of leaves, known as true leaves.
Preparing to Transplant
When your indoor perennial seedlings are mature enough to move outdoors and the weather is hospitable, begin acclimating them by taking them outside and exposing them to sunlight and fresh air for an increasing amount of time each day. The “hardening-off” process reduces the risk of transplant shock for tender new perennials.
When you put the perennials in your garden, mark the spot with plant tags or in your garden journal so you can easily identify them when they come up the next year and put on the show you’ve been waiting for!
For more tips on growing these beautiful garden staples, check out Burpee's guide to perennials.