Raising annuals indoors From Bedding Plants After sowing the seed After sowing, most seed needs a covering of compost, although plants with small seeds like begonias and petunias can simply be pressed gently into the surface of the compost. Over the years I have found that this gentle pressing is very useful, reducing the amount of fine compost that needs sifting over the seed to a covering as deep as the seed itself. Some gardeners use an old kitchen sieve for this purpose but I find this is too fine and use a home-made sieve made by tacking a square of greenhouse shade netting to a light wooden frame. Vermiculite can also be used as a seed covering but is less easy to manage than compost. Immediately after sowing, write the label giving the name, source of seed and date of sowing. Once a few pots have been sown, they need watering. I prefer to water gently with a fine rose on a watering can, tipping the can to get the water flowing before moving the spray over the pots, then moving it away before stopping - this avoids huge drips disturbing the seeds. Some gardeners prefer to stand their seed pots in a bowl of water so that water is soaked up from below until the surface darkens; but when the pots are removed, peat-based composts tend to shrink away from the sides of the pots. In either case it pays to add a copper fungicide to the water to help prevent damping off. When surplus water has drained away, the pots can go in the propagator. Most seeds do not need any more darkness to encourage germination than is provided by their covering of compost, and are covered with paper (brown paper or old newspaper will suffice) simply to prevent them becoming too hot. If your germinated seeds are removed from the propagator as soon as they sprout, the whole propagator can be covered with paper. If your facilities are restricted, the seed pots must be covered individually. The pots will need a clear moisture-retentive covering under the paper. If large seed trays have been used, a rectangle of glass and a piece of paper can cover each tray. On a small scale, this is more difficult. Fine, uncovered seed is in particular danger of drying out and here a piece of clingfilm stretched over the pot is useful. Some gardeners use rounds of glass or rigid plastic, some use larger sheets of glass to cover a number of pots. I find that for most seeds, if the lid is on the propagator, it is covered with paper to exclude sun and is not placed in a sunny spot, then no additional moisture-retentive covering is required, although careful misting or gentle watering may sometimes be necessary. Once in the propagator, seeds should be checked twice a day as some, like marigolds and dahlias, germinate very quickly. As soon as they appear, any paper covering should be removed and then glass or clingfilm removed a day or two later. At this stage the pots are best moved to a slightly cooler temperature where the seedlings can grow on until the seed leaves have expanded. Watering should be checked regularly, and a copper fungicide added to the water as a precaution against damping off. The advantages of a greenhouse Raising plants on a windowsill Using a propagator or heated mat Choosing pots and trays Compost/Potting soil Seed sowing technique Pricking out the seedlings Looking after seedlings Planting out   Raising annuals indoors Annual Manual ©copyright 1999 Graham Rice. All Rights Reserved. All Images Digitally Watermarked.