Raising annuals indoors From Bedding Plants Seed sowing technique Tip out some seed compost from its bag on to your potting bench (or polythene-covered kitchen table!), fluff it up and make sure it is moist but not soggy. Ensure that the pots for seed sowing are clean and gather together everything else you will need: clingfilm or glass, plus newspaper for covering seed pots, a watering can with a fine rose, labels and marker pen, and a presser. If you are sowing more than just one or two varieties, start by filling pots about half a dozen at a time. Fill each pot loosely to the brim, wipe off the surplus level with the rim of the pot then tap the pot on the bench to settle the compost; finally, firm very gently to level the surface, using a home-made presser. A presser can be made from a round of plywood. The base of a mug or anything about the right size to fit inside a 3in (8cm) pot with angular rather than rounded edges; a plastic beaker is sometimes suitable. The surface of the compost should be about 1/4 in (6 mm) below the rim of the pot. Now open your first seed packet, remove the smaller inner foil packet inside, cut the top off with scissors and inspect the contents. Consider now how many plants you need to grow and decide whether to sow all the seed or just some of it, whether it will all go in one seed pot or whether you need another. It is difficult to advise on exactly how much seed to sow in each pot as some seeds are so much bigger than others. But bear in mind that although a pot will take more begonia seedlings than zinnia seeds, the temptation to fill a pot with large numbers of tiny begonias or lobelias should be resisted. The seed must be sown thinly and evenly over the surface of the compost. For all but the largest seed I find that the best method is as follows. Having cut the top off the inner packet, make a crease half-way along one of the cut edges. Hold the packet between the thumb and middle finger, tip the packet slightly so that the seed tends to run into the crease, then tap the edge of the packet with index finger to encourage the seed to roll off the edge and on to the compost. This way you can see exactly how much seed is falling on to the compost, and by moving the packet back and forth as the seed falls, the surface can be covered evenly. Larger seeds such as marigolds and dahlias need less careful sowing and can be redistributed over the surface of the compost after sowing by moving them with the point of a pencil. Very small seeds like those of lobelias, petunias and begonias can be tricky, but the method I have described will distribute the seed evenly, although this is less easy if your eyesight is poor. The old trick of adding a small amount of very dry silver sand to the seed, mixing thoroughly and sowing the highly visible mixture, works well. Large seeds can be sown in twos in individual pots, thinned to one as they develop and then potted on before planting out. The advantages of a greenhouse Raising plants on a windowsill Using a propagator or heated mat Choosing pots and trays Compost/Potting soil After sowing the seed 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.