Terrified of sowing? Here's why you should grow houseplants from seed...

Coleus seedlings emerging from vermiculite. Photograph: Jane Perrone.

Sometimes I feel like the odd one out at the houseplant party that is 2023: the weirdo sitting in the corner ranting about growing cacti from seed while everyone else is flexing their latest rare aroid acquisition. Growing from seed certainly can be hit-and-miss, it's time consuming and very uncertain. 

So why bother? As I explained on Twitter recently, raising species from seed is a brilliant way to get to know your plants. I'm running my annual sowalong on On The Ledge podcast right now, so let me explain why you should get involved. 

Here's my top five tips to get you started...

1. If you really want to learn about plants, this is a short cut to intimate knowledge. You get to acclimatise it to your own personal conditions from the very start, which means it should grow better, too. Great species to start with include cacti, coleus, windowsill chillies, and Mimosa pudica, the sensitive plant. You can even grow ferns from spores.

2. In the UK, there are only a few sources of houseplant seed: Chiltern Seeds has an excellent range, and I'd encourage you to check out the BCSS's members only seed scheme if you are into cacti and succulents. 

3. Hygiene for seed sowing is really important to avoid fungal problems like damping off. So make sure your containers are washed in hot soapy water and rinsed before use. Use fresh seed compost, and make sure it’s at room temperature before you sow.

4. Seeds generally like to be sown just under the surface - use a seed’s diameter as a guide for the depth of the covering you use. Remember, some seeds need light exposure to germinate so don’t want to be covered. It sounds really obvious, but check the packet for information - usually all this should be covered there. 

5. Don't worry if not everything works out. Not all seed will germinate, and that's normal. Just enjoy the experimentation and share your results on social media using #OTLsowalong or email me at ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com for a mention on my podcast. 

I'm running a sowalong Instagram live at 1pm on Wednesday March 22 - join me @j.l.perrone and bring along any seed-related queries! 

This blogpost was taken from The Plant Ledger, my twice monthly email newsletter about the UK houseplant scene. Subscribe here and get my free in-depth guide to fungus gnats.