From tiny seeds, lovely houseplants grow....

Thanks for all of you who have been in touch after last week's column about On The Ledge turning seven - I have replied to most of you I hope - and it was wonderful to hear about your plant collections and what you love about the show, even though I was surprised to hear that some of you only ever read the newsletter and have never downloaded or listened to On The Ledge. The horror!

If you're not a listener to my podcast On The Ledge, one of the many things you've missed out on is my On The Ledge sowalong - the podcast's annual mission to get listeners to try growing houseplants from seed. If you want to *really* understand your plants, growing them from seed is a fantastic way of doing just that, and an increasingly wide range of species are now available to grow from seed. 

You'll find a full list of sowalong episodes here, covering everything from growing ferns from spores to raising cacti. I'd love to know what you'd like to hear about this year in the sowlong, which will kick off later this month.

If you have no idea where to start with growing houseplants from seed, here's my potted advice. 

• Propagation does take up some space and the main requirement is excellent light - plus, to a lesser extent, heat. Find your sunniest windowsill for seedlings and use a heated propagator or a heat mat and thermostat (NEVER use a heat mat without a thermostat, it can be really dangerous!). I have this propagator the Gardman Super 7 and I love it for houseplant seeds, as it's compact but you can grow up to seven different types.

• When buying seed, don't waste your money on things that sound too good to be true. There are many stories of people getting cress seeds instead of a ‘blue-leaved Coleus’ or something equally impossibly rare! Check suppliers’ feedback ratings and go on a personal recommendation if you can. Check out my US and UK houseplant buying guides for more seed buying suggestions.

• Using freshly bought seed and cutting potting mix rather than old regular houseplant substrate can make the difference between success and failure. You won't need much, so this is an occasion to buy a small bag! Bear in mind that you will end up with a lot of plants when growing from seed. So be prepared to give away spares to friends and family as plants grow.

• I've grown all sorts of things for the sowalong in years past but this year I am thinking of trying the china doll plant Radermachera sinica and some F1 hybrid Streptocarpus. What about you?

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