How to grow plants from seed

Eight steps to successful sowing

1. Fill a seed tray to its brim with seed compost, then press it down with a flat board or another seed tray, so the final level is about 1cm below the rim.

2. Scatter small seeds evenly or sow large seeds individually on the surface, covering them to about their own depth with a light scattering of compost.

3. Lightly water the tray with a fine hose, going over the tray's edges to ensure all your seeds have been well watered.

4. Label your plants by writing the details on a tag, or simply fold the seed packet up and push it into the tray's edge.

5. Cover the tray with a piece of clingfilm to keep it moist and even out humidity, but remove this as soon as the first seedlings emerge.

6. Place the trays on a windowsill or in your greenhouse, in a spot that doesn't receive direct sunlight.

7. Before the seed trays become overcrowded, lift each seedling out by the leaf (never the stem) and replant in small pots, continuing to pot them on into increasingly larger pots as your seedlings grow in stature.

8. Harden off your new plants (acclimatise them) by exposing them gradually to the elements in a sheltered spot outside, until they're strong enough to be planted into the open ground.

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