How to Sow Mesembryanthemum Seeds
In the United Kingdom, mesembryanthemum is a popular bedding plant. Once blooming, expect a range of colourful pastel flowers in pink, yellow, orange and red. With thin petals which are similar to daisies, these unique flowers brighten up outdoor or indoor spaces. Mesembryanthemum will thrive in a wide variety of soils, providing there is lots of sunlight. In terms of difficulty, they are fairly easy to grow in clusters or as single stemmed flowers. One of the main benefits is their long flowering time, even fresh cut mesembryanthemum will last longer than most traditional flowers in vases.
How to Grow UK Mesembryanthemum from Seeds
- For indoor sowing, seeds can be started at any time. If sowing outdoors, the earliest time to sow is 6-8 weeks before final frosts of the year.
- Best started in seed sowing pots or in a propagator. Sprinkled onto the surface, or outdoors using a fine grade seed compost under cover.
- Mesembryanthemum seeds are very small, so ensure adequate spacing where possible.
- Cover with a clear wrap or polythene bag. This helps to retain moisture and will increase the germination rate. this can be taken away, once the first stems appear.
- You should see stems appear approximately 7-10 days from sowing, ensure temperatures are kept between 15-20 degrees.
- If the seeds are too hot or cold, this will reduce germination.
- Water regularly, do not let the soil fully dry out as the seeds need moisture to germinate.
- Young mesembryanthemum seedlings which are over 5 weeks old can be handled safely.
- Make sure to prevent pests from consuming, if early stems are damaged this can inhibit growth.
