Seed Sowing

Seeds naturally grow as the weather starts to warm up, so for some seed types it is better to wait for warmer climes before sowing. But plants that will benefit from a longer growing period to get them started are a great choice for a January sowing. Ideally you need a greenhouse to get them started but it can be costly and inefficient to heat a whole greenhouse at this time of year, so it’s much better to use a heated propagator that will provide just enough basal heat to get them started.
Many aquilegia seedlings flower in the second year after sowing, but if you can sow them early enough and supply plenty of TLC, you’ll find that even the NEW Unwins Aquilegia Clementine should flower in the same year after sowing.
It’s a very pretty strain with a mixture of colours including an unusual salmon orange and the flowers are star shaped and held on tall stems so they make a great display towards the front of the border
Link to seed sowing compost products

Plant Propagation
Gardeners who grow their own plants from seeds and cuttings know the value of quality plant composts. A seed compost is much more finely tuned to the needs of the developing seed and seedling than a general multi-purpose compost. And although the latter can be used very successfully to raise seeds, if you are growing specialist plants, or expensive seeds it isn’t usually worth the risk.

Seeds & Cuttings
Developing seeds have delicate, fine roots that are sensitive to high levels of nutrients. That's why the Westland John Innes Seed Sowing Compost has very low nutrient levels, even lower than John Innes No1. This avoids damaging the newly formed roots and provides the perfect balance of ingredients to support new growth. The low levels don't restrict the plant growth because individual seeds contain a store of food to feed the developing plant. John Innes Seed Sowing Compost has an excellent air to water balance to ensure good drainage and reliable water retention. It's a natural choice for raising seeds of non–ericaceous species. It can also be used to successfully root soft cuttings for non-ericaceous plants.

Young Plants and Repotting
Once you’ve germinated your seeds and rooted your cuttings your plants need more nutrients and support than the John Innes Seed Sowing Compost can provide. That’s why you’ll find a range of composts in the same range to cater for their exacting needs. Westland has three specialist John Innes Composts for growing and potting –on developing plants, these are more clearly identified as:

John Innes Young Plants Compost (No.1): For young plants and seedlings you need a compost with a low level of nutrients, Westland John Innes Young Plants Compost (No 1) avoids root scorch, but provides a steady, balanced feed for the plants.

John Innes Potting-on Compost (No. 2): This is the best choice for growing on plug plants and developing young plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, geraniums and fuchsias. It is also a suitable choice for most houseplants.

John Innes Mature Plant Compost (No. 3): This contains the richest levels of nutrients for strongly growing plants. It is ideal for repotting mature plants into containers, hanging baskets and troughs.

Understanding John Innes Compost

John Innes composts are based on an age-old recipe used by generations of gardeners; each one is specially formulated for a purpose. The finely balanced ingredients are mixed to provide the ultimate growing conditions for vulnerable, young, developing and mature plants. As the formulation gained in popularity and became an established favourite with gardeners, the range available expanded to cater for a wider variety of plants.
Today Westland utilises the research and experience of generations of gardeners to bring you its traditional John Innes composts. For those who know the name but have never tried the product, the secret is all in the levels of nutrients, which is denoted by the number on the pack. This allows gardeners to select the right compost for their developing plants and to provide exactly what is needed for every stage of growth. To make it simple, Westland has redesigned the John Innes packaging so that it is accessible and understood by all gardeners, whatever their experience.