•
1 5

speedy-seeds.co.uk

Red Dogwood [Cornus Alba] | 30+ seeds | Fully UK Hardy | Same Day Dispatch

£3.99 GBP
£3.99 GBP
Sale Sold out
Tax included.

Please find for sale 30+ fresh Red Dogwood [Cornus Alba] seeds, also known as Red Barked or Siberian Dogwood. This easy-to-grow plant is an extremely popular ornamental used in landscaping with its bright red stems providing striking colour and structure to the garden from Autumn through to late winter. It can also be grown as a container plant and moved into a prominent position in winter to provide some welcome colour! Red Dogwood is fully hardy in all areas of the UK.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ORDERS RECEIVED BEFORE 8PM (MON-FRI) WILL BE DISPATCHED SAME DAY

SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY SHOP

 

INSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. 

Germination Guide

As they are native to very cold climes, Red Dogwood seeds have deep dormancy and will benefit from cold stratification for optimum germination rates. Stratification is a process of simulating natural conditions that the seeds must experience before germination can occur (if a seed germinates in the middle of winter it will die). In the wild, seed dormancy is usually overcome by the seed spending time in the ground through a winter period and having its hard seed coat softened up by frost and weathering action. This cold, moist period triggers the seed's embryo; its growth and subsequent expansion eventually break through the softened seed coat in its search for sun and nutrients

+++STOP PRESS Winter 2020/21+++

 

All my seeds that require cold stratification, including this listing have been kept in cold conditions for the last few months. As such they should not require any additional cold stratification to get good germination rates. A few extra weeks however in the fridge might however optimise germination.



ITs not as complicated as it sounds.....you can sow the seeds in trays and leave them outside over winter so nature can take its course, however most gardeners prefer to control the process themselves, reducing the risk of animals etc munching the seed. 

  • Half fill a small freezer bag or similar with a moist compost mix - ideally 50/50 compost & vermiculite
  • Place the seeds in the bag and mix in with the compost.
  • Seal the bag and place in the bottom of the fridge for 6-8 weeks.
  • After the stratification period, spread the compost from the bag over the surface of tray of moist free-draining compost
  • Cover the seed mix with 2-4mm of sieved compost
  • Loosely place clear a bag over the tray with a couple of air holes in order to maintain humidity
  • Keep tray in a warm bright place - eg a sunny windowsill
  • Ensure compost mix does not dry out. 
  • Germination from this point takes 1-4 weeks
  • Pot on to individual pots once large enough to handle but keep in warm and sunny spot
  • Gradually harden off before planting in their final position (April-June)
Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!

I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:

1) Dont Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!

2) Google and Youtube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed. 

3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.

4) Good compost pays dividends . The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine) 

5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk.


Overseas Orders

Buyers please note that they are responsible for any local customs duties or other taxes in their local country and should also ensure compliance with an bio security regulations. If you want international tracking, please message me before placing order as this can be expensive.

 

 

 


Any problems? Don't rush to Feedback - message us first and we will get it sorted quickly!

Materials

Shipping & Returns

Dimensions

Care Instructions

Image with text

Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review.

  • Free Shipping

    Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review.

  • Hassle-Free Exchanges

    Pair text with an image to focus on your chosen product, collection, or blog post. Add details on availability, style, or even provide a review.