Kitchen Garden Forum

Hello folks. Has anyone grown Cowslips from seed please?
I've collected seed from the plant in my garden, (originally bought from a garden centre) and intend to sow them next spring. I just wondered if it will be successful.

They hybridise readily with primroses and primulas, primrose hybrid sometimes referred to as a false oxslip.

I transplanted some from my late mother's garden and just mow them around this time of year, they seed pretty well from that.

If you've got plenty sow some now, I often get better results with fresh seed.

Thank you very much, you have both answered my next couple of questions, which I was mulling over last night!

I wondered about hybridisation, as, though I don't have any other primulas in my garden, others do and they were in flower when I bought them at the garden centre. I also thought that as they seed naturally in the wild, it might be a good idea to sow some now, rather than wait until March, as the books advise.
I will sow some today.

I'm glad I harvested the dry seed yesterday as we've had a downpour overnight and everything is sodden.....

I agree with Geoff. Primroses grow best from fresh seeds, usually like 'mustard and cress'! But keep them damp and slightly shaded.

.........and don't give up on them, leave them outside all Winter and they could well appear in the Spring.

I've had a lot of success over 16yrs with Cowslips naturlising in my meadow area, I think it important for the seeds to experience a cold spell to spark germination in the spring

Thank you for replying.
I sowed the seeds 13th July,in a tray, left them outside in a shady area, and now have lots of seedlings! They haven't got any true leaves yet and are still very small.

More questions...
Should I leave them in the tray? I might have to thin them out a bit if that's the case. When they're bigger, should I prick them out into individual small pots/cells, or leave them be? Should I leave them outside over winter or put them in the cold greenhouse?

I'm chuffed to bits that they have germinated!!

Elaine, I would leave them over winter in their trays in the cold greenhouse (they might get too sodden outside or birds might take a fancy to them) and then pot them up individually or in small clumps in early spring when they have grown a little. If you can be patient and have the space, I would not plant them into their final positions in the open soil until next autumn.

I have often rushed perennial plants and planted them out when they were too tiny and thus lost them!

Thank you Monika. I will leave them in the tray and put them in the greenhouse then. I'll see how they grow, regarding pricking out/potting on next spring and maybe put several into a pot together before planting them out in the autumn. I think they look better in groups anyhow.

Hi Elaine,
I have literally hundreds of Cowslips in my orchard and my method of sowing them is when the seeds have ripened in the pod I simply give the stalk and pod a smart back hander.
My method however would probably not suit you.
I used to grow a whole range of primulas including Auriculas.
The method that may suit you is to prepare a bed with fine grade horticultural grit about a half to three quarters of an inch deep on the surface.
Scatter the seeds over the grit and then very carefully water the seed into the grit.
In the nursery I used that method for almost 30 years to great effect on a whole range of primulas.
Cowslips and many other primulas can be divided in March and again later on in July. Cowslips are very easy to grow as they really do not need any conditioning but quite a few primulas that originate from outside our shores may need a more careful germination regime.
When you have watered the seeds on the horticultural grit the seeds will have disappeared into the grit and they will appear next spring as very nice young plants. Do not be too hasty transplanting as they must be left to grow some good strong roots before lifting and potting up. They do not seem to worry about crowding so dont worry on that score.
If you buy Cowslip seeds from a seedhouse they should be sown either in January or July and I suggest using the method described above.
In the grit they are out of harms way with no birds or mice to take the seed and if you put another ring of grit around the grit seed bed you will also deter slugs and snails.
Sincerely,
JB.

Thank you very much JB.
I only have a postage stamp size back garden so I won't need dozens of them...but I would like a good few! The one plant I have, flowered for a long time this year...I kept dead heading as the flowers went over, then let some go to seed, so I could harvest the seeds.

Thanks again everyone.