woodland bed spacing

[cohan]

hi all--i am working on building a woodland bed, or series of beds, where i will be direct sowing and/or later transplanting some seedlings, and i'm trying to gauge how much space i should leave for each species--
assuming one packet of seed per species, and something like 20 seeds per packet, how widely should i scatter seeds/seedlings and how much space should i leave for spreading over a few years (they dont need enough room forever, but i dont want to have to start dividing by the time they reach flowering)--
currently dealing with Hepatica, Trillium erectum, Corydalis solida, Cyclamen purpurascens, and there will probably be more species..
there is plenty of room for more beds, the limit is my energy and time for digging them (from previously undug semi-forest soil--roots etc)...lol

[gote]

I think that you might be a little optimistic unless you have a large amount of seeds. Unattended seedlings have a very high mortility rate due to being overgrown by weeds etc. There is also the problem that many of these will have a long dormancy period before emerging somethings that make them accident-prone. Corydalis solida and Hepatica have very short shelf lives and should be sown as soon as ripe. Also Trillium germinates best if sown immediately..
I suggest that you sow in some kind of confinement and re-plant when you know they are up and growing. In your place I would use some kind of lattice pot. In our markets Physalis berries are sold in very suitable little boxes of plastic "net". One way is to make them by cutting a 6mm metal net int pieces and fold pots or at least tubes. I would space the seed about 1 cm apart and transplant when they start looking crowded. Corydalis solida will ultimately need 5-10 cm spacing but if they grow well they double every year so you will have to transplant regularly anyway If you do not they willeventually crowd themself to dwarves. Trillium erectum will need 15-20 cm and Hepatica anc the Cyclamen will need 10 to 15.
No doubt other members of the forum have other views on the subject but this is what I would do in my locatin in mid-Sweden.
Cheers
Göte

[Lesley Cox]

I agree with Gote that you are being optimistic. I think you would be much safer and wiser, to sow the seeds in pots/boxes and later transplant whatever young plants you needed for the available space. I have sometimes direct sown seeds in very congenial soils and locations and ended up with very few or none because of animals/insects/weather/weeds etc whereas plants planted, immediately start to grow and do well subsequently.

[mark smyth]

My woodland bed which is almost finished has species close together that are seperated by their flowering period eg. Galanthus are beside Erythroniums and Trilliums

[cohan]

thanks for the input...i will give it some thought..
seeds i have more than a few of i was thinking of trying both ways...
my main reason for thinking of direct sowing is just practical--i'm not much of a waterer, and the thought of keeping outdoor pots moist for the long germination period of some of these species is a bit daunting..
indoor plants i would just keep in bags until established, but not sure that would work outdoors..
plus i need to figure out how/where to winter the pots during long, deep winter cold..i guess i will need to more or less bury them in the soil to keep temperatures more consistent than exposed pots (i am going to have a lot of pots of seeds, no matter what, was just hoping to reduce the number...lol)

[gote]

you do not need to water a lattice pot sunk into the ground but it will enable you to keep a watching eye so the seedlings are not overgrown by weed or accidently destroyed by weeding or digging
Cheers
Göte

[cohan]

you do not need to water a lattice pot sunk into the ground but it will enable you to keep a watching eye so the seedlings are not overgrown by weed or accidently destroyed by weeding or digging
Cheers
Göte

ah! i didnt quite understand how you meant to use the lattice in the original post..that's a useful idea, thanks...

[Kristl Walek]

Cohan,
I agree generally with what has been said for potentially highest result rates---when seed is scarce, it is likely best to sow within the confines of a container, that is then plunged in the nursery bed. That container as a point of reference is always safest with seed of long-term species.

The (usually square) containers that water plants are sold in---are expensive, but last forever. They are like the "lattice pots" that Gote refers to and have holes all around. These are ideal for sowing the seed of Trillium and other (long process) woodland plants. And, because of the holes and the depth of the pots, drying out of soil in the pots, plus drainage are rarely an issue.

I usually also mulch the plunged, newly sown and watered-in-pots of long-term woodland species with moist leaf mould to give the added protection of cover from the elements, drying conditions, and digging critters (chipmunks often scrounged through my pots). The mulch is removed in late spring.

[cohan]

Cohan,
I agree generally with what has been said for potentially highest result rates---when seed is scarce, it is likely best to sow within the confines of a container, that is then plunged in the nursery bed. That container as a point of reference is always safest with seed of long-term species.

The (usually square) containers that water plants are sold in---are expensive, but last forever. They are like the "lattice pots" that Gote refers to and have holes all around. These are ideal for sowing the seed of Trillium and other (long process) woodland plants. And, because of the holes and the depth of the pots, drying out of soil in the pots, plus drainage are rarely an issue.

I usually also mulch the plunged, newly sown and watered-in-pots of long-term woodland species with moist leaf mould to give the added protection of cover from the elements, drying conditions, and digging critters (chipmunks often scrounged through my pots). The mulch is removed in late spring.

thanks for the added input, kristl..at this stage in my seed raising experience, i welcome as much advice as i can get

[gote]

An extra addition to the lattice pots. The holes may be so big that the sopil tends to fall out if one is sowing on the bench.
Good quality toilet paper will keep the soil in place but decomposit very quickly.
The funnything is that I grow all my container nymphaeas in normal pots without extra holes  .
Cheers
Göte

[cohan]

An extra addition to the lattice pots. The holes may be so big that the sopil tends to fall out if one is sowing on the bench.
Good quality toilet paper will keep the soil in place but decomposit very quickly.
The funnything is that I grow all my container nymphaeas in normal pots without extra holes  .
Cheers
Göte

good thought..i will probably pot them outdoors and use extra leaf mould to keep soil in... i have a very large mound of it...