Prick out or leave till Spring?

[Palustris]

I have had really good germination of various Pulsatilla (fresh seed). Just wondering what you good folks do, leave them in the seed pots until Spring or prick  them out now?
TIA

[Michael J Campbell]

I would leave until Spring.

[Maggi Young]

I would leave until Spring.

That's what we would do, too.

[Palustris]

Ok. So follow up question, where would you keep the seed pots over winter?
I am only asking as normally I do not sow Pulsatilla seeds, I just dig up a few from the garden where they have self seeded.

[Maggi Young]

We'd leave the pots out over winter in a open sand frame.  If they've got to a reasonable size they'll be fine - otherwise you might need to take them under cold glass to see if you can keep them growing long enough to  have the  substance to survive winter.  Need to keep them cool though, they don't need any heat.

We have little seedlings that were sown in about mid-may and they'll sit out over winter.

[Ivan McConachie]

Would the same be true of all seedlings?? Best to leave until spring? Are smaller seedlings best under cover for the winter?

[Maggi Young]

We leave pretty much all seedlings over winter in their seed pots, Ivan. The protection of a cover against too much rain or frost in a cold frame is  fine - they don't want to get too cosy!

[Palustris]

You mention a sand frame. Are your seed pots plunged in the sand? I only ask as in the last three winters here, even the sand in the closed frames has frozen solid (to the extent that it expanded so much it split open the brickwork of the raised frames). I lost a lot of plants from the extreme cold despite, or perhaps because they were plunged. Even the pots of seedlings I put in the cold greenhouse froze solid and did not recover in Spring.

[Maggi Young]

Sorry, I should have given more details  : these "sand frames"  might also be called "cold frames" - our system is to have  a framework, either brick built (which usually has slanted sides coming well above the enclosed pots)   or a wooden frame-work which barely comes above the pots - but both types  have  only a sand base of a few inches above ground and on which the pots sit,  allowing a cover to be laid over in bad weather.

[Palustris]

Very similar to one set of frames which I have, except that the base is gravel rather than sand. Even so, with bubble plastic and fleece  and glass the seed pots froze and the seedlings perished. We had -8c in the greenhouse, under the bubble plastic on a succession of nights. Even though the stuff in there was dry we still lost things.

Be interesting to see what system other people use. There must be more folks than us growing stuff from seed. Or if not, then what is the use of the seed exchange?

[SJW]

We leave pretty much all seedlings over winter in their seed pots, Ivan. The protection of a cover against too much rain or frost in a cold frame is  fine - they don't want to get too cosy!

I have a similar question about Androsace vandellii. I've not grown any Androsaces before but this year tried a packet of A. vandelli from the seed exchange. I've now got about 8-10 seedlings in a 3" pot. I've read that they should really be pricked out early to avoid damaging their root systems. Bit late for that now! Presumably I should now wait until spring before doing anything? They'll stay in a cold greenhouse over winter. Also, what about dumping the whole pot into a larger size, or does Androsace do better grown individually rather than in a group? Thanks for any advice.

[Michael J Campbell]

They do better grown individually but don't even think about potting them now, leave them in the 3" pot until early spring then pot them individually in 3" pots and move them on as the grow to larger pots.

[SJW]

Thanks for the advice, Michael, will do that.