How to Germinate Viola Seeds Organically: A Beginner-Friendly Guide
Violas are hardy little flowers that bring cheer to gardens with their bright, edible blooms. There’s a face in each one of them, which makes them so sweet and companionable to have around- you’ll often hear myself and Paris' cooing over their cuteness as we move down the rows where they grow at the farm. We love to fill tubs, and pots in both our home gardens with them, too.
Growing them from seed is a great way to save money and connect with nature. They have a reputation of being tricky from seed, as the specialty varieties generally have a lower germination rate, but don’t let that deter you! They’re easy to grow and you’ll get much more special varieties from seed than from buying plugs from the garden center.
Here's a simple, step-by-step guide to help get as many of those special ones germinated for you as possible!
What You’ll Need
Viola seeds
General purpose potting compost
Seed trays
Spray bottle or watering can
Humidity cover (like a plastic dome or wrap)
Labels and a marker
Best Time to Start
Violas for us, are one of the only crop we can start at nearly any time of the year! If you’re starting them in spring, you should have flowers by midsummer through to autumn.
Step-by-Step: Indoor Method (Seed Trays)
Fill Your Trays: Use moistened organic seed mix. Don't soak it, just damp like a wrung-out sponge.
Sow Seeds: Sprinkle seeds accross the surface of the soil and firm them in, by pressing them with your fingers- this ensures that the seeds are touching the soil.
To Cover or Not To Cover?: We have always covered them with a layer of vermiculite or a light covering of compost. But in Brenna’s new book ‘Pansies’, she suggests that they germinate most efficiently when left on the surface and exposed to light. We’ve sown all of our for the season and have had great germination from covering them, but will certainly try leaving them un-covered next year! We love experimentations when in comes to finding the best growing techniques for each plant!
Cover: Try placing a propogation lid over the tray to help the soil from drying out- a cover is particularly useful when it comes to surface-sown seeds, as they will dry out quicker.
Ideal Temperature: 60–70°F (15–21°C). Avoid heat mats- the germination suffers when they get too warm.
Germination Time: 7–21 days. Check daily.
After Sprouting: Move to a bright spot or under grow lights. Remove covers.
Water: Keep moist.
Prick out and Pot on: Prick out of the tray and place into individual cells.
Harden Off: After 6–8 weeks, gradually introduce seedlings to outdoor conditions.
Pricking out, potting on from 29th January.
Growth by March 4th
Then April 4th below! They’re ready for planting out now!
