The bellweed is one of the climbing artists in our gardens. Within a few weeks it reaches impressive heights of up to meters and enchants garden enthusiasts with its large bell-shaped flowers. Unfortunately, the plant only thrives as an annual in our latitudes. However, it is very easy to grow the next year's offspring from the seeds yourself.
How do I grow bell vines from seeds?
To sow bell vines, place the seeds in warm water overnight, use potting soil in a growing container and only cover the seeds very thinly with soil. Keep the soil moist and give the seedlings a final location in the flowerbed after the Ice Saints.
Seed procurement
You can get germinable seeds from any well-stocked gardening store. If you are already cultivating a bellweed in your garden, you do not need to buy the seeds. If you haven't cleaned out everything that has faded in the fall, you can collect the seeds, which are almost a centimeter in size, when clearing the plants. Dry them for a few days and store the seeds in a cool, dry and dark place.
The Multiplication
Start sowing in good time so that the bell vines bloom in the same year. The ideal time is the months of February and March. Since the bellweed requires cold stimuli to germinate, you should store the seeds in a cool place for about two weeks. The refrigerator is ideal for this process, known in technical jargon as stratification, as the temperature here is stable at around 5 degrees. Commercially purchased seeds are usually pre-treated so that cold storage is no longer necessary.
- Put the large seeds in warm water overnight and let them swell. This makes germination easier.
- It is advisable to use a separate cultivation container for each bell vine, because then pricking does not have to be done.
- Fill the pot with low-nutrient potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and press it down a little.
- Lay seeds and do not cover them with soil or only cover them very thinly (light germinators).
- Wet well with a sprayer.
- Cover containers with a hood or a translucent plastic bag to create a greenhouse climate.
- Air daily and keep well moist, but not too wet.
Care for seedlings
Even the young bell vines are reaching for the sky and quickly need climbing support. Shish kebab skewers that you stick in the ground next to the plants are well suited.
Tip
The seedlings are only allowed to move outdoors when there is no longer any threat of night frost after the Ice Saints. It is advisable to carefully acclimate the small plants to the changed conditions. First place the pupils in a protected place near the house for a few days and only then plant them in their final location in the flower bed.
