When it comes to sowing plants in your own garden, the question often arises as to whether the plant needs light or dark germination. Since this question is important for successful development, you should not ignore it, even if the question of affiliation sometimes seems like an arcane science.
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Differences: light germinators – dark germinators
The difference between light germinators and dark germinators is, as the names already suggest, the light requirements of the seeds, which they need to germinate. Therefore, the differences in the use of the plants can be determined, because these differences in germination behavior exist between herbs, vegetables and ornamental plants. Light germs may only be covered with a very thin layer of soil. As a rule, the layer of soil should not be thicker than the seeds themselves. Dark germs place exactly the opposite demands on their environment, namely little light. Therefore, dark germs must be covered with sufficient soil in order to germinate. Within the dark germs there are differences in sowing depth.
Light germinators: herbs
basil
Botanical name: Ocimum basilicum
Sowing: May
Flowering period: June to September
mugwort
Botanical name: Artemisia vulgaris
Synonyms: mugwort, common mugwort
Sowing: April
Flowering period: July to September
watercress
Botanical name: Nasturtium officinale
Synonyms: watercress
Sowing: March to May
Flowering: late May to July
Dill
Botanical name: Anethum graveolens
Synonyms: dill, cucumber herb, dill herb, dill fennel
Sowing: April to June
Flowering period: June to August
Russian tarragon
Botanical name: Artemisia dracunculus
Synonyms (obsolete): Dragon, Dragun
Sowing: from the end of April
Flowers: extremely rare
garden cress
Botanical name: Lepidium sativum
Sowing: April to October
Flowering period: June to August
chamomile
Botanical name: Matricaria chamomilla
Synonyms: real chamomile
Sowing: March to April
Flowering period: May to September
chervil
Botanical name: Anthriscus cerefolium
Synonyms: Chervil
Sowing: March to June
Flowering period: May to August
Caraway seed
Botanical name: Carum carvi
Synonyms: caraway
seed Sowing: March to April
Flowering period: May to July
lovage
Botanical name: Levisticum officinalis
Synonyms: Maggi herb
Sowing: April to May
Flowering period: July to August
marjoram
Botanical name: Origanum majorana
Synonyms: sausage herb, bath herb, garden marjoram, Kuchelkraut, roast herb
Sowing: May
Flowering period: June to September
Oregano
Botanical name: Origanum vulgare
Synonyms: Real Dost
Sowing: May
Flowering period: July to September
peppermint
Botanical name: Mentha x piperita
Sowing: March to April
Flowering period: July to September
rosemary
Botanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Cultivation: April to May (greenhouse or under glass)
Flowering period: all year round
sorrel
Botanical name: Rumex acatosa
Synonyms: meadow sorrel, large sorrel, sorrel, blacke
Sowing: March to April and August
Flowering period: May to August
Summer savory
Botanical name: Satureja hortensis
Synonyms: garden savory, real savory, savory, common savory
Sowing: April
Flowering period: July to October
thyme
Botanical name: Thymus vulgaris
Synonyms: Common thyme
Sowing: April to May
Flowering period: May to October
Ysop
Botanical name: Hyssopus officinalis
Synonyms: beeweed, scented isoppe, real hyssop, verbena, hyssop, ice vinegar herb, St. Joseph’s wort
Sowing: May
Flowering period: July to October
lemon balm
Botanical name: Melissa officinalis
Synonyms: lemon balm
Sowing: April to June
Flowering period: June to August
Light germinators: vegetables/fruit
strawberry
Botanical name: Fragaria x ananassa
Synonyms: pineapple strawberry, cultivated strawberry, garden strawberry
Sowing: mid-February to early March
raspberry
Botanical name: Rubus idaeus
Sowing: January
lettuce
Botanical name: Lactuca sativa
Synonyms: haystack
Sowing: from mid-May
Saddlery
Botanical name: Apium
Sowing: April (greenhouse)
Note: Celeriac, cut celery and stalks also germinate in the sun
Light germinators: flowering plants
eyebright
Botanical name: Euphrasia
Sowing: October and November or March and April
Flowering period: early July to mid-September
mountain aster
Botanical name: Aster amellus
Synonyms: Lime Aster
Sowing: April to June
Flowering period: July to October
Besenginster
Botanical name: Cytisus scoparius
Synonyms: common broom
Sowing: in the spring
Flowering period: May to June
Special features: poisonous plant
loosestrife
Botanical name: Lythrum salicaria
Synonyms: purple loosestrife
Sowing: in the spring
Flowering period: June to September
Real Arnika
Botanical name: Arnica montana
Synonyms: Bergwohlleih
Sowing: April to June
Flowering period: May to August
Special features: Poisonous plant
Real valerian
Botanical name: Valeriana officinalis
Sowing: March to April
Flowering period: May to July/August
However Lavender
Botanical name: Lavandula angustifolia
Synonyms: lavender, narrow-leaved lavender
Sowing: February to March
Flowering period: May to August
speedwell
Botanical name: Veronica offinalis
Synonyms: Allerweltsheil, Veronika, Grindheil, Surgical Herb, Real Speedwell, Forest Speedwell
Sowing: March to May
Flowering period: July to September
Eisbegonie
Botanical name: Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum
Synonyms: God ‘s eyes
Cultivation: January to March
Flowering period: May to autumn
elf mirror
Botanical name: Nemesia
Cultivation: March to April
Flowering: June to August
Fat Her
Botanical name: Sedum
Synonyms: Stonecrop
Sowing: March to April
Flowering period: June to July
Fingerhut
Botanical name: Digitalis
Sowing: June to August
Flowering: June to August
Note: Foxglove germinates in the dark
Busy Lizzie
Botanical name: Impatiens walleriana
Cultivation: February to April
Flowering: June to October
common columbine
Botanical name: Aquilegia vulgaris
Sowing: from April
Flowering period: May to June
bluebell
Botanical name: Campanula
Cultivation: from the end of February
Flowering: June/July to September
Ordinary Liver Balm
Botanical name: Ageratum houstonianum
Sowing: March to April
Flowering: May to November
Levkojen
Botanical name: Matthiola
Cultivation: March to April
Flowering: June to September
snapdragons
Botanical name: Antirrhinum majus
Synonyms: Snapdragons
Direct sowing: April to June
Cultivation: February to March
Flowering: June to October
midday gold
Botanical name: Gazania
Synonyms: Gazania, midday gold flowers, sun valley
Cultivation: February to May
Flowering: June to September
Dark germs: herb
Borretsch
Botanical name: Borago officinalis
Synonyms: cucumber herb, kukumer herb Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: March to July
Flowering period: May to September
Parsely
Botanical name: Petroselinum crispum
Synonyms: Parsley, Peterli, Peterle, Peterling, Petergrün Sowing
depth: 1 to 2 centimeters
Sowing: March to August
chives
Botanical name: Allium schnoenoprasum
Synonyms: grass leek, rush leek, Brislauch, scallops Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: January to December (on frost-free days)
Flowering period: May to August
Dark germs: vegetables/fruit
bush bean
Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Synonyms: garden bean, green bean, cut bean, green bean Sowing
depth: 2 to 3 centimeters
Sowing: mid-May to mid-July
Chicory
Botanical name: Cichorium intybus var. foliosum Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: May
Endive
Botanical name: Cichorium endivia Sowing
depth: 1.5 centimeters
Sowing: mid-June to mid-July
peas
Botanical name: Pisum Sowing
depth: 6 to 8 centimeters
Sowing: from the end of March / beginning of April
Note: The sowing depth of six to eight centimeters applies to many types of peas, such as sugar peas, garden peas or garden peas
Lamb’s lettuce
Botanical name: Valerianella
Synonyms: lamb’s lettuce, mouse ear lettuce, rapunzel Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: from mid-July
cucumber
Botanical name: Cucumis sativus
Synonyms: Kukumer, garden cucumber Seed
depth: 2 centimeters
Cultivation for outdoors: from mid-April
Kohl
Botanical name: Brassica Sowing
depth: 1 to 2 centimeters
Sowing: depending on the species
Species: broccoli, kale (brown cabbage), head cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi
pumpkin
Botanical name: Cucurbitaceae Sowing
depth: 3 centimeters
Sowing: late April/early May
Lauch
Botanical name: Allium ampeloprasum
Synonyms: leeks, broad leeks, winter leeks, meat leeks Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: early spring or July (depending on the variety)
Mangold
Botanical name: Beta vulgaris
Synonyms: Krautsiel Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: from mid-April
carrotBotanical name: Daucus
Synonyms: carrot, garden carrot, cultivated carrot Sowing
depth: 3 centimeters
Sowing: March to June
Paprika
Botanical name: Capsicum
Sowing depth: 1 centimeter
Cultivation: from the beginning of March
Pastinak
Botanical name: Pastinaca sativa
Synonyms: parsnip Sowing
depth: 2 to 3 centimeters
Sowing: mid-March to late April
radish
Botanical name: Raphanus sativus var. sativus
Synonyms: Radies Sowing
depth: 1 to 2 centimeters
Sowing: from March
radish
Botanical name: Raphanus Sowing
depth: 1 to 3 centimeters
Sowing: April to June
Rote Bete
botanical name: Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
Synonyms: Beetroot, Rohne Sowin
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: mid-April to early July
salsify
Botanical name: Scorzonera hispanica
Synonyms: black
salsify Sowing depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: late February to mid-March; early April at the latest
Spinach
Botanical name: Spinacia oleracea
Synonyms: real spinach, vegetable spinach, garden spinach Sowing
depth: 2 to 3 centimeters
Sowing: September; late February to April
Zucchini
botanical name: Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina
Synonyms: Zucchetti Sowing
depth: 3 centimeters
Cultivation: late April to mid-May
Dark germs: flowering plants
Blue monkshood
Botanical name: Aconitum napellus
Synonyms: wolfsbane Sowing
depth: 5 centimeters
Sowing: January, August, September, December
Flowering period: June to August
Special feature: Poisonous plant
Christrose
Botanical name: Helleborus niger
Synonyms: snow rose, black hellebore Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: October to December in bowls
Flowering period: February to March
Special features: Poisonous plant
Kapuzinerkresse
Botanical name: Tropaeolum Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: March to May
Flowering period: May to October
lupins
Botanical name: Lupinus
Synonyms: wolf bean, fig bean Sowing
depth: 2 to 4 centimeters
Sowing: April to late May
Flowering period: May to June
delphinium
Botanical name: Delphinium Sowing
depth: 2 centimeters
Sowing: May to September
Flowering period: early summer
Special features: Poisonous plant
Stockrose
Botanical name: Alcea rosea
Synonyms: common hollyhock Sowing
depth: 1 to 2 centimeters
Sowing: late summer
Flowering period: February to October (depending on location)
cranesbills
Botanical name: geraniums Sowing
depth: 1 centimeter
Sowing: August to September
Flowering period: June to August
Kira Bellingham
I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.
