How to Grow Columbine Indoors

Columbines (Aquilegia vulgaris) are perennials that are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 to 9. They produce colorful blooms from mid-spring until summer. You can purchase established columbine plants from a nursery to transplant in your garden; alternately, grow them indoors from seeds, which is often a more cost-effective option. Grow columbine in the winter so you can transplant the young seedlings outdoors in the spring after the last frost.

Things You'll Need

Seed flats
Potting soil

Plastic wrap

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a seed flat with moist humus-rich potting soil, available in nurseries and garden centers. Leave about 1/2 inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim.
- 2
  Sow columbine seeds on top of the soil, about three seeds per seed compartment. Columbine seeds germinate fastest when exposed to light, so don't cover them with soil.
- 3
  Wrap the seed tray in plastic wrap to conserve moisture and maintain high humidity levels.
- 4
  Refrigerate the tray for two to three weeks to chill the seeds -- a must for columbine seeds.
- 5
  Remove the tray from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Set the tray near a window but out of direct sunlight.
- 6
  Keep the soil moist, and the seeds should germinate in one to three months. After germination, thin out the seedlings to keep the strongest one in each seed compartment. Once they reach 6 inches, you can transplant them outdoors in a shady area.

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