Fatsia

Fatsia Japonica are hardy plants and can be used as a shrub in a shady spot outdoors or as a houseplant indoors.

Starting seeds indoors or in a greenhouse is best, that way you won’t have to consider when to sow fatsia seeds outdoors (I would recommend summer only if you did want to sow them outdoors), where conditions can be too variable. Plant the seeds at twice their depth in a good quality compost.

Fatsia requires heat to germinate, if you have a heated propagator this is the best place to start these seeds, otherwise in a sunny windowsill is a good place. Add a little water to the compost and cover the tops of pots with a lid or seal inside a polythene bag to keep seeds and soil warm and moist. Water as needed, about every few days. You should see germinations in two to four weeks. Remove lid/cover once the seedlings emerge from the soil but keep the pot either in the propagator or on the windowsill for another week or two before continuing to grow in warm (but not hot) conditions. Continue to keep the compost moist, but not wet.

When the plants reach 10-15cm tall pot them on into larger pots and keep them warm. You can continue to grow Fatsia as a houseplant, potting on as required when the plant outgrows its pot, or transplant seedlings outside to their permanent beds once the soil outdoors between May and September.

To help the plant get established, feed it regularly with a weak all purpose fertiliser between Spring and Autumn for the first few years.

TOP TIP

Fatsia doesn’t respond well to transplanting and, while cuttings can be used, seeds are the main way that the plant is grown.