Propagation: What have you wintersowed so far -part three., 1 by

wrote:
Hi All:
I usually sow perennials in March. Some that requires stratification (cold treatment) I sow in Oct in my coldframe. This year my only intent was to check some old seeds I forgot I had. I gave my daughter seeds to scatter in her garden and though I had given her all of them. I didn't. Stored in a plastic shoe box out of sight in my garden shed, I came across them while looking for something else. Some seeds, like the Datura, are from 2002, others a bit fresher.

I didn't want to waste a bunch of time and seeding mix on seeds I figured wouldn't sprout. Although each varietiety was stored in prescripttion medicine containers, they were certainly not stored properly with heat and cold according to the season.

Boy, was I in for a surprise!!
Now I'm on a roll.

I used a method borrowed from my son, which according to posts in DG is referred to as the Deno method.

I started with the first seed on February 11, 09, which was Centaurea macrocephala that is suppose to germinate 1 to 2 wks. I used 10 seeds and 7 sprouted in 6 days. Hibiscus moscheutos, after nicking and soaking in hand hot water over night, germinated in 2 days. These were old seeds from 2006, which when I tried them back then, was lucky to get one to sprout. Now I have 12.

Here is how to do it:

The seeds I use were large enough to be held by fingers, not dustlike.

Cut a paper towel in half. Wet it and then squeeze out excess. Open it and fold in half and place seeds in one corner. Fold the napkin over the seeds twice until you have a square. Place in ziplock baggie. Zip the top, leaving an opening to blow air in to create a balloon. Quickly close the bag. If the bag doesn’t hold the air, open and rezip again. Sometimes these bags don't zip easily if the runners don't match. Once done, place the baggie in the refrigerator for 3 weeks (cold treatment) or room temperature, or the top of a refrigerator for seeds that require more warmth. I use a waterproof black Sharpie marker to code with a number on each package, which corresponds to the name on paper.

Check on the seeds every 2 days or so. As soon as you see radicals (tiny roots) emerging, gently pick up the sprouted seed by the empty shell with tweezer. Make a hole with a pencil where you will plant the tiny seedling. Guide the radicals into the hole. Firm the soil against it from the sides. I place the sprout level with the soil, unless leaves have developed. If no leaves, cover it with seeding mix to the depth recommended for the variety you sprouted. When you see growth break the soil, give them light.

I am so pleased with this method that I will never sow straight into seedling trays again. There is no damping off since there is no soil. I have had a higher stand on seedling with this method, even seeds that were hard to germinate. At least they were for me.

Another bonus is that you can regulate how many plants you want, rather than oversow and waste seeds. They can also be placed in the flat without crowding. No more thinning. No worry about how deep to plant. A perfect method for new and seasonal gardeners.

Never throw seeds out because you think they are too old. They are hardier than you can imagine. Nature made them that way to procreate its species.

CAPTION: These were started with the above method then planted in trays. These are only a few examples of what I have sown using the above method. Tiny seeds can be mixed in fine, moistened peatmoss then place in the baggie. Once germinated, spread the peatmoss/seed mixture over the surface of flats or other container. My next experience to try.

Pictured are:
Tiny plants of Dianthus (upper left)
Flat of Hibiscus Heliopsis, and Datura (upper right)
6 hardy geraniums (lower left)
6 plants of Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Plant/Pink Butterfly Plant)



This message was edited Mar 8, 2009 7:00 PM