Can you plant perennial seeds in late June?

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DavidKistner Bloomington, IL Jun 24, 2009

I have seed for some warm germinating perennials:

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Tall Tickseed (Coreopsis tripteris)
Black Eyed Susan

I noticed that it is recommended that I plant these by April for my zone-5. Is that because of the summer heat being too hot for seeds to grow? I'm new to perennials and was hoping to grow these "easy" perennials from seeds. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

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gcorrier Lenoir City, TN Jun 25, 2009

I believe I would hang on to the seed or try to grow them in pots out of the direct summer sun and heat. I think the reason to start the seed in April is to allow roots to establish an effective system for gathering water and nutrients that are required for optimal growth. I think if direct sown these may sprout and begin to grow but due to a lack of root system would be tragicly stunted if not die altogether. The seedlings would not be able to take up enough water to survive this time of year, sorry. I am fairly new at seeds but I believe that if I am incorrect e-crane or someone else will be along to set the record straight.

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DavidKistner Bloomington, IL Jun 25, 2009

I could do them in pots (out of direct sun and heat) and then put them into the garden later in the year if that would be better. They would still need to be outside, but I could put them where they are well-protected from wind and direct sun (in a cooler part of my yard). Then I could plant them in their beds when the season is cooler, like late September. They would have plenty of time then before frost.

Would that work?

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gcorrier Lenoir City, TN Jun 25, 2009

I don't see why it would not work. I would want them to at least get some morning sun and keep the soil moist not saturated and they should be fine. When you get ready to plant them in the garden start out moving them to their new area for several hours a day increasing the amount of time they are there so when you plant them they will be acclimated to the amount of sun and heat. Do this over the course of a week to ten days. This will limit the amount of transplant shock, all the plants will have to do is get roots out into the dirt around them. Add a little root stimulator (water soluble) to the potted plants a day or two before planting and this will help the roots get moving as soon as they hit the garden.

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DavidKistner Bloomington, IL Jun 25, 2009

Thanks. I think that I'll give that a try.

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