:) I can just see the conversations now! I need to have a chat with a little worm.. if I can find him! He's beating me to the thunbergia seeds and eating right through them! There are precious few anyway, he can go snack somewhere else!
Cottage Garden Seed Swap and Chat #42
toofew, not sure how soon those salvias bloom from seed because I got both of those as small plants this past April. They are both relatively late bloomers compared to the coccineas and greggiis. I will tell you the 'limelight' got huge! It was about 10" in April and grew to over 6' by probably September. Then it got top heavy and broke some of it's branches at the base. I have since been advised (on another thread) to prune it to be more bushy, so will go that route next spring. That description of the chiquita is funny! Do we have any large container arctic growers in the swap? I have just the plant for you! ha ha. It actually got to be about 3'x3' and was covered with blooms. Very pretty.
Ella, I just snagged a bunch of dried calyxes (or is it calyxi?), threw them in my sieve and shook them real good and got quite a few seeds. Then I rubbed them against the sieve to release some more. Of course that allowed some chaff through the sieve, also, but the chaff was easily "puffed away" by blowing on the paper plate. This method has worked very well for me with the coccinea and greggii seeds, also. Much faster than squeezing each calyx to release 2 or three seeds, which is how I did it last year! In fact, I use this method for any seeds that are small enough to fit through the sieve. Now the purple hyacinth beans are a whole 'nother story! Those are giving me a bumper crop, by the way. Will have lots of two varieties of purple to share and a few bags of a white variety.
Speaking of worms, found some "lovely" little green ones hanging from threads in my Hyacinth beans. We have lots of butterflies coming through. Could it be some of those?
Tonya
I wish! Doubt it though, these are teensy green ones, leave less than a 1/8" hole.
Question (sss) please :-). Last year I wrote out ALL my 130 packets by hand that I sent in. VERY time consuming, lol! I wanted to do them on the computer this year, if I could. I have been looking everywhere for labels. What kind (or the number) of labels do you guys use?... Where do you get them?.... Do you have to buy them by bulk?.... And do I just have to use Word to make them (I only have Open-Office)? Also, does this allow me to add a picture?
Well I think I got all my questions up there, lol! Thanks for the help in advance!
Andrea
Andrea -- what type of "baggie" do you use?
if it is the clean lil zip-loc type... you do not have to use 'sticky' labels ... I do all my typing in WORD, then save it for the following years [edit where i need to ] then print, then cut into strips - about 2.5"x 1.25" or so and slip them in the baggie.
I know once i posted what my seeds look like... and many other do it this way too... cheaper than buying and printing labels.
my guess is... is you use those wax-paper like envies [i forget what they are called] you would need to use sticky labels.
Terese
no, I actually use the baggies. 2 x 3-1/2. I didn't even think about using paper. Wow, what a cost saver! I really didn't need to spend any money on labels right now. But in the future I'd might like to toy with it. But, THANKS! for the GREAT idea. I have a TON of paper :-).
Andrea
here's one of mine.... as an example
For anyone considering buying labels, there's a type out now called white 'shipping labels' that are designed to not be see through. I made the mistake of getting these (thinking of all my recycled envies). They are heavier than the normal labels, and don't appear to stick to the plastic bags as well. They're working alright, but I wouldn't get these again!
I have a bowl of berries from my Black Lace Sambucus. Now, what do I do to get the seeds? Does anyone even want them?
Lynn -- I'd love to try them. I always wanted a Black Lace... too cheap to buy one though.
Ok, I can make you some cuttings, too.
I have a hedge of them by the road, about 200'. I get so many compliments, and they smell heavenly.
I had no idea they were that expensive, until I went to pay for them. YIKES!!! I bought them at a small home garden type nursery that is only open during spring/summer. Well, she was clearing out for the fall, she recommended these and said she would give me a discount. I was too embarrassed to tell her they were too expensive and I needed to unload them from the truck. That is what I get for not asking "what will the total be". I do not regret it now, but I was sure bummed that first year.
Lynn -- I'm just terrible with cuttings.... they all seem to die on me. Seeds would be fine.
Hi All! Unfortunately, I had to drop out of the oink fest for this time. But there were some folks who asked for some Zinnia seed and I have the packets. So if you would like them, please DMAIL me your address. Cheers! Janice
I figured out a way to collect the Black & Blue Salvia :) Put them on your front porch then look for the seeds when they fall out Ha! I’ve gotten two seeds so far! I just wish I got full sun on the front porch and it wasn’t so late in the season. We have had so much rain I just didn’t want to bag them for seeds afraid I’d forget about them and they would rot.
Karen, my pentas are almost 12” tall almost as tall as my BB salvia on the tag it said 10” but I just went out and measured them. Yellow verbena sounds so lovely! I love verbena but never have seen yellow around here mostly shades of purple, red and white don’t think I’ve even seen the seeds for yellow I might be wrong. I’ve never had a problem with the chipmunks eating my plants just digging them up! My cat that goes out have kept them at bay this year.
I looked at your link that you provided and it says to stay away from honey if you have the H1N1, I was wondering if I had it but don’t think I do and I am taking my honey and vinegar with lemon we shall see :) I am feeling a little better today and have been taking the vinegar and honey for a few days now so I must not have it I hope not I’ve taken in almost a pint of honey in the last few days lol Stephen is feeling better thank goodness almost back to himself I talked to his mom this morning. Thank you for the link :)
Star, I was the one asking about the Painter’s Pallet, thanks :) I went out and looked but all I saw was just the stems or flowers so I’ll keep a closer look on them maybe after Sat. I can put a seed bag on them don’t think it’s going to rain for a few days if we are lucky lol If the seeds are that small I may not have a bag with holes small enough.
Lynn I have a Black Lace Sambucus and just did discover one seed that was left I would love to try some from seeds don’t throw them away lol I wonder if they can be WS I looked them up in From Seeds to Bloom but they aren’t in there I’ll have to google :) Propagation is restricted but in another article I found you can take hardwood and softwood cuttings (take cuttings June-August) couldn’t find anything on the seeds except making wine or jelly out of them :)
Lea, or anyone else thinking about starting pentas from seed - be prepared for a very slow growing cycle. I hunted for the picture I posted last year, take a look: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=6188374
The seeds are miniscule (about 1/4 the size of a petunia seed) and the seedlings are equally small and take forever to grow. Unless you want to start them WAY early I wouldn't mess with them.
Just a mention....I sure hope somebody has seeds from Lea's red petunias. I apparently dead-headed too late into the season, and those were my very faves of the year.
:(
You are absolutely right about the penta La. I finally had one bloom just before the frost hit it aqnd it was about 3 incnes tall. I think out of 4 or 5 kinds of vinca I had 2 small plants come up and one bloomed. My petunias are like forests compared to those buggers.
Are you sure those yellow verbenas weren't Lantanas? They look a lot alike and I have never seen yellow verbenas. I would love to have some of either one. Love them both.
Jeanette
LeBug, I googled it today, and after much searching, I found a little blurb. It said they need stratification, 70 degrees for a month(?) and then 4 weeks at 40. I will look back in my history and find the link. They might not come true, but it is worth the try.
I have some of Lea's red Petunias still blooming, I will look for seeds. They were so pretty.
I was sifting thru all that "Joey" fluff... i could not find anything that resembled a seed.
I may just put it in some soil [WS] and see what happens.
Aw Lynn those seeds have to come true lol I loved those little red flowers!
If you can Lynn please save some seeds :)
La, those Penta seeds couldn't be worse than the Lisanthus or begonias are they, I'll be starting those anyway if I get any seeds out of them, apparently they are a pain to get the seeds too lol
I didn't get any petunia seeds at all this year too much rain here every time I went to look for them when it was dry out they were gone and an empty seed pod was there :( I put them on the front porch the other day and kept looking but I think they have stopped for the season, I had three others I wanted seeds off of and missed those too so I'll be depending on the swap for petunias I hope someone saved them too :)
Sorry Lebug, I got confused. The Black Lace Elderberries may not come true and need the stratification. Do you still want some?
If I get some of the red petunia seeds, I will save you some. I have a little bit of seeds from a Fuschia trailing petunia. I'll attach a picture. I forgot their name, but I think I kept the plant label. I have a few purple petunia seeds, also.
Look, there is one of her red Petunias peeking out on the right basket.
Hemophobic, thanks for thinking of me about the Salvia farinacea (Mealy Cupped Sage - one of the blue-flowered ones), but tcs1366 was the one looking for it - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7197320 . Yea - I see nbgard has pried a few seeds loose from hers, too.
S.farinacea, doesn't like my partial shade as much as Salvia coccinea (Texas Sage) does, and it's the white form I especially love. Who woulda thunk a sun-lover like the Texas Sage would do so well in partial shade? Not too many seeds, unfortunately of that one this year. But I might have some seeds of another sage. Here are a few sage/salvia links that might be helpful -
Salvias (Sages) that are Shade Tolerant - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/699451/
Salvias for a Hot & Humid Climate - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/699449/
An excellent pictorial sage encyclopedia w/narrative - http://www.robinssalvias.com/blue/default.htm
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Lea and Jnette, nope - I don't have yellow verbena, it sure would smell a whole lot sweeter than yellow lantana, which I imagine the flower might look like if it existed. I remember one autumn when I was cleaning up in the garden and yanking out a creeping lavender lantana after frost that had happily spread all over the place, and looking up to see dozens of vultures flying in circles above me - good thing I don't try airing dirty socks outdoors around here lol!
Anyhoo, I meant lemon verbena which has never flowered for me. I just love its lemony leaves for tea and hope I get some cuttings of it made in time for frost here. Cleaning seeds has really been competing with getting plants indoors and other things grrr. Here's the DG PlantFiles page for lemon verbena - http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/279/
Lea, glad to hear you and Stephen are better and that it wasn't the H1N1 you were dealing with. Hopefully this will fade away soon.
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On germinating Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' (similar I suppose to S. nigra subsp. canadensis), Deno was only successful at germinating it with gibberellic acid (GA-3), in the dark, at 70*F - he says that 85% - 90% germinated in the 2nd week. But, in the wild, wouldn't you think these normally self-sow over winter??? I'd love to try some of these seeds - would try the dark treatment with and without stratification - but I'm not up to fooling with the GA-3.
This is from Norman C. Deno's Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd edition, 139 Lenor Drive, State College PA 16801 $20
I haven't tried gibberellic acid myself, but a very good resource for how-to plus supplies is: JL Hudson, a DG member - http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/
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I hope to have some hardy begonia seeds (Begonia grandis) for this swap, but it's still flowering. Some seeds are beginning to form, but not sure if they'll be ready in time. Critter gave me the original parent to these, and they are beautiful - big, bushy, late-flowering and self-sow generously, so they need a spot towards the back. If you are trying to make a cottage garden in an environment hostile to sun-lovers, this shade-loving plant is the plant for you.
Karen
Thanks. Would you just let the seeds dry in the berries, or try to separate them?
I have a bowlful, send me a dmail so I don't forget who I promised them too, looking back in threads is so time consuming. Right now, LeBug and Bluespiral want them. I can go get some more, I have MANY shrubs. Can you tell that I really like them?
Lynn, regarding whether to clean elderberry (Sambucus) seeds from the fleshy part of the berry, some will say it's okay to just send the dried berry. Personally, I go along with the standard of the North American Rock Garden Society ( http://www.nargs.org/ ) - and that is to clean all of the fleshy part off the seed. I've been bogged down cleaning the berries of Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' - and that is one tedious chore - takes about 1 hour to clean 25 seeds.
But the easy way is the way to spread insects and pathogens, so my vote goes to taking all the fruity part of the berry off the seed. My guess is that cleaning elderberry seed might be a little like cleaning strawberry seed - I let it soak overnight or for 24 hours and then float the seeds away from the dissolved berry and dry them on a paper towel. Critter, do you remember what the time frame is for soaking strawberries?
Lynn, the Black Lace Sambucus sounds beautiful. I would love some.
I would be interested in any bush seed like hydrangea, spirea ...
I have a couple caryopteris in their second year now from seed. I need and would love a few more bushes.
bluespiral, I had to look up your Ophiopogon planiscapus, very pretty mondo grass. That is a lot of time to clean 25 seeds.
Sorry, I haven't soaked strawberries (although it sounds like a good way to go)... I've only collected seeds from alpine strawberries, either drying the berry or picking "mummified" ones at the end of the season, then brushing off the seeds or crumbling the berry and sifting out the seed.
I wonder if you could ferment the elderberries like doing tomato seeds... and the fermentation might help break down the germination inhibitors in the seed coat. I'm sure the berries ferment naturally when they drop.
Hmmm...I wonder if Elderberries typically pass through the digestive system of birds before germinating? The GA3 treatment makes me wonder.
Neal, I would guess that yes, they do... at least the birds are enthusiastic consumers. :-) But some definitely just drop beneath the bushes & rot, and I figured those could be the source of the volunteer seedlings beneath the main plant (although maybe elderberries sucker, too). I don't know if what is true for "wild" elderberries also holds for the new dark-leafed cultivars.
Gemini and Critter - interesting discussion on germinating elderberries - hmmmm
Maybe what we need is a pet cockatoo or canary or budgie - we could just feed them any berries in question and down-the-hatch and wallah :) lol
I don't think I want to be involved in that "walllah." LOL
That is a funny concept. Whatever works. How about dehydrating and then crumbling the flesh off? I was thinking the berries left to dry out on their own might rot.
When my sister made elderberry wine years ago, she steamed the juice out in her juicer, leaving the skins and seeds. Know anybody that makes wine??
Jeanette
Well, I soaked mine for 24 hours, rinsed them, and now they are spread out in the colander to dry. I will try to find the seeds. If this doesn't work, I will try another way.
Bluespiral, thanks for the link. I will go look at it.
I will go pick some more berries today, so there will be plenty to experiment with.
If you want cuttings, let me know. I think I may even have one rooting in the cloner.
I will go look for suckers or seedlings. I never thought of that!
Hmm, don't think I would want to dig through the "wallah". Maybe scoop and plant would be ok.
Ya might go over to the fruit and nut forum and ask folsk there which is the best way to clean em. Ther e lot s of fruit and berry grower s there and surely somebody ha s th ebest of doing it.
Here too, I don't knwo if ya got oen of thes e machoiens or not but detaile d pic and explaination on hwo to clean them.
http://nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu/Content/Articles/5-1NPJ46.pdf
Oh Karen lol Since you mentioned airing out dirty socks out side I just have to tell you about what I discovered dad was doing when I came out here to live lol He had his underwear on the line outside to air out! lol I wondered why I never had his underwear in his laundry when he came to my house Ha!
You did a great job selling those Begonia grandis :) I planted mine where it was pretty dry and lost mine that you sent seed for I really hated it because I lost them the next year :)
Yes I am better even today I’m feeling better than yesterday and going back on my honey, vinegar and lemon lol Just didn’t have any idea what to drink yesterday after I stopped lol I was lost! I have nothing here for a cold I should have been prepared with all of the warnings out there today, take heed people get prepared just in case :)
Maybe soaking the Black Lace berries in some H202 would help though I have to say I have soaked tree seeds in it before with no luck something need to get that coat off the seeds so they can germinate hopefully WS will be alright that’s the way I would go and do it soon as possible while they are fresh. We are suppose to have a dry winter from what they said the other day on the weather so I may have to water my jugs this year not really sure about that one we were having a dry year last year until the ice storm I think that is why I lost a bunch of plants In pots that I was over wintering.
Karen I don’t think I would spend that much time on a seed lol I love my fellow traders but not that much, sorry folks :) If you have enough seeds I would just put one or two seeds in the baggie and give instructions but that’s just me I’m lazy that way it’s hard enough cleaning these small zinnia seeds and others lol Besides doesn't a lot of seeds like that have several seeds inside them then they gerninate on their own in the wild maybe they need the ratio so at least one is germinated?
Oh yes Lynn I would be happy to have some seeds from the Black Lace thank you! I shouldn’t have much trouble WS them here with stratifying them. Your petunias are so pretty mine never looked like that but I just don’t think I place mine in the right places. I’m not sure about your other petunias but the red ones have such a big pod that they are so easy to collect from :) Oh I see one of my grandbabies over on the side ;-) Nice greenhouse too I might add!
Now I think I am finally caught up Ha!
Lynn -- dont forget me in teh Black Lace seeds.
and I too am a pretty lazy gardener.... sure, i'll take pride in my gardens - weeding, deadheading and the sort... but to get seeds started... WS is pretty much the way to go for me. I've tried to 'baby' a few in the house... but too much work.
Terese
And then they don't live afteryou plant them out!!! That's what happens to
me sometimes after all that babying.
charleen
I always joke and say, "there's a little Monk in all of us," but I'm afraid there's a LOT of Monk in me. I know most people don't care if they get a little chaff with their seed, and for that matter neither do I. But for some reason I can't give seed AWAY unless every particle of chaff, dust or any other foreign object has been removed first. A couple of years ago I offered veronica seeds that were so tiny I was using a magnifying glass to clean them. Two hours into the process I only had enough seeds for 2 packets so I finally cried uncle and sent the whole flower head instead. But it drove me nuts!
I won't tell you about the goodies I still have stashed back that won't make it to the auction block unless I find the time to really clean them, LOL. But last night I took a mental health night (mental health night = a night of no math) and I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. Even if they all don't all make it into the swap I think I still have enough tricks up my sleeve to interest some of you fine folks.
Lala... snort.. snort.. wiggle wiggle , roll over, snot somemore. Hehehhehehe tryign to be a cut e piggie.
Whic remind sme got to buy some mor ebatteries. Wa s so mad, bought batterie s specially for piggy swap pics and put set in didn't veen us e them yet and tried yesterday and danr thinsg are dea d as doornails. All four of them and corner store batterie s is not cheap.
Yes, very cute piggie you are, star, except for the snot part. Maybe next time you can try to snort without the snot.