Seed Swap & Chat #51 .... Let the sowing begin...

LOL.. i've been tempted to see if i can do that with an avocado.... but then what??

I sowed 58 packets of Piggy Swap seeds on Saturday. I am experimenting, and sowed them in my stacker planters and covered them with big plastic bags.

Lynn, what a great idea!

Cris, I got a good laugh out of the 'when can we eat at the table' story. lol

Pam, so sorry to hear of your loss. hugs to you!

I'm so jealous of all of you who can plant as many WS containers as you want. My six are done now ... sigh. I have to be very picky about what goes in them and what I'm starting now in the basement. Pamsue, I planted the rest of the Geranium Pinto Salmon seeds you sent me from last year, about 20, and I ended up with at least 80% germination ... I didnt expect it to be that high with them being 3 years old now, smile!

Lea, I threw away all my 606 last year. Darn. I decided I liked the 4 packs. Congrats on the hellabores.

sharon

Lynn, I bet those are gorgeous in the summer... I want to see pics! Wanted to get some in the coop, but the shipping was just too much for me.

Chris, I'll have to try that. My DH has gotten us all into the habit of eating in front of the TV... not a good thing IMHO, but I can eat by myself at the table, or join them in the family room. So, maybe if I cover the kitchen table in seed flats....

What's the controversy with tillers? I guess you could make a hard spot below where you till... I've used my little mantis to start things, and then been able to dig a little more (or at least poke holes with a fork) below what the tiller got up. With the clay here, it's the only thing that allowed me to start my gardens. (that and a few raised beds). The worms seem to have moved in (or up) nicely over the past 10 years, and mixed in my soil additives with some of the nasty clay below, and all has worked out well.

Lynn -- do you have a link for those Stackers? those are awesome! and great idea to boot.

I don't know if the person stil has them for sale, but ther e was somebody sellign them on the Dg Market Place.

They also showed somewher ethink in the Veggie forum how they did strawberries adn mroe strawberries.

Yep they expensive but somethign that gonan last for alogn time, so it like an investment.

Tcs. heheheheheh is yoru cat tryign to get at it yet. LOL Ya coudl always get one of them littl ebattery powed fans and turn it sideways and us e th eblades like a mini lawn mower. LOL

I spent5 and a half horu s yesterday havign to totally replastic my gh and was not fun as got soake d from rain pourign of top on to me and battling high winds. Staple d that plastic down into the wood. Went through hundreds and hudnred s of staple s yesterday. Just hope it holds now.

Wil be buildign a gh in a gh for the next coupel fo night s as temps go back down to about 25-27F.

I wa s dreadign lookign insdi e gh yesterday, figrue d all them new transplant s woudl be drowned and crushe d in their pots. Was surprise d when onyl had oen seedling that looke d like it went for a swim in its pot. I sur e it glad that it back wher eit belongs now.

While I was otu there to build the gh inside a gh, I grab crate s and stack and strech platic over and hold on top with another c rate. I needed mroe crates and sen one in yard and dumped empty pot s that wsa sittign in it out and starte d headign into gh with it. I felt something moving on my hand and sticking.

I lifted up my hand with the crate in it and saw a tail curled aroudn my thumb. I screamed. I screame dfor all I was worth. I knew with the warmer weatehr the snake s would be out and figrue d had picke d up a baby snake.

I droppe d the crate adn while screamign flung my hand aroudn tryign to break what ever was holdign on to me lose. it didnt' want to let go and I really starte d squallign adn dancing thinkign I gonan get bit and hopeign against hope that it wouldnt crawl up my sleeve.

Now I al;ready jumpy as all et out cuz picke d up a pice of wood and didn't notic e that under neath it wa s covere d with black ants and had them crawlign on me.

Finalyl I managed to fling the invader off of me. it landed on t eHostas pots. I grabbe d a deep breath and the rake, was handy at the time, ready to do battle and dehead one snake if it was a poisipnopus one.

I peere d into the pot adn there lookign up ad me dazed eyes was a lizard. : )

I breathed a sigh of releif and went back to work, but whiel I did I sorta worrie d abotu that poor lizard beign disrupte d from his home and now in a enw area.

Well, I can infrom ya I no longe r have to worry ans a bit later went by the area wher e he had ben and ther e he was sittign sunning on the top of the pot that was his orginaly home . If I didn't knwo better I would swear he gave me a dirty look adn stuck his toungue out at me.

That what scare s me the worst of spring. Wonderign what new nasty critter s are gona be comign otu of th egroudn and traveling here nwo that most folsk have clear cut all their trees and disrupte d all the wildlife around.

I have a big maomma land turtle that come s form neighbor sbehind and make s the treak each year all across the wood s and my jungle of back woods to come all the way up to fence in back yard and lay its eggs in my daylily bed. Poor Daylilie s there struggle cuz I dare not disturb the leaves, sicn e th ebox like s to tunnel through them to the groudn underneath and plac ehe r eggs and then she travels back to wher e she ha s a regula r home and I wont see he r again for a year, but the eggs that do hatch I see th ebabie s around under my pallets and plants in the sof t dirt and mulch havign a field day with the worms. : )

That was so funny! I know it wan't to you but it sure was. I can just see you hollaring and screamin.
I like to go to the woods and fnd rocks for my garden, Like you, I don't look forward to seeing the snakes at all.
But We have Scorpions too. I have seen several of those. Right under the Rock! It slows me down but it doesnt
stop me.

LeBug,
Just wanted to let you know got the seeds yesterday, thank you so much like I told you gonna try and make you proud, Thanks my friend!!
Carolyn

Oh Ella, your stories really brighten my day. But you be careful! Are you feeling better?

I got the stackers last year from the co op. I hope my experiment works. Last year I used straight coir in them. This year, I am mixing some perlite and Tagro (Wonderful stuff, local compost - no weed seeds.) I was inconsistent with fertilizing them last year. BTW, the coir was so wonderful to work with, clean, and just as crumbly as when I put it in the pots last year.

Do you use bubblewrap in your GH for insulation? I went to the local Ben Franklin store, and their frame shop gave me bags of the nice big bubblewrap for FREE. The big picture frames and mirrors come wrapped in it.
Don't you love FREE and to recycle unwanted stuff like that? Yep, I am a bit of a packrat.

Lebug, I am going to look for some 6 packs for you.

OK... get this... i'm at teh last store of my 'express' shopping day.

I zip thru the grocery store, in a hurry to get home [waiting for a call so i can pick up DH from the train]

2 lanes open... one - the express, 10 items of less
the other lane has 2 peeps in it who look like they are stocking up for a major storms... cart over flowith....

so, ,i count the items in my cart.... 15.... Hmmmm, which lane to pick....

Which lane would you choose.... 10 items or less, even though you have more... or a lane where you have to wait a VERY long time.... ??

i'll be back with my answer.....

the ten items or less. If I have plenty of time i wil go to the regular lanes, btu if I in a hurry yep I wil go through the short cut lane. LOL

I havign a fit. I have some seedling s that I think are sleep walking durign the night.

Now I sow each seed tray by hand. I work one seed type at a time. I start with sterile sed startign mix for eh tray straight out of the bag. I sow oen set of seeds and finish it and bag it before I start on another, yet...

I have foudn thre e Dahlia seedlinsg already not in the Dahlia tray , btu in the the ageratum and other trays. Nwo I dot' knwo what kinda hanky panky them seedlinsg doing at night, btu they need to make sure they get back into their own pots adn correct one by morning. May have to turn the light soff earlier and get up in the middle of night and check on them LOL

Ella, did you by chance sow them on a day you were low on coffee? Hands shaking a little ;-)

I did it! I finally got a few things sowed. Started with the Milkweed. I have 3 types 'swamp milkweed' (pink?), 'Tuberosa' (orange), and one labeled 'Milkweed for Butterflies'. I WSowed them, but saved some back in case somebody tells me I've done put a more tropical kind out to freeze! Hopefully something will click this year!

Guess I should get off the computer and go sow a few more... jugs all ready, labeled, and soil sitting right there in the shed... it's just so windy and cold out! Ok, going... back to check on you all later!

same here Ella... if i wasn't in a hurry -- i would have gotten in a different lane... though i usually look around for this one guy... when he sees me, he will usually open a lane so i can scoot thru.

BUT... so, i look around, no one else around, so i hope in the express lane. when the lady in front of me, who is slower than a snail... i though she was gone already so i started moving forward and bumped right into her...

anyhooo, just as the gal is ready to start on me... the 'gentleman' behind me say....

10 items or less.....

I looked up and him and said.... I know, and i'm sorry... and left it at that...

then he said.... well, i only have 4 items now I have to wait.

I again apologized ... I normally will let someone with a few items zip in front of me... but this guy was rude... so i didnt. I just said... Well, i bag myself so i will be out of here quickly.

which i was.... the other lane... she was still working on the first guy with the cart overflowith.

i didnt think the gal at the register would say anything... i'm there about 3-4 times per week... i spend a fortune at that store.

Well... i'm still waiting for DH's call. he said something about the 3:30 train....

but i got a lot done... no sowing though. But i bought some pots and saucers for transplanting my "Spiders" they are busting out of their pots... I bought some thicker yarn and plan to make some 'plant hangers' as i have 4 pots hanging in my DR window.... and one needs a new hanger and my wallyworld does not have them yet [they will be re-doing the store soon, and the guy told me they are using the garden center as the 'staging area' -- so he told me he does not know if they will even get gardening stuff this spring.

welp.... super long winded .... dinner is in the oven | roast chicken breasts and thighs [will make gravey too] and soup in the crock pot.

i get these awesome packets of soup... Bear Creek... oh how awesome they are.
tonight is cheesy potato, and i added smoked polish sausage and mixed veggies [broc, calui and carrots.]

I did want to go out and feed the birds too... it;s really cold out, i bought some peanuts. teh squirrels and blue jays will love those.

Terese, you'll just have to move down south. I think I'd pass out if anyone was rude enough to make a fuss about that here! (They might think it, but would never say!) We go home (Delaware) and I'm constantly shocked at the difference... I've gotten so used to it.

OH... i think i left out the part that it was a crotchity old sr citizen.

and it's funny... i was telling DH the story, and he said it was probably the same guy that gave him "crap" for sitting out side the store [the same store'] waiting for me while i 'ran in real quick'.

I dont have any issues with "Srs"... actually many of my friends are over the age of 65 into their 80s ... but some of them have nothing better to do than complain.

got more seeds in the mail today. YAY.

They earn that right, They have lived long enough and put up with a lot of stuff. Some of them just like to
fuss for Fusses sake. He was probably just talking to have something to say. Funny!!!!

klstuart

In a nutshell most of the controversy with tillers is that they ruin
the soil structure. They chop up the earthworms and destroy
other micro-organisms that keep the soil healthy.

Ella, when you get to working on your book, I'll do the proof-reading
for you. I just love the way you tell a story. You're not far behind her
Terese!

Not sure what I'd do if lizards were crawling around the yard. Us
Northern gals aren't used to seeing them - I'd be screaming my head
off too !

I forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the seed packages. There was a lot of creativity going on. Who did the "Snow Seeds"? I am embarrassed, but I do not remember who sent me those. Lala Jane's Echie 'Tomato' Soup' just cracked me up.

that's Joanne ... FrauSnow.... we're they just the cutest!! i got her lavender.

Bare with me here trying to catch up I know this is long :) That’s what I get for being gone!

Perenniallyme, how big are your gentiana makinoi right now I’m trying to figure out if I should start mine as soon as I have room under my table lights :)

Toofew how come you can only plant six jugs?

Ella, just loved your story! You watching for the snakes is like me watching for the black widows but I couldn’t tell a story like you can LOL

Ella since you are stapling the plastic to the wood with the wind it might be a good idea to use strips of cardboard before you staple them it would help with the wind blowing and ripping your plastic wouldn’t it? I always tie strings around my little greenhouses for the wind hoping it doesn’t rip my covers they keep getting older and older afraid my plastic will rip! I’ve gotta get more galvanized pipes this year used about four of them on my wisteria tree this year staking it and for some reason I can’t find a few of them think I loaned some out to stake tomatoes with to someone and can’t remember who it was I wish people would bring things back when you loan them out I know I would have told them I use them they are like gold to me lol

Ella/Lynn, I’ll look outside in the garage and see if I can find some more of those deep six packs and trade you one for one I don’t mind taping the sides to some of them at all most of my seed trays and some of my six packs are held together with duck tape couldn’t live with out duck tape it lasts thru the washings too LOL But if one of you have some that aren’t ripped it would be good so they will last longer I put them thru hell myself :) It’ll have to warm up a bit though to go digging out there, I think we are in for another cold spell for a while :) I’ll have to look for a box to mail them in out there too :) We are in for a winter storm watch for this weekend! Suppose to get around 7” of snow I have enough to start for right now. Or I have plug trays too if either of you would be interested they are like 2” deep really nice and sturdy! Of course I’d probably have to cut them down to get them to fit in the box to like six packs :)

Lynn, love those stackers! Probably a good thing I didn’t see any for sale LOL So much easier to plant hope it works for you :)

Every year I say I’m going to plant pots instead of jugs maybe I should do that this year but only thing is I have the pots in the garage this year and didn’t empty them last year hoping they reseed and a couple that have my lisanthus from last year going to see if they come back, I had one pot saved last year with lisanthus in it but didn’t wrap it up like I did this year :) Maybe I can find some more pots at Big Lots…if they still have any out haven’t been there for a while. I know Wally World doesn’t have any out yet.

Carolyn, thanks for letting me know you got the seeds now Cris needs to get hers :)

Klstuart, don’t expect those milkweeds to come up until about June that’s the only thing I hate about WS my milkweeds they come up so late that the caterpillars are out already then when you plant them they go at’em and eat them right up they do come back the next year though :) I WS my oranges, yellows, pinks and bloodflower but doing a few downstairs just in case, I will have my purples that I’m sowing all of downstairs and Cinderella. I’ll have six different kinds if they all come up so I’m hoping I’m going to have room for all of my cannas, dahlias, geraniums and any other taller plants like my tomatoes, peppers and morning glories :) I can’t wait to get all of this green going!

Terese, sounds like you have a stalker at Wally World if he opens a lane for you when he sees you I could handle that kind of stalker LOL

Ella, sleep walking seeds LOL As many seeds that you have started already I can just see you flying around getting those seeds in the dirt while transplanting at the same time!

Terese, I think here they put their slowest cashiers in the express lanes it takes me just as long in that lane as it does in the others with loads of groceries in line! This one girl esp. that’s a cashier I stay away from her completely express lane my ***! lol

Lea, do you have better luck with the Milkweed starting inside? Do you use heat, sow on top of the soil? Tell all and I'll try both again this year! Really want to get some started!

I didn't know about the soil structure controversy with tillers! The things you learn. Well, our natural soil structure is for making bricks, so I'll still have to resort to it when I start a new bed. But, the worms have most definitely rebounded... can't dig a spadeful without my daughter screaming ewww and running away from the scary worms... sigh...not sure about the microorganisms...

Let's say that the milkweeds come up faster than WS them, I keep my seeds in the fridge so guess that chills them but some really need to be WS just not sure which ones I used to have something saved about which ones that needed the cold but can't find it so I'm sowing all kinds of different ways, someone on here said they need light and from the pack of one I WS already 1/4" deep so I'm sowing that one again on the surface and the others too if all of these germinate I'll have enough milkweeds to supply all of Indiana! lol

These are the ones I have WS already outside:
Silky Gold Asclepias curassavica
Bloodflower Asclepias curassavica
Red Prairie Asclepias incarnata
wild orange Ascelepias tuberosa

Lea -- I rarely shop at Big Lots, but when i do go in... i always tell myself i need to shop there more often. Ours has HUGE pots.... I'm thinking about picking some up for the camp ground.... found some really nice ones for $12 but then you have to get the saucer for $3... but still, for 15 bucks!!

since my wallyworld is not getting any pots or anything... i started going to Big Lots, which is right next door to the ethnic grocer [the guy who will open a lane for me] so i do them on the same trip.

since i'm transplanting some "Spiders" i've been getting pots for like a buck and a half... then 40-60 cents for the saucer.

Lea, the gentiana makinoi are still tiny, so I'd sow them as soon as you can.

I haven't had much planting and checking in time, as I decided to renovate the kitchen and bath in my rental apt and am having to be the GC myself, as it costs too much otherwise. So between planning, shopping for cabs, flooring, appliances, countertop, lighting, and talking to carpenters, plumbers, electricians, my handyman....I'm a bit stressed out to put it mildly.

But I did start several rudbeckias the other day w/heat and under lights, and already have sprouts 3 days later of chocolate orange, cherokee, green eyes, and one sprout of toto rustic. 4 or 5 others haven't sprouted yet.

Lea,
where the milkweed you sent me in the fridge?? forgot to ask but am thinking of doing a half and half some outside some inside . Would like to know how many other people in South Carolina wintersow with sucess cause think the only thing I got up last year was a few tomatoes and a very few shasta daisy's.
And the tomatoes where very hardy just can't remenber when I did them. And scared with all the crazy weather never know.
Carolyn

Carolyn, I wintersowed last year with pretty good success. I'm farther west than you, so I'd imagine it will be harder there. Here, we get some cold in January and February, and maybe 1 wimpy snow. I'm starting to WS now, and will continue for a month or so. I had success with Echinacea, Columbine, Liatris, Cleome, Calendula, Campanula, Cilantro, Larkspur, Sweet William, Poppies, Rose Campion, Stock, Four oclocks, Nicotiana, Penstemon, Parsley, Phlox, Tithonia, and Foxglove. I keep the jugs on my deck next to the rails, so they get filtered shade through the rails, but do get pretty warm many days. We're supposed to be up to 61 tomorrow, but then it will get cold again the next day, so I'm not too worried that anything will decide to sprout too early yet.

Thanks kistuart,
would love to do most outside if I could but I am kinda caught in the middle , if little further would be perfect but I am in the up and down , like 35 miles from the beaches but further enough away when it warmed up in the 60's for a couple days had a skitter at the door lol.
The poor seed's don't know which way to go.
Thanks Again for replying,
Carolyn

Someone mentioned larkspur. I have some gentian blue that I got from ValuSeeds before the shut down of that site. I would love some blooms this year. Should I ws them so they will sprout earlier. One year I threw them out and they did not germinate. I noticed a week or so ago that i still had my sign in place so am wondering if I put some more out last year but doubt it cause i was in a lot of pain after I fell. Maybe I was just hoping for some really late germination on those. Like a year later. I didn't think I would but am about to decide to ws some things mostly annuals . I know I will need to wait until later
around April or late March.
Veronica

Veronica, I don't think Larkspur seeds remain viable for over a year, so you may not get very good results from those seed if they're from last year. They germinate best in cool temps, under 75F, from what some websites I just looked at said. I have wintersown them, and they did fairly well, but were shorter than those that are direct sown. I think transplanting them while quite small is important. My favorite time to direct sow them is fall, but I've had good results sowing in March too.

Carolyn, how many varieties did you wintersow last year? I've had hit and miss results with Shasta daisies too. One year I sowed half a pack of Crazy Daisy Shastas and only got one plant, the next year I sowed the rest and ended up with a dozen or so.

LOL I ended up with the same results with my Crazy Dazies Neal one year one then the next year all kinds think everyone of those seeds germinated wonder what was up with that I've had that happen with other seeds too one of the penstemons and my Husker's Red.

Veronica, I pitched larkspur seeds when it was raining in later March last year by the garage but it stays moist there and I think they all came up so I'm pitching more this year out front about that time it was still cold but I did it before a rain instead of snow.

Carolyn, yes the milkweed seeds were in the fridge you would be safe to sow them I would think :)

Thanks Sharon I'll get those sown tonite or tomorrow :)

I'm about to give up on my rex begonias nothing yet planted them the 7th and need to make more room I have two trays of them so may just ditch one tray lol I want to start my silver salvias they take so long to grow and may try and sell some of those this summer they are so cool!

Lea, did you get any natural reseeding from your Larkspurs? I have scads of them now! They started germinating in September and October, and just stand up like troupers in all this cruddy cold.

Neal, I haven't even been out on that side of the garage and don't remember if they were reseeding last fall but I left them to reseed didn't collect any seeds I remember you talking about yours reseeding for a nice stand of them so I haven't touched my seeds on them since :) Even if I had seen seedlings last fall I wouldn't have remembered it with so much going on this year I missed out on too much last year and intend to make up for it this year for sure ;P

Thanks Neal and Lea for the input. I had a few seed left over and bought one this past fall. I will pitch them out the end of March like you did Lea and hope for the best. I am determined to get some. Never have had any.
V

Lea -- thank you... got the package today.

Now i have plenty of scarlet to share. a gal in my area [frahnzone5] asked for scarlet plants if i had extras.. now i will.

Terese

Lebug... Have you got yoru begonias under the lights? If so take and put them someplace wher e they can stay warm btu get very little light dim , light. Begonias take forever to pop. It not unusual to be waitign a month for them to come up and when they do, they are very very tiny. They cna have their secodn set of leaves and be barely a 1/16th of an inch tall. They are very hard to see.

Also, if you have them doign the baggy method , it doe s help to open the bag evry coupel fo days and breath your exhhale air into the bag and reclose. Begonias take 21-24 weeks. They not fo rthe impatient person. LOL

Brrrrrrrrrr. Not likign this past coupel of night s of mid 20's. Who took the semi warm weather away please return it. I wa s finally thawign out abit and now back in layers , fuzzy robe and ski hat again.

Ooh, Ella I guess we have only one more day of warm up here! Going to get outside by 9 and try to finish up the first coat of paint on my shed. Of course, haven't waited for it to be painted. I've been using it already to do the WS containers. SO nice to have a place to make a mess and not worry about it too much! No cats out there sticking their noses into everything and threatening to knock everything over!

37 containers so far... and 90 more if I can find the jugs. Then tomorrow, when it rains and gets cold, I'll have to start my indoors seeds. Finally got the containers brushed out yesterday. Still need to soak them though (anyone know off-hand the formula, what ratio of bleach, soak for how long?)

Lost you guys, I haven't had time to read up on things, I've been busy trying to get 3 baby quilts going. I'm supposed to have one done by Saturday for her shower that doesn't look like I'll get to go to. We are expecting about 6 in of snow with some ice tonight and tomorrow. YUK! Hope it won't be that much. It would also mean I will have everyone home till at least Monday. I really really really don't want that. So if they let me get on the puter with all of them here I'll be bugging you all.

My neighbors dog tore up my winter sown containers, so I will have to try again. after all this crappy weather permits. arghhhh! I hope I still have seeds left.

Anyway everyone have a great day if I don't get back to ya.

KL.... I us e a mixture of 9 parts wate r to on epart bleach. Cold water for 20 minutes then let drip dry do not rinse. I sur eother s us e somethign else.

Robyn.. Nic e to se ya pop in. Gope the kid s let ya back on. LOL

I knwo what ya mean about dogs and I a bi gpooch lover, but gona have to do something. Need to type a note and get it transplate d that if next door dogs do anymroe damage he gona start payign for it.

What th epits, is not havign any dogs and having your arms loade d with see dtrays and walkign on your own propert and hidden unde rthe leave s from wind blowing them around is a goant pile of dog poop and ya step in it. Oh my cookie s wer e more than froste d they wa s double dipped. And spehard s dont leave no little piles.

Then ya havign to try and blanc e what in yoru arms and get your shoe off and havign to walk one shoe on and one barefoot tippy toe.

My pup did that too. Tore up the container.
I got the container and whopped him with it.
Hope that helps.

good morning

thank you all for the kind words helped me more than you know

sharon..ill have to dig up my seeds..i sent a bunch of them out of the country and i believe i do have some left..ill have to find them soon or it will be too late to grow the geraniums. good to know they have good germination ..i think it is because they are primed seed and the coating offers some protection from aging.

pam sue