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

Cris... You won't find ProMix at any of the big box stores. Call aroudn to soem small garden center s or feed stroe s and ask them if they have or can brign in for you.

Walmart has the brand in the yellow bag. Can't think of the name of it off hand. when I can't get a hold of Jungle Soil, then I us e it . Like it better than MG.

Groudn hog says 6 mroe weeks of winter. Local weatherman said to expect month of february wors e than anythgin we have seen so far. Goign down to 20s here tonight One day of ncie weather and then mroe rain. ugggg

All I got ot say is come june, junyl and august it better rain regularly and no drought.

Ella... here is a Yellow bag i bought from WalMart a few yrs ago....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4538388

and yanno how we've talked about how MG is crap for some of you, where some of us think it's great.

this stuff in the yellow bag... i found shards of glass, sticks and all sorts of junk.

Just didnt know if this was the same yellow bag you get from WM.

I have three "rotating" pots of cat grass. I use large plastic pots, with the surface dirt 3" below the top of the pot. I have to let the plants become established before putting them out for the cat. She devours it, eating it and tossing it around. The fancy cat grass caught my eye, but I would only see the leaves for a day or two. I end up keeping the cat grass away from the cat. I tried growing a pot of regular grass, Kentucky bluegrass, for the cat. She bats that one around without eating it. I also grow catnip and catmint, but the grass is her favorite.

You are lucky your cats leave the cacti alone. When I was a kid, we used to have to drive halfway across the country every summer for 2 weeks to visit my grandmother in the Dakotas. Since my mother arranged the trip, we did it the least enjoyable, most difficult, time consuming and labor intensive way possible. We even stopped at rest areas to cook our meals on a Coleman stove. McDonalds, Denny's or Pizza Hut would have been so much easier and cheaper - and air conditioned. I didn't know that a road trip could be fun until I went with my friends. ( Some Dakota dirt is just like potting soil. You could look all day for a rock and not find one.) One year, my mother decided to dig up "Dakota" cacti to put under the eaves of the house to deter the neighbor's cats. My father would patiently stop the car whenever she saw some out the window so that she should dig them up. (Both on the way there and the way back, told you, we did things the hard way.) Several years later, my brother brought home a kitten, and I frequently had to pull the thorns out of its little paws. I use coffee grounds and plant marigolds to deter the neighbor's cats. Much less prickly.

I think the stuff in the yellow bag at Walmart is called Expert. I didn't know what kind to try this Spring, so I tried the cheapest one first. A friend bought Miracle Grow at the same time for twice the price. They looked very similar. The expert has time release fertilizer pearls. I think both are a bit heavy for seeds. The pieces of bark may trap them. I am putting peat moss on the surface of the soil and covering, if needed, with peat moss.

I wasn't thrilled with the Shop Rite brand potting soil. It seemed to have lots of weed seeds, even mushroom spores, and more damp off. I would definitely sterilize it, first, when I use it again. (The bf grabbed some on sale since I "always need dirt". Grandma always told me, never complain about a gift, especially from a man, or you may not get another one.) People in the NYC area may be interested to know that Shop Rite is having a $5/1 seed sale this week. I haven't been there, yet, just making my grocery list online. I don't think I need any more seeds, but will have to take a peek. It is snowing here now, about 2". The neighbor shoveled my sidewalk, already, when he was shoveling his. I think I will bake him some brownies as a thank you.

I found a discarded venetian blind while walking the dog. Now I have more labels! I am caught up with work, work - so I will be able to get around to some seeds today. I may be back with questions later.

Yep, that it, Expert, us e it when I in a pinch and can't get the Jungle Soil. No it nto the best, and I usually have to add a bit of peat adn perlite to it. But haven't had any crops croak from usign it yet.

I don't knwo if they stil do or not, but sometiems if you talk to the department manager of the Lowe;'s adn tell them what you need, like or want, they wil try and brign it in for you. Might thos e that don't have Jungle Soil Proffessional Growers soil in their store s to get some.

This message was edited Feb 3, 2010 1:20 PM

Terese did he make a mess when he ate the grass? I’ve always wondered about that if it was worth the trouble in the house I’m thinking of doing that for my cats. I bet I couldn’t even grow that outside the strays would get into it lol I have two black and white kitties that sleep in my garage they live behind me I thought they were keeping them in the house but if I go in the garage in the late evening they are in there curled up on a piece of cardboard. I fixed two beds with straw for the strays in my other garage and they haven’t been slept in at all it’s decent outside today so if I can get in my garage over all the junk in there I’m going to move those boxes out there they are pretty big :)

I guess GardenQuilts answered my question about the cats making a mess with the grass LOL I’m still going to get some and try and grow it without them eating it before it’s grown lol

Klstuart, I was sitting on the porch last summer and had the nicest aloe plant sitting right behind me well I had company and was talking to them not paying any attention to my dog that I had on a leash just thought he was sitting near I guess and after my company got up to leave I turned and my aloe was not anymore this was my fault because I fed him pieces when it got too large taking little starts out of it popping up figured it would be good for him guess he liked it lol

Carolyn, I’m just going to set my begonias on top of the lights Ella said they didn’t need all the light to germinate as long as they don’t bake on top of the lights! Should be interesting I just want one rex begonia lol

What a blessing indeed Neal! I love her name that’s so unusual :) That’s really wild that she was 7 ½ months before she found out!

I think that Jungle soil is what I bought about 10 bags of last year from a nursery and didn’t like it I’ve got one bag outside left I’m going to have to go check it out and see if it looks like the one described a while back, I get pretty particular about my soil for my pots I’m never happy with it and just mix my soil less mix, perlite and compost together. The real reason I got the jungle mix was because I just traded it for the soil less mix I had bought from them and took it back because it had so much peat in it but the Jungle mix got so hard when I used it I don’t keep it when it does that I hate hard soil after you water it seems like it stays so dry all the time I mixed it with my other soil less mix last year using mostly SM. I’ll see if I can find that last bag out in the garage when I go in a bit need to move those cat boxes anyway but it’s awful cold out lol

Oh Ella, hope Feb. isn’t too bad for you and hope none of us has to deal with the drought this year! The little spring seedlings we put out grow so much better with rain than just watering them that’s the part I hate when I start seed trays out in the spring seems like they take forever to do there thing if we don’t have any rain, I just know we are going to have a drought this year with all the rain we had last year I hope this is your year for rain :)

LOL rides I feel for you and your containers but that pup is so funny :)

So excited! Have my first sproutlings! My Angelonia (both white and blue) are up in just 4 days, and my alyssum that I winter sowed is up in 8! Wondering if I should have just direct sowed the Alyssum... do any of you do that? Sure would save work if it worked :)

I wonder about the mess with catnip or cat grass too. Every time mine start eating a plant, they end up knocking it over or pulling it up, and getting soil everywhere!

Congrats on the sprouts Kelly! I've heard Angelonia could be tricky. Alyssum reseeds some for me, and I've had them show up in mixed seed packs direct sown, so I think they would be a good choice for direct sowing.

Well, the angelonia (along with my begonias, geraniums and lisianthus) are getting the royal treatment. My best domed flat, the nice little plugs from Park Seed, everything got sterilized, and they're on a heat mat. Never grown them before, and they're so pretty! Not everything will get such babying ;-) I'm out of plugs, so it's on to the 3b mix next...

Hmm, may have to try the Alyssum direct then. Still have some seed left, and I'm planning on using them all around the outside of a circular bed like TooFew did... so probably can't have too many! Had a few last year, will also be interesting to see if they reseeded. I tried to collect the seed, but it was a bit of a pain!

Hey Neal, did the white irises bloom for you last year? I had some blooms on some of your purples, they were gorgeous! Can't wait until April/May this year, should be quite a show!

tcs, your kitty looks like my Gypsy cat :) Like almost twins :)

Anyone have any cat grass seeds left?

ants

Kl... Congrats. You did so much bette r than me. Finally ha d a few Angelonia sprout, but it took em a darn month to do it.

LeBug. Jungle Soil make s alot of different types of soils. One year I bought just their regula r Jungle Soil potting soil. Ugg. I wa s nto happy with it. I ad to ad d some of this an dsome of that befor e I go tit to the constincey I liek to work with. I always make sur e the word s Proffesional Grower s is now on th ebag or I dont buy it.

Ants. Yep I do. Ya need some?

GardenQuilts. Do marigolds and coffee groudns really work to keep cats otu of certain areas? Oh man oh man, would be fantastic if it really works. I don't midn the feral cats hunting nastie s and such in the back areas, but they need to stay out of my beds.

Star, yes, please :) Do I have something you would like in return?

ants

Ants.. Yep yoru addy, so I dont have to go hunting it again. LOl Send me a dmail with it. : )

You know I was thinking about that cat grass if they made a mess with it probably wouldn't be any worse than the mess in my tv room from dipping dirt out of the bag that dirt gets every where! lol I'm going to get some to try the tv room is more of a cat room anyway I have a whole chair in there that dad used to sit on all the time can't bring myself to throw it away and I'm almost afraid to throw it away one of my nice little kitties Patch likes that one to scratch on it's a mess now but that's the only thing she will scratch on! I'm afraid if I take it out she will take to my couch and other furniture in the living room! Yes I have several things in there for the cats to scratch on but it does't work for this cat! She is my 'problem child' lol

Oh, have any of you had any trouble with your dog eating the cat grass I’m wondering about that too wouldn’t be that much trouble to set it up where the dog can’t get it just wondering if I should. Bare in mind I have a 55 lb. dog :)

I just take flats with hole of them spread my Alyssum seed in them and forget them around the last of March then all I have to do is take clumps of it and plant it where I want it, last year I saw a picture of pansies, violets planted in a basket with Alyssum around them looked so pretty I'm trying that this year I have a flat basket in the garage that I'm going to line with landscaping fabric and plant some seeds to the P&V&A I hope mine turns out like the picture I saw!

Neal 70 jugs in one day?? You had to have help on those or drank a lot of coffee that day one or maybe I'm just too slow I can't handle sitting there doing that all day lol I do good to get ten done in one day before I'm ready to scream lol You go Neal! Plus when I get down to the last jugs I start planting more than one seed in the jugs lol I need to get the lead out! You sure have more patients than I do :)

Just saw your thread on WS Terese :) Now how did I miss that!

I’m getting ready to go and see if I can find that bag of Jungle soil I’ll let you know if a few which it is if I can find it lol

Oh Neal I didn’t see any sprouts to my larkspur out there yesterday when I did a walk none! Now I’m worried! Maybe it’s a little early yet but didn’t you say you had them? My gutters are all messed up by the garage where I have them the rain water runs over the top of them so I have a gutter down below to catch the over drip and that is sitting on top of dirt that looks all chopped up too have no idea what is going on there never noticed that before just wondering if some critter has been in there! I don’t see any paw prints :( There are so many things that need fixing around here!

ack -- no time to read posts....

Lea -- no, surprisingly Charlie did not make a mess while eating.

ants -- sure is a pretty one.

back to cleaning carpets.

This is not for the weak I'm warning you :) I took Max a walk outside yesterday well every time we pass dog do do he has to much on it! gross! There must have been a lot out there and I know this so I try and keep him away from it but it was just too much yesterday lol I'm sitting in the living room talking to Tony and all of a sudden Max got up and threw up right where he was standing yep it stunk like crazy had to call the neighbor cause I know she keeps her carpet cleaner handy mine is in a box downstairs so my living room carpet got cleaned last night Terese yuk! That spot was at least two feet long and a foot wide! I'm going to have to start putting a muzzel on him when I take him walking! LOL I can't keep up with him LOL I'm sorry just had to share...I hope he learned his lesson I sure did!

Ella I found the bag of Jungle dirt it's regular potting soil so don't get that one if I find it again and get the professional got it!

I spent this much time getting my stuff together in the back of the truck to take to the recycle place and missed my soap darn! Moved two cat boxes out of the middle garage to my garage since aparently that's where they want to sleep at and emptied the cat litter boxes in both garages gotta love ferrel cats :) Looks like they would sleep in the garage that's closed up but a place on the side where they can get into but they choose the one with the latice where the wind and rain blows in! Someone uses the litter boxes in there so they are going in the one that's closed up!

Oh I did some WS too! I took what sprigs of the silver sage I had left and didn't clean for seeds in the swap and put them in the side yard hoping they reseed for me :)

Oh Lea, that's just awful! I had a similar experience with my dog last year- she'd been dining on several day old road kill. I almost got sick too while cleaning it up, then it took a couple of hours to get the stink out of the room! It must have been the coffee, sowed all those jugs by myself! Got 30 more done today. That's why I love wintersowing so much, its just so easy! Sounds like your Larkspur seeds may have washed away before they could germinate. You still may see some germinate in spring, but I don't think I'd count on it. Do you have more seeds? I've still got plenty of mixed colors if you need some.

Kelly, I've been trying to recall if that white Iris bloomed, but I'm thinking it didn't. They look happy though, so I'm expecting blooms this year :-). Glad the purple bloomed for you!

No Neal I don't have anymore seeds I didn't collect any off of mine last year hoping they would reseed :( The dirt has never looked that bad out there from the rain that's why I'm wondering if some critter was in there but now I'm afraid to plant it the same thing might happen the dirt doesn't look that bad where I had the larkspur but it's still ruffed up a little. This spot has lanscaping timber making a bed and it's only about three feet deep when it rains the water hits about two feet away from the wall but this is messed up all the way to the wall almost can't figure it out but looks like it was the rain who knows. My larkspurs do really good there and it's a good spot for me can't fix the gutter it's held by those wires if you know what I mean and I have to nail the wires in if I would put some new ones in, tried to put a gutter up once by myself where I lived before with even drilling starter holes in oak I just couldn't do it lol Ever tried to put those 6" nails in the roof to hold gutters up gosh you have to be a lumber jack to do it LOL I'm going to have to check and see if my downspout is stopped up but I did that just before winter more leaves may have gotten into it I'll check tomorrow.

This will be my fourth year I know for my SI irises that I WS, no bloom last year so I'm hoping to see a bloom on them this year only thing is they are in that bed that I have to move all the plants out of I hate moving them thinking I'm still not going to see a bloom this year!

Lea, if you get a good ball of soil with the roots, your Sibs should bloom anyway. I've moved them in early spring before and had blooms. Let me know if you'd like some Larkspur seeds.

Oh, and wondering when is the best time to start Salpiglossus? I've never grown them before, been wanting to try them for years!

Neal I'll look and see when I sowed mine last year.

I sowed mine the last of April on the 27th. couldn't tell you how big they were when I put them out sorry no other info. was written down one of these days I'll remember to write all of that down! It didn't take very long for them to come up.

T&M says to sow them mid Jan or March but I'd be afraid they would be too tall for the lights.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/4617/1.html

Neal I would love some larkspur seeds I'll send you postage when I get them or can send a SABE :) Thanks!

This message was edited Feb 3, 2010 7:36 PM

uuuugggghhh....no jungle soil at our Lowe's either....nor at Home Depot. Did not get a chance to stop into the local nursery yet though. It appears as if my choices are Scotts, MG or StaGreen (hadn't seen that one before). I'm about to just start making my own. hee hee!

klstuart - direct sowed Alyssum (Carpet of Snow & Royal Carpet)
last year and it grew like crazy!
I planted them in 2 of my 8 raised beds & It seems every time
the wind blew it took the seeds with it & they popped up someplace
else in the yard.
It was actually very charming looking. I'm wondering if they'll
automatically reseed themselves for this year.

Today was a bit more positive for me. Overnight a few stevia,
one hollyhock and some parsley sprouted. Taaa Dahhhh.

Congrads on your babies Cris good job!

Lol about the mess with the grass. Bella pulled the seedlings out the first time I grew the grass for her. I think I had grown both oats and alfalfa as cat grass, she prefers the oats, but devours both. If only she could pull weeds like that, but she never goes outside. She never knocks over the pot or bothers the dirt, just shreds the plant. She has been knocking herself out, almost literally, catching fungus gnats. Nothing I have on hand seems to phase those buggers. In a fit of desperation, I brought the bug zapper inside to hang around my plants. It is zapping away, hope it helps, it is decidedly "decorative" in the "crazy plant lady" vein. I really want to check out the local feed store, hopefully next Thursday with the bf, it is around the corner from Walmart....I have been wanting alfalfa pellets, chick grit and oat seeds for a while....the store also has pet food. I cook for my dog, but the cat gets dry cat food. Sometimes she nibbles the cooked food, but doesn't eat much it unless I put the water from a can of mackerel, tuna or salmon on top. I keep dry food on hand for the dog as well, but Tiffany only eats it under protest. Tiffany and I have both been watching our weight and exercising more. Dieting makes her very fussy. She doesn't like having her food measured and rationed.


colchie, you aren't crazy. I tried planting a mango seed, but it just got moldy. What is your secret?

tcs, I love your morning glory among the flowers. I love blue and yellow or orange.

Using peroxide/water for my indoor plants has cut down on mold. I also spray most with dilute neems oil (repels the cat as well) The few plants with mold problems have been washed and repotted in sterile soil and pots. So far, I haven't seen any new mold on anything.

Now I just have to get rid of these gnats. One just flew up my nose! They like the computer screen.

My late cat max, an orange tabby with extra toes, ignored plants. His thing was pencils. He adopted me in college. He loved to knock my jar of pencils down and chase them all over! If I forgot to put my pencil tray back in the desk drawer, there would be pencils everywhere. He could pick them up with his little thumb.

My late cat Philippe liked to sleep in a climbing ivy. He never chewed it, but liked to sleep in the pot on top of it, surrounded by ivy. The plant didn't seem to mind. His favorite thing was to sneak into my fabric closet and sleep on the silk. All my other pets preferred wool. None are allowed in the closets.

LOL @ the bug zapper GQ :) Has anyone ever tried growing seeds from spices that you buy for cooking? Like Bay Laurel, Allspice, Star Anise, Peppercorns, etc.?

ants

GardenQuilts, I have a couple of cats that have the extra toes. I think they call them Polydactal cats.

My problem right now is not cats but chickens. I don't want to put anything out that they will get into. We are in the process of building a larger fenced in area for them and at the moment they are running free all over the property!

I am thinking about winter sowing for the first time (after the fence is finished) and have been listening and learning from you all. I usually direct sow or grow under lights so I will let you know how I do. I will start my peppers in about 3 or 4 weeks and tomatoes a couple of weeks after that.

Spring will be here before you know it!

Evening, quilts - so the update on the sprouted mango is that it got MOLDY. and then died. so bummer. one of the caesalpinia gilliesii also tanked, but the other three are going great! I know I'm flirting with disaster here, but this is such a different winter from last year's. Last year I had poppies and penstemons and other "hardy" plants in their 4 inch pots and had run out of room in the greenhouse so put them outside. We had a killer frost soon after (like the next day) and the ones that survived were almost killed off by the heatwave we had shortly afterward.
I shouldn't say this (jinx) but we haven't had really cold weather for 3 weeks, so I planted my red brugmansia outside already. I guess if it's forecast to get really cold I'll just bring it in again. But it's got a flower on it - grew it from seed last year.
Anyone know if helenium are prone to damping off or just resent being transplanted? I had a bunch come up, and then they shriveled though some are still pretty terrific.

colchie, when I grew my helenium there wasn't any damping off. But then I do the H2O2 thing and the tea thing ... misting that is. And they did fine on transplanting, don't think I lost any, only had 5 though.

Wanted to make sure I thank Star for the information on the 'Easy sterilization Method'! I was a scubber too, yesterday I sterilized a ton of containers thanks to your method. :o)

Cris , congrats on the new babies.

Neal, I will have to look up when I started my painted tongue.

Love all the cat stories. chuckle

Kelly, yep, WS the alyssum. I did it a couple years ago and they grew very well. Only thing was, I like them to be blooming when I put them in the ground, and they weren't ready with the WS'ing, so now I buy them. I also have volunteers pop up each year, but not enought to take care of the edinging, and they pop up anywhere, looks nice though, a touch of white here and there.

Gotta go ---

Ok, turns out I had a few more minutes ...
Neal, I planted my Salpigglossis April 16th last year, they germinated within 5 days. I had a note to start them April 1st this year since I would have liked them a little bigger when I put them outside.

Really, gotta go now ----

LOL, I can just see what DH would say if I put a bug zapper in the house! But, we do need one. I can't figure out where the gnats are coming from! I don't have enough stuff started yet for that to be the source. Actually they showed up before I started anything. Maybe the bougainvillea I brought in for the winter? They've even made their way upstairs, and buzz around the booklight at night... they do tend to fly in noses or ears or eyes somehow.... so they've really got to go!

TooFew, what is your last frost date? If you planted your Salpiglossis April 1, I'm guessing that might translate to March 1 here? Mine planting out starts April 15th...

Ooh Chris congrats on the babies! And thanks for the reminder.. need to see if I should have planted my Stevia already! I tend to forget to check my herbs spreadsheet, have them divided by annuals/perennials/herbs/veggies.

new thread coming... gimme a min or two.

New Thread.... Come on over.... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1073835/

This message was edited Feb 4, 2010 7:29 AM

Kl. The white flie s and fungus knats are in the air. Iwa s out transplantign yesterday and was goign crazy watchign them fly in front of my face and try and get into my pots.

You walk out the door, you walk in the door and they fly in unseen by you. They really are a very smart bug. They knwowhen to hide and wher e to hide.

I have seen a coupel come flyign by whiel I at the puter and I feel like oen on them clap on clap off things, tryignt o clap fast enough and then rub hands together or they wil fly away again.

Ya allgave me cat nightmare s this morning. wa s in that half awake, half a sleep state and wa sthinging neede d toget cat grass out tofolsk today and for somereason ha s th weirdest dream that one of the feralcats that ha s kittens all the time unde r my traile r inste ad it s owners manage d to get past the insulation and when I heard a kitchen cupboard nois e and looke dit wa s kitten afte r kitten crawlign out from there. Boy I woke me up fast and double checked to make sure no kittens wa shiding in there.

It rainign again her e today and cloudy and cool afte r al th esun yesterday. got more tomatoes transplanted. Got somethign popping up this morning, but havent checke d what it is yet.

Been having computer problems. One of my disks had a boot sector error. ARrrggghhh. then my Windows XP install disk had an error or scratch or something. Found a backup install disk (Don't tell Bill Gates, but I backed up my windows disk. I bought the first one, at the student price, not going to buy the same thing again.) I backed up my back up, twice, just in case.

Anyway, my seeds database is still mia, as is my backup CDDVD database, makes it kind of hard to find things that way. I am still working on the computer re-install.

And Tiffany, my Westie, got into the cat food and got an upset tummy. Nothing like a fluffy white dog with diarrhea, and gas. He little brain can't tell the difference between the two, so she had me going in and out all evening and night. Better than shampooing the rugs, I suppose. At least she is light enough to carry into the bathtub. She has finally settled down. Maybe I can get some sleep.

Not much action wintersowing, but got a few more things outside after dinner. We are supposed to get a big storm soon, heard that one before, I will believe it when I see it.

ue soem rough going for ya Garden Quilts. Think some folsk poste d afte r the link to the new threa d wa s posted we over on a ne w thread, so ya might want to copy and paste yoru post over there so folks cna see what bene happening with ya. : )

Here ya go. the gangs all here right now.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1073835/

This message was edited Feb 9, 2010 3:25 AM