2014 Seed Starting, continuing from 2013

Thanks, that's a good tip. I'll do that for the Agastache Golden Jubilee- those seeds are miniscule too.

The 2nd batch of Campanulas are actually sprouting already, surface sown on vermiculite over MG seed Starting mix. The problem was that they stopped developing after they were planted. Many of the roots looked stunted, almost burnt- could be from the mix being too soggy... Or something else, I don't know.

So...I ordered some more species petunia seeds, Petunia exserta. Anyone else grown them? I got a plant from Annie's Annuals last year, but some &%$#! stole the whole planter right from the hanger on my porch. I loved the plant, hummers flocked to it, so I'm trying seeds this time.

Celene ~ Where did you get those seeds?

hi, have been mia...ooops.
My polemonium sprouted in 15 days with no special treatment, just lights and warmth. And Please show us more pix of your garden..... That's quite a list of beauties that you grow! So what all are you starting this year?

Pam..my Linum is about 18" at maturity. I've got plenty to share if you want the taller ones. Did you ever get your double pink to sprout yet (Platycodon Pam"s )? Mine still aren't doing anything and they should have been up all the other platys are....

Not much going on here, babies are growing and look good. Should try to do some repotting... Had subzero temps for several days and now on the way back up (40*s today) More snow the first of the week and then up to 50*s. Just been hiding out at home, I don't go too far from home when it's that cold. Sure am glad we had snow before those temps arrived. . Ok, later gater...Kathy

Evelyn: Etsy

Daily sprouts: Plectranthus barbatus, Agonis flexuosa, heuchera mix, and some sedums. My first sprouts of 2014--Plectranthus mix from Chiltern, are looking to sprout true leaves soon.

If you search petunia exserta, it's the only result, the seller is Hayefield.

You'd think Etsy would have a section for seeds, there's a lot of them on there. But if you search for seeds, you get seed beads and a bunch of unrelated stuff.

So strange, how fake some plant pictures are, and sooooo obvious. I've been getting a new mix of catalogues, probably got on new lists because of a few orders, and you know immediately how bogus some of them are by the brilliant colors that have never grown on this earth. Blue is a problem to photograph as it really is, we all know that-- but there's a limit. Carrots? Roses? Really!!!

Sooo... Alcea Creme de Cassis popped right up. Got the first sprout of Asclepias incarnata Rose. Still waiting for Prunella, Armeria Bee's Hybrids, Digitalis Pam's Choice and a few other recalcitrants.

Since moving all the Campanulas to a freer draining mix and adding Maxicrop, a seaweed powder, many of them are no longer microscopic, and it only took a couple of days. If I get even a handful of each I'll be happy. Meanwhile I've ordered a sampling of each from Graceful Gardens. Hedging my bets :-)

Smartseeds has some Photoshop skills. I'm just sayin'. lol

I grew the P. exserta with some silver prostrate kind of plectranthus, and Anagallis monelli, which have a reddish bit to the yellow center that picked up the red of the petunia flower.

Last year was the year of plant theft...my mother's huge snake plant in a vintage pot, she had that plant since I can remember, and I personally hope that particular thief gets a boil on his butt, a Snowbank brugmansia, and a couple of mixed pots. All at different times.

That person that stole the plants will pay, some day and some how. They all do, even if you don't know it.

I know, but I'd kinda like to watch. ;)

Kathy, I have daylily and polemonium and Nora Barlow Columbine( Pic 1 in my garden last year) started already. I just started playing with some Datura seeds.
Pic 2 is my nightmare Oenothera speciosa Rosea
Pic 3 My small amount of shade
Pic 4 garden visitor last year
Pic 5 Agastache Golden Jubilee self seeds here

Celene, Sorry to hear about the plant thefts.
I know it wouldn't have the sentimental value or the vintage pot but, I have 2 different types of snake plant if you want any. I can bring them to the spring RU. I have the dark green and the yellow edged types.

Better get going! It's late for me.
Karen

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 11:03 AM

Karen, thank you--it was the sentimental value, I promised my mother I'd take care of her plants, that's all. You're very sweet.

Daturas? I have several kinds. They kinda sorta reseed, depending on the variety. I suspect that D. Evening Fragrance is hardy for me, it's sited by my back patio, so the roots stay warm. Ballerina varieties never reseed (saved seed is fine), Evening Fragrance does, Belle Blanche did, and BCS does, lightly. I don't grow Belle Blanche because I prefer Evening Fragrance. If you're having trouble germinating, they do better with the Deno method and some GA-3.

ETA: I also have D. Purple People Eater, which is similar to BCS, but the name amuses me.

This message was edited Feb 9, 2014 6:55 AM

Celene, so sorry to hear about the thefts...heartbreaking I'm sure. You could set up a motion sensored spy cam, then watch as they get their just deserts. Mmuwah ha haw.

Taylordaylily, your garden is beautiful, thanks for sharing!

How infuriating to have some thief make off with your beautiful planters! Grrrrr....

TaylorDL, how lucky to have Agastache Golden Jubilee seed for you! I'm just now trying to germinate some. Wish me luck!

Stachys macrantha, Big Betony, is starting to germinate! It's been less than 3 weeks, experts say 4-5 or more, with extra stratification of 4-5 weeks sometimes needed. I soaked for 24 hours, then froze the Deno packet for 24 hours, and today several seeds show tiny radicals. .I'm very excited :-). Now to see if they come up once I plant them, always another thing to worry about ;-)

Lily, It does look pretty. But look, there is a Salvia trying to live in there and a painted daisy. I dug it out last year and the year before. It has been worse than bishop's weed to get rid of for me. It does make you feel like a mole. I have dug my pond up 2 years in a row and will have to do it again this year. I have to dig under the liner to get the roots. I have dug down over 12" and it still finds it's way back. This year I have a better plan. I'm going to move everything else and take it on all summer. I will sink a barrier to keep it out of my shade garden at the back of the pond. I hope I will keep it out of my shade garden anyway.

The Nora Barlow is a tender plant for me as well. I have to buy seed every few years and start over. My other Columbine seem hardier than Nora Barlow for some reason. I had 6 of them in 2012 and only 1 in 2013. If I didn't buy seed this year and start it I may not have any this year. It's my favorite Columbine. I wish it was hardier.

You ask how I remember all my plants. lol I didn't! I have 6 Buddleia. I love the smell of them. I love plants and flowers. I will give almost any plant a try at least once. I have a ditch line for anything I don't care for. I hate riding the mower along the ditch line. I'm fixing that one outcast at a time. lol

Celene, Your Welcome! I hate that some thief would come on your porch and steal your plants. I don't miss living in the city. I would go buy a hunting game camera and put it on your porch. It would only take pictures when something triggers it. They take great night picture's. Then you could help them go were they need to go! Of course if you have luck like me they might steal the camera. lol

Lily gave me my Daturas seeds. I have never grown them before. I'm excited to see how I do with them. I'll share the progress of them once there is something to show.
Purple People Eater is a great name.

Mippii, Thank You!

Pam, Good Luck! I don't cut my garden back in the Fall. I only cut back my Paeonia and Iris in the fall. That may be why it reseeds well.

Here are some more pictures. I'm tired of winter and miss my garden really bad.
Picture 1 Cerulean Star daylily with Liatris and many other daylily's.
Picture 2 Another plant I forgot! lol Silphium perfoliayum cup plant
Picture 3 Noid Columbine
Picture 4 Salvia Plumosa spilling out of my raised bed.
Picture 5 Noid daylily going to the ditch line in the spring.

I don't cut back in the fall either, unless I'm moving things around. And I seem to do a lot of that every spring and fall, always tweaking.

My little Campanulas are looking.much healthier since I moved them into the new mix. I'm still not sure what stunted them, but at least they are past it now. Whew! It will be interesting to see how much of a difference there is between my plants and the ones from Graceful Gardens.

Digitalis Pam's Choice germinated. One more day under the dome to see if more come up.

Alceas now in 4" pots. Some already had little roots coming out of the bottom of the cells.

That's it for now...

Evelyn, thanks for the seeds! I'll direct sow more this summer, but I wanted to get an early start on a few. I love all Digitalis, but I think this is my favorite.

Pam did you give them Digitalis a cold spell in the frig or freezer

I am glad to see that someone else is trying the hummingbird petunia:
petunia exserta. I have a packet and will start them in a few weeks.
I will move them to a large container in a "hummingbird strip" of flower bed.
Caroline

Maybe you could seed some of your outdoor planters with fire ant eggs next year.

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 11:04 AM

Susie..I didn't give mine any cool treatment, germinated in 6 and 7 days. So far have started D. Pam's Split, D. Dalmation Purple, and D. Candy Mt Peach. Guess I need to start some of the others that I got planted last season so they end up perennializing Thinking of that I should also check to see what other Biennials I got planted last year and do the same...

So susie, which one are you starting this year? Last year I started 9 different varieties, oops that should be 8 as one never did anything. Hoping I have a good show this spring and come fall I'll have plenty of seed to share!!!

Warm weather this week, a few40*s and mostly 50*s. Yeah, maybe if all the snow mellts off and it's not windy I may go throw some seed in the garden....poppies, alcea and such. Some places in the mountains have received 5feet of snow in this past week...Yikes!!! So far this winter we've had pretty good snow cover, hope it keeps doing such.. Later, Kathy

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 11:04 AM

Thanks for info on petunia exserta!
Caroline

Kathy I Have Excelsior Mix ,pams choice purpurea, cameLot , Going to put them in my new Hand made By me HOT HOUSE :)
Below I Know it looks like a Pinball machine but it is my new Hot house , /Kitchen Counter
Love it :) Lots of Storage under & I can see what is growing on top I still have a few finish touches yet but nothing big that has to be done right now :)
so off to get started . BBL

blomma...do you still have any seed of the yellow variety? Curious...did you ever overwinter any of them indoors to take out the following season? I've grown D. metaloides but want the taller ones for the patio... I have seed for the purple double, think I'll grow them this year, says they can get to 5 foot. Thought they were only about 2-3ft. And have you noticed any fragrance differences in the colors or varieties? It seemed to me that the Brugs have a nicer fragrance than the D. metaloides. Comments?

YEAH....susie's got a new toy!!!!!!!! LOL. Now you can have all sorts of fun! What will you do when they sprout and grow on a bit? Will you bring them out from under the glass/plastic top? Let me know if there are any other colors of the foxglove that you might want... Pam's Split is new so not sure I have much, mine will bloom this season. I planted them with Alcea Creme de Cassis, hope it's a nice pairing...I planted about 25 feet of the 2 together... I want June....lol.

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 11:09 AM

PRETTY HARD TO TYPE LEFT HANDED I HAVE A ROOSTER SITTING ON MY RIGHT HAND
☺sorry fo the caps also.
well kathy as for them growing ther is about 8" for them to grow so hope i will have some time before i have to move them . & it is Real Glass .well off to play some more ya all have a great day .

Very cool, Susie, a nice new toy!

We were supposed to leave tomorrow for Florida, but because of the weather in Atlanta and the predicted storm here, our flight has been canceled. Meanwhile, in preparation for being away for 10 days, I starting potting up a few of the bigger seedlings and had to expand my shelves. Some of the Lupine roots were already coming out of the bottom of their pots and Alceas grow so fast they'd be bursting out of theirs before we get back. The new batch of Campanulas are doing well, time to pot them up, too.

Every time I travel at this time of year, I feel like I'm abandoning my babies... And every time I come back, they are just fine, maybe with one or two exceptions. Bottom watering with capillary action works, the trays are good for at least 2 weeks if I top them up before I go. The lights are on a timer, whatever's left in the propagators is a long shot at this point, maybe something will come up while I'm gone and surprise me. So nothing to worry about. But I do, at least until I get where I'm going.

But now we're not going anywhere at least until Froday, maybe longer- grrrrr...

What a winter!

I don't chill the Platys, and I do use a heat mat. I never had any luck starting them in pots, but soaking them first and then using the Deno method has been very successful.

It doesn't seem that late to me, but I think your spring comes before mine.

blomma...Wow, I didn't know you would put them up that way. I thought they were put in pots for the winter, like a house plant so they could continue growing. When you grow one on would you consider trading some seed? What can I bribe you with? LOL.

Pam...should I still hold out hope for the dbl pink platty to germinate? I'm going to have platties coming out my ears this year. Started those you saved for me and then those that I got from Elsa in So. Africa. Will be excited to see all of them bloom. 13 pots of platties,(oops 2 pots of the same white dbl), 7 varieties are from Elsa. No names but will compare when they start to bloom to figure out which is which, Susie...most of mine sprouted in about 4 days, just warmth and light.

So is susie having fun yet with seeds?

Evelyn...thanks for the warm winds. It's warmed up here so nicely after all that bitter cold air from Canada. Might get to 60* this week, guess we should enjoy it as we have lots of winter yet to come and bunches of snow yet too!!! So how are your seedlings doing?

blomma are all your pots outside or do you start anything inside during the winter? Wanna see all the new babies from last year bloom this season.... Remember we need pix when they do!!!

And how is everyone else doing with their seed starting????

I overwinter datura (which I personally like better than all brugs except a couple) in my cold room, it used to be a coal storage room, it's in the high 40's most of the winter. Keeps the tender dormants dormant :)

Seed starting: I have plectranthus with true leaves, wintersowed a bunch of extra stuff from trades and late-ish seed orders, and went ahead and started my petunias--exserta, integrifolia and Sparklers now, on the advice of Blomma ;)

Found a new must-have calendula--Strawberry Blonde. It's really more peachy, but the photos look lovely, I hope the blooms resemble the photos, that is always dicey. I love seed catalog photos, when you grow the plant out they look NOTHING like the picture. The photo files here have helped me abundantly,

Yup no photo shopping here...lol.

Kathy, I think those double pink Platy seeds are a bust. :(((

I spent the morning potting up more little ones, I'm trying to get everything into the new transplant mix made for self-watering systems. The MG mix gets soggy, even though I've added a fair amount of vermiculite. Some things don't seem to mind... Salvia transylvanica Blue Cloud had gorgeous roots, yippee! Can't say the same for some of the others. I ended up with 12 of the single pink Platys, some had decent root systems, some not. The P Astra Blues were better in general, but still a few were really skimpy. One lonely Dianthus Siberian Blue looked great, the other two ended at the soil line. Grrrr...

I'm beginning to think I know what the problem is. Somewhere I read that someone was adding cinnamon right into the planting mix, so I decided to try it. I think one batch got too much when the bottle slipped in my hand. I won't do that again. If I need it'll just sprinkle it on top. I haven't seen any gnats yet, so at least it worked for that.

The Linums are very happy, nice roots, but they're growing straight up. So this morning I gave them a haircut. Maybe by the time we get home - if we ever get out of here!- they'll be nice and bushy. :-)

Looks like we're stuck here until Saturday, which is a real bummer. Not so much cutting the vacation short, but we were supposed to visit my family for the weekend at their Florida house, then go to a hotel in another area with friends. My family can only stay for the weekend, so now I get 2 days instead of 4 with them. They are driving down from NJ, left last night and drove all night, taking turns sleeping.

But it's nice and warm here in the apartment, can't complain that much!

Was wondering if they had done anything , darn! LOL...you'll have to see what happens this year. Hopefully they'll still be a double and can recollect more seed.

Saw on the news everyone back east getting scads of snow. We've had our share and the weather is nice this week, 55* today but the mountains are getting another 9-12"... There are several places in the mountains that have had 60+" in just the past 3 weeks....Usually our big snow months are March and April.