2014 Seed Starting, part 2

Carrielamont ; you two named the fastest with new or close seeds , I have had radish and mustard that have sprouted in twelve hours ,(poof) Had to of germinated as soon as they touched earth , really fast...
Wasn't ignoring , just thinking about before ,, silly is me sometimes .. ^_^

Lol Ju! We can call you Prince Charmin...

You look like you use regular garden soil, maybe that's why you don't have mold issues. Have you found the Charmin roll incubates/facilitates fungus? What have you got in them there rolls?

That pic above is Sphagnum moss growing on Sphagnum moss not mold ,, I don't get and am not the one with mold issues ,, Just tissue and towel issues .he he ... (bad wasn't it)
My soil cubes are potting soil with cow compost added , Most everything has sprouted in these really nicely
My favorite is the cubes in a kitty tray under a clear glad garbage bag , except the bag gets wet and can fall in without a prop .. (why does that make sense )
Besides all that , I killed my sunflower today ,, set it in the wind .. oh well more to sprout , more to come ,,
Here they are with markers , (the sprouter )

This message was edited Apr 11, 2014 12:18 AM

No that wasn't bad...tissue issues...lol.

I didn't think you had fungus issues, I've read others saying they felt the rolls facilitated mold. I was really wondering why you didn't and what set you apart.

I also heard you're somewhat of a wizard with cuttings, something I'm trying to master. I just got a plumeria cutting and a euphorbia cutting, will try desperately not to kill them. I consider myself lucky to try and propagate these tropical beauties...I'll consider myself even luckier if I can get some roots.

Please cross your fingers for me!

Well , regardless of what you may of heard , easy trees and shrubs i can root from cuttings if I can remember to water them and not set them in the sun too soon .
I have some blue leaf Honeysuckle , bush type , that I am trying , they leafed a little yesterday .
Tropicals I am a complete failure at so far ,,

Rooting Gel increased my odds of success rather dramatically , With a few willows is about all . The more I grow though , The more I find the weed type Tea plants are my favorite , they are usually as tough as a tank , and require no care , and they do good things for me if I can stand to drink them ,,

I fail at a lot of cuttings , and my seeds are about the same , I can get them started ,but I kill a lot them from start to setting them for finish ,, The sunflower today ,,
Good luck with the cuttings , ! May you have a lot of Clones !
Oops , If I agreed to sign this Prince Charmin , Then my initials would be PC ,, and There Is No way , I would want to bring on what that could accuse me of !!!


This message was edited Apr 11, 2014 1:17 AM

Looking good everyone :)

Lol Ju, Prince Charmin! I don't feel as bad for being a seedling murderer anymore. Felt like I was the only one here. Mostly I do good raising my seedlings, but I have learned I need to get better with my watering. It's so easy for me to overwater in the beginning, because I know they need moisture, but I overdo it, then later when they've grown a bit, I withhold water for a day too long and poof! Half are gone! Luckily I over seeded everything so I had a lot of extras to begin with! Lol

Carrie, yes the zinnia and marigold are fast! You could also do a bean, maybe lima? Soak it overnight, do a few extra and you'll have sprouts in no time.

Robin, the best advice I can give you for the plumeria cutting is DONT overwater! My nana used to root plumeria cuttings all the time for her garden club and I specifically remember that was her main thing. She let them dry between waterings or they rot and then you're done. And be sure to let the cutting callous for a week or so before potting it.

I don't lose so many seedlings any more because of the automatic watering... But sometimes a cell will go dry because it doesn't have good contact with the capillary mat, and every so often I forget to check and the whole tray goes dry... Oops! This year the tray with the biggest plants was going dry in 4 or 5 days. Usually it takes 10 days to 2 weeks. I sit by the window where they are every morning at breakfast, so I usually check on at least the lowest shelves while I'm eating. That's where I keep the newest babies, Deno baggies, and the dome for germinating.

I lose some while potting up if they're too little or too big, and I break some, but this year I have as many as I want of most things.

Once they're big enough to go out, they don't get such good attention any more, and all kinds of disasters befall them, lol.

Becky...post your weed pics! I love them too. Most of my herbs and medicinal plants look like weeds. These were my main gardening efforts til I found out I can entertain myself with feeding the birds too. Culinary herbs were always the first to plant.

Since ramping up my efforts, I'm getting a really good mix. DG has been invaluable as a resource, I can do more with less by seeding instead of buying everything in a pot from a nursery.

Thanks so much for the Plumeria advice!

Has anyone grown Rehmannia? I'm trying it this year for the first time. Germination was good, but they are very slow growing for an annual that supposed to get so big. Is that right?

Salvia Indigo Spires, the hybrid annual, is now up to 4 seedlings, from many, many seeds. I don't mind sparse germination, as long as I get at least a few. I only had 6 last season, and they made a large clump. I wonder of my seed-grown plants will resemble the parent from my garden... And if it will make seeds that are more viable.

Must get to potting today...

It's official, sunflowers can be sunk deeper into the soil when transplanting, they grow more roots along the stem under the soil line! It's good news for me.

PFG) Pam Salvia, agastache , celosia , snapdragon , petunia , all variate easy , Yarrow is another ,, These I have had a few of my own in times past ,

Mipii Robin Thank you for the valuable about the trouble , Your all a memory diamond ,, and I would not want any of you in PC trouble either ,
Sunflowers I get into to trouble germinating seeds of; But I can and have grown some nice ones The largest Mammoth I ever grew was 30 in , across the seed cone (a big-one ) lol
Part of the remembered trick was using tree spikes to feed them , but it wrecks the soil , dig a hole a bag it all for two seasons afterward .. oh well , it was fun ..

Well the catgrass seeds germinated overnight for me ,as before , couple days to good sprout , their a little slow after that , but that was still quick ,, A lot of what is fast has to do with the seed .

SPwD (Becky ) not too bad 3 or 4 out of 50 seedlings so far are my losses ,But in our people reasoning that would make me a serial killer or mass murderer ...eeeek !!!! lol

More propagation
Blue bush Honeysuckle
Salvia
more salvia
And a very slow sad looking tomato .
Marigold There's more ,

Juhur...plants (shrubs and trees) are looking good so far. Most have leaves, and some flowers on they pear...probably should take them off....lol. Sure hope they all root for me!

Got a package of mixed Peonies from one of my favorite venders..all potted up and in the G.Hse. area. Yeah, love Peonies.... Got out and did some watering.... rain on the way tomorrow and Saterday changing to snow....Yipppeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

Pam...you can come pot things for me too... Gosh am soo far behind..just haven't been in the mood ....

Kathy) I'm glad some of those trees are doing a little better this time , It was disappointing last time when you told me none of them grew especially because I was sure they would .
Some at least should this time ,
My plants are only early ones here , hyacinth , feverfew , daylily , that shrub above ,, All the others are still dormant ,
I am leaving a tray outside tonight seeing if Salvia will tolerate 44 degrees (little cool )
I have a couple real old type peonies and a Festiva Maxima that is almost white , (tinged pink) Peonies are a wonderful old favorite with good reason !
Besides Stinging Nettle I will cut for tea leaves in a couple days , and cut leaf coneflowers coming up every where (these two are weeds here ) not a bunch growing ,,
From two little leaves last year , the Amaryllis Iris has four points from the root with a couple leaves 8 or 9 inches tall today ,, Another wonderful wait to see bloom ^_^
Most of the Iris look like they enjoyed this winter ,,
My hyacinth all look terrible ,, it happens some years .. Wild white ones look better though they are not blooming .
The tray outside tonight , the hyacinth

Hahaha Kathy, I'm so far behind I'll never catch up, lol.

When I looked more closely at S Indigo Spires, I saw another tiny sprout coming. I guess it's just slow, not as sparse as I thought. But I transplanted what I could see anyway, even though more seed might have germinated if I waited. I have lots of big perennials and other annuals doing well, don't need so many of each.

Kathy, I ended up with 12 of your deep red and whatever Lupines. Some stems are very red, some less so, and some are green. Very curious to see color what they turn out to be.

Also potted up more Lobelia White Cascade, Salvias Coral Nymph and Fairy Queen. I ran out of time before getting to the Snapdragons, Ceratotheca Triloba, Ammi majus Rubra, Ammi visagna, Scabiosa Scarlet Sundae (which took forever to germinate), and Rehmania.

We're headed to the house today, again just for one night. The car is packed full of stuff so I can't bring many plants. But I am taking the tomatoes and snaps. We turn the heat down to 55 when we're not there, and they'll like the cooler temps. Hopefully the tomatoes won't stretch too fast, lol.

I wish lupines weren't poisonous, I love the look of them. Can't risk the dogs, though.

Pam and Kathy, I get overwhelmed when I read your posts. Lol...you guys are probably not getting much sleep this time of year.

Celene, all you have to do is train your dogs. Mine were so well trained, they didn't go near the garden.

When I was looking. They were trained not to beg too. When I ate they would watch me, they'd simultaneously turn their heads away from me when I looked at them. Didn't matter how many times I looked at them during a meal. When I wasn't looking at them, they'd be watching me eat.

Celene...in case you don't know they smell strongly of pepper..can't imagine a dog would be interested.

Me..I'm headed outside, got the whole garden to begin getting cleaned up... If I get an area cleaned up may try to seed in some of the annuals...Verbena bonariensis, Poppies, Sweet Peas., Alyssum..etc, Rain this afternoon and then a dumping of snow overnight and tomorrow. (4-6").

Many of my babies are looking a bit on the sad side...somewhere along the way I over did fertilizing.. Learned my lesson..

Juhur...when do you expect bloom on the Iris, (here is about June 1 ish, truely depends on the weather). I was out counting Iris plants yesterday...the number is an OMG...LOL.

The heirloom blue blooms for June, a few years ago April they were blooming and the Hyacinth bloomed February
Mother Nature wanted me to believe in global warming setting me up for this winter ,,,She;as a Gal , lol
Salvias left out last night did okay. weather was off a few degrees , warmer than all thought
Lupine is up this and growing last year it was June past their bloom time ,before they even sprouted .
I think I only have one blanket flower left out of , yeah, that many

Gorgeous today at the house, low 60's, almost all the snow gone. The garden is still very dormant, but the first daffys are starting to come up. Last week nights were mid 20's, way too soon to put anything out. Looks like most of the Lupines are gone, good thing I have so many new ones. But no blooms this year :-(

I did a little cleanup, but it's too soon to do much beyond taking away the worst of the dead foliage and leaves. Most plants still look dead, or aren't visible at all. I did take some rampant Ajuga away from a new peony, but that's about it. Some of the iris still aren't showing any green yet. I can't tell where it's safe to put my feet, lol.

All the plants I brought last week look very happy in their new big pots. Tomorrow morning I'll pot up the few things I brought before we leave.

Ok robin, more weed pics for ya (hehehe), 1 is an oak apple gall, weird huh? Followed by Indian paintbrush, mainacht salvia going crazy and a shot of my NOID iris I divided in the fall. Didn't think they'd bloom this year but I swear every rhizome has sent up a bloom stalk!! And they look much deeper purple in person, when is the best time of day to take flower photos I wonder? Last one is some wild Drummond's onion. I love the variation in colors, from plum to white and every shade between.

DG has been an amazing resource for me as well, I had so many seeds to play with this year, I had a hard time narrowing them down. Once I'm done planting all my 'from seed' plants into beds, I'll pick some more to start.

Kathy, have you ever grown the fern leaf peony? We were discussing it on another thread and they are GORGEOUS!!

Beautiful Becky! Your gall looks perfectly round and your bloom colors are VERY pretty. I find taking pics in full sun is really tricky for me, I get less glare and more saturation in shade. I especially appreciate the pics when only a few things are just coming up here. Thanks!

Becky....nope on the fern leaf Peony..(darn....I want one tho but too $$$$$$$$$). The least expensive ones I've seen are still $40. Maybe if they come down in price more. Where do you live that you have Indian Paintbrush? I have a few of the orange ones on my property...sure would like more but the are a sybiotic plant and don't like being planted or moved where not naturaly occuring... I like yours..it's red!! LOL.


Used the most of the day doing cleanup...but didn't seed anything, was a bit breezy to throw seed... Snow is on the way and they've upped the amount of snow (6-10")....yeah.......

Five hours in the garden and only about 1/6th of the way done... and then I have to go back thru and weed it....yikes!

Has anyone grown Limonium latifolium before? (perennial German statice). I have a grouping of 4 or 5 plants. But it looks like I now have scads and scads of babies, (first time that I can ever remember getting babies). One of my favorite flowers for making bouquets (used as a filler like Gypsophila babies breath).

Was at the garden center last week for a garden club meeting and saw these....cute huh?!!!! Pix 2 &3)

LOL that is Darn Cute !!! Do you Suppose there is a natural fertilizer joke there, Kind of a natural half way there thing ... ^_^ he , he ,


That's the old Pepper !

This message was edited Apr 13, 2014 12:13 AM

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 10:16 AM

LOL blomma. cute huh!!!! Juhur, mabe I should ask them about that......(snicker, snicker) Not sure if photo shows it (enlarged) but there are boots tucked in at the bottom. Hey...I have a couple of pairs of old Jeans, wonder how well that would actually work in the garden?

Actually according to the garden books that I've read , the best time for photos in the garden is early am or late pm. (thought not too early nor too late, I personally have noticed if and when I did this there were long shadows. So in other words, not right after sunrise or just before sunset The best times I have found are between 7-10 am and 6-7pm ish.....unless it's cloudy. Mid day is a harsh light. Shade???? What's that? Lol.... Kathy

Kathy, I'm going to test a couple of lupines and see how Bellybutton does with them. She generally leaves plants alone, but as much as I love my garden, I love my dogs more.

LOL, maybe it's time to do some training.... Usually it's instinct that tells them ick..... and they leave them alone (plants that is, but I guess there might be exceptions) and I can't imagine they would like the smell, would probably be enough to deter her...tho I only remember the fragrance from the flowers.. yup, just checked the foliage on my babies...nope, no smell from the leaves....just the typical green smell... Let us know how it goes if you decide to try!

This message was edited Mar 9, 2015 10:15 AM

Blomma, that was a fantastic, sad and beautiful story. I trained my dogs so I and others could enjoy them more...and if anything ever happened to me and they ended up with someone else, I didn't want any reasons to get them hit or abused (if there's any rationality in hurting animals).

Mine both lived to 13 and 16 years old, I miss them terribly too...I feel yah.

I am actually a dog trainer, and my pup rarely goes in the flower beds, but I have treated too many dogs and cats who made just that ONE error in judgment. It's especially on my mind at Easter, with all the lilies given as gifts. Every year, we see at least one ingestion.

Kathy- and everyone- what do you direct seed into the garden? I've done very little the last few years because I've needed to disturb too much by moving plants around, and by the time that's done it's too late. But this year I have some areas that are set for now... I plan to do Nigella, Nemophila, and some annual poppies. I usually do Verbena Bonariensis inside, but this year I didn't get much. I want to try Larkspur, too.

Aren't Sweet Peas risky outdoors? I thought they had to be started inside, that's how I've done it so far.

Lots of potting up today, still more to do, and I used up all my extra space. So what else is new, lol...

Kathy I live in North Texas, we have a few different types of Indian paintbrush here, but this is just your run of the mill variety that blooms orangey most of the time.. some of them will go rogue and pop a redder hue. I got lucky lol. I reeeally like the downy Indian paintbrush, castilleja purpurea, which is a feathery looking pink. I tried to "relocate" one from our deer lease but it died. Come to find out they are semi parasitic and rely on a nearby host plant to leach nutrients from. Had no idea..

Robin, isn't that gall weird?? I thought it was a fruit but really it is a wasp laying its eggs in the oak that causes that growth to form. My 10 y/o says they throw them at each other during recess!

Pam I direct seeded salvia azurea into the flowerbed and I swear every one came up. Also some mistflower, conoclinium greggii. Lawn daisy self seeded, so did my pow wow white echinacea. I hope the echinacea gives me at least one white blooming plant. I know it's a hybrid but I have good germination and even greater hopes :D

I'm suffering Lavender fever, I've ordered 16 plants, and my seedling is over 50 pots now. I decide to start a small herb garden, but I'd have to change to Lavender garden. My expectation is to have 100 pots this year, wish me luck.

This message was edited Apr 14, 2014 12:27 AM

PFG, I direct sow safflower, Escholzia, poppies, Nemophila, annual chamomile, Ammi visnaga and Ammi majus, nigella, dill, anise, chervil and succession sowing of cilantro, lettuce, etc.

Nope, I didn't get anything seeded outside the other day as the wind kept coming up.... But I did get a section cleared tho.... It rained overnight and then began snowing early am yesterday and just ended this morning..... I'm thinking there are about 5" of new snow....and I don't know how much more there was as most came over night and packed down and blew about!!!!! But it's alll gonna soak in today 'spose to get to 45* tooday. We are due for more on Thurs. (rain/snow mix). I hate to put seed out if it's going to be windy, I just don't have enough cover aroud my garden to hold things like that in place.... What I need is a gerntle rain or snow. Will have to see if we will be getting wind or calm on Thurs... Gosh I have a bunch I'ld like to seed out there...Poppies (A), SweetPeas. Verbena bonariensis, other vines(A), Zaluzianskya, Nicotiana sandersae- both Heaven Scent and Nicky, Zinnias., I have some Bronze Fennel I'ld like to reseed in.. The Ammi had started to reseed itself in an area so not sure if I'll put out any more seed.. Alyssum (A), needs to be redone...(seems like it only last a few seasons and then I need to reseed again, but it's wonderful when you get a nice sized patch...yummmy smell), I have some annual Lavatera I'ld like to try.., Not sure if I have any seed but if I do I'll try Salvia Claryssa mixed, Bachelor Buttons, several varieties of Cosmos- Double Click Cranberry, Rubenza, Versailles Tetra; Scabiosa atropurpea(A), might eve try some of my Digitalis (some varieties that I have plenty of seed), Amaranthus Marvel Bonze, Love Lies a Bleeding, Polygonatum Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate (got from one of the gals at garden club), Calendula, Celosia Flamingo Feathers, Centaurea(A), Cleome (not sure how much will come back from last year so will put out more til I know I'm getting a colony, Larkspur mixed colors, Four O'Clocks, will try Nigella (A), Osteospurmum has stopped reseeding so will do another patch of a peach and yellow mix, Rudbeckia Cappaccino, Cherry Brandy, and Green Wizard; Verben Pink Spires. I have soooooo much seed to choose from, got them in trades over the past few winters, sales at some of the mail order companies and things I've collected..... I'm going to be seeding so much in the backyard til the perenns begin to grow up and fill in. Still not sure how much has made it from last falls planttings but I'm sure I'll have many that failed..darn.... Am considering on putting some of the extra seed I have of Digitalis (any comments on how well they germinate in a direct sow situation? Oh ya got scads of Sunflower seeds to choose from too.I'm quite sure I could list a gazillion more....lol. (Remember that 99 cent sale at Thompson & Morgan Seed, Pam?????) Now, I just have to get the ground cleared and figure out what goes where...... I have bags of the Nicotiana seed so I'm thinking there will be mass plantings of it....sure am glad I have the fragrant varieties that will readily seed . And I've also started many annuals inside and maybe more if I get into the mood...

Lol, are you sorry you asked...?

Speaking of Lavender, I'm waiting for mine to green up so I can get cuttings to root...just too early here to see many of the things to green up yet, but maybe after this week with all the rain and snow.

I didn't spend much time in the main border last summer and it now needs attention... Weeding and then can see how much I need to fill in and remove extras that have reseeded themselves in..the one happy suprise that I've come across so far is the Limonium latifolium that has given me sooo many babies (perennial Statice or Sea Lavender). Only about 1/6th of the way thru the main border on spring clean up (cutting back last year's foliage). It's hard to see what's out there til I get that chore done first.. And I made a list of the things I will be dividing this year......some is for garden club tour I've scheduled in e. June and a bunch for me to plant in the backyard for the many losses and possible trades. Figure it's easier to dig an divide somethings while it's still early and new growth won't be disturbed if I decide to share for trades.. This will be a first for me with a garden tour and I just am not sure what to expect..I don't know what they will want and since my seeding this winter has turned out to be a bit dissapointing (am thinking I over fertilized and many look a bit sad....

Wow Kathy, you blow my mind with the scope of your plantings! One day when we're out of drought and I have a ton of flowerbeds, I might try my best to go "Warrior style"! Wow! You just reminded me I never sowed my digitalis either. I have half a dozen varieties and I bet I missed my chance to have them this year :(

Digitalis does great direct sown. I have a huge patch of the generic one, comes back every two years. Pic is from 2011. They drop seed, then germinate the next year toward the end of the summer, nice big rosettes appear by fall, and bloom the following spring. A nursery guy told me he cuts the stalks and shakes the seed wherever he wants them to come.

It never occurred to me that so many things could go direct into the garden. Aren't they really tiny for a long time? Like Cosmos, Sweet Peas, Zinnias and the Nics? And does the V Bonariensis have time to flower before it freezes? Am I working too hard, lol?

I guess the truth is, there is plenty of room where I am, I just don't know how much more maintenance I want to take on. If some of the newer sections become more established - and less work- I probably will expand. But I've found if I get too far ahead of myself, I end up overwhelmed, things get out of control, and I end up clearing the same area two or three times instead of once. Seems like a waste of energy, lol...

That's what happened at the end of the lower lawn, where the tall grasses are. The first time I cleared it was a couple of years ago, then I just couldn't get to it and everything grew back. Pic 2 is from Summer 2012, and that's after it had been cleared once. Last spring, pics 3, 4, with a helper, I finally got it pretty well cleaned up and some of the grasses moved around, and by fall it was planted, pic 5, but I know there are still some iffy places. I won't be sure where until I see what made it, what expanded, etc. That's where the Asclepias tuberosa's going, some new grasses (on sale from Bluestone) and some of the taller Nics. I can already see that the path needs work, it's far too green already. Bad sign, lol.

Good thing to know Pam, thanks. Will try to seed some of those in....and then cross my fingers.... Ya, w--ds, ickkk!!! I figure I'll cut back faded dead foliage first, then go back thru and begin w--ding and pot things up as I go, hoping I can finish before seedlings begin emerging..... I want to go outside and work on somethings, have cabin fever this spring, but there's 5-6" of snow on the ground which ended this morning... And yes the newly aquired backyard will need extensive weeding but this year, I'm thinking I'll just hit the bad stuff with Roundup....much quicker than doing it by hand....

Becky...gotta be positive...this will be a El Ninyo year which starts in June!!!! And I'm just trying to catch up to Pam...(in size of flower beds)..lol. Only joking... And I'm not sure yet what I'll actually get seeded of the annuals....I just know I have a bunch to choose from when I'm ready...

I've had soso luck with the Sweet Peas germinating outside but I don't need any more started inside!!! (Or should I say not much more) LOL. And I'm curious, did you happen to notice that the sale seed from T&M were smaller amounts than their normal priced packages???? My imagination or true??? Just wondering if it's just a marketing thing putting them on sale? Or not..... Ok, gotta get off and tend the the babies... Kathy