starting cleome "spider flower"

Because they bloom so late here, and sometimes frost gets them before they can go to seed, I want to start them indoors. But I haven't had much luck. I don't have a very good place to grow them, so they are on a tabletop, under a lamp, and I had a heating pad set on low under them. I checked the temperature to make sure it wasn't too hot, but nothing happened. A few sprouted, then wilted and died. I did not see damp off. Any suggestions?

The only luck I have ever had is to give them night temps well below the daylight temp. Something like 70 degrees and then 45 degrees. Not easy to find the right requirements for this. Do you think the hot temperatures you have in NC (compared to the Northeast) delay the flowering times til fall? Here in zone 6 they bloom in August and seed is ready by Labor Day at the latest.

Woodspirit - I can't believe you have a hard time with these. I am in 7b. I bought 3 plants about 3 years ago, one died, and the other 2 had just a couple of seed pods which I saved. The following years they reseeded like crazy, one year I gathered 2 cups of seeds!! I pull the extras up now like weeds. You might be better off to just sow your seeds outside like nature does. Maybe they need some stratification. If you want some just email me, I have a lavender and pink mixture.

You may want too give them a belt of a mild fungicide, mine got damp off last year, they may be prone.
Make sure you fert them in the beggining and they will flower, they are like weeds here.

golddog, I am up in the mountains of NC, so it much cooler here than in most of the south. In fact, I am in zone 6 myself. I will try again this year, as well as direct sowing.
Dennis, it just amazes me that folks who live in Washington State and British Columbia have such warm climates. I know it is caused by the Japanese current, but it's still hard to understand when you are so far north. I'll try the fungicide, too.
Azalea, I did have a lot of little pale seedling come up from a previous year's cleome, but they didn't do anything. I suppose they needed transplanting and some fertilizer. I guess my efforts weren't as good as they could have been last year. That's when an injury from a fall the year before really caught up with me and created a lot of arthritis in my back and hips. I have since learned to garden in short intervals. I told my spousal unit that I was going to write a book called, "The 15-Minute Gardener."

I read from a previous post last year that they do need cold stratification. I put mine in the refrigerator a couple of months before last frost - left them in the fridge a couple of weeks, then grew them in the window for a bit, then finally put outside. They did fairly well, and I'm hoping they reseed this year.

Check a few of the older threads on winter sowing - I believe there is some good feedback.

I am growing only Cleome hassieriana 'Helen Campbell'.http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/onepic.jsp?id=74147 All others are pulled just as fast as they appear. The last 2 years have been, very few of color. I send the white in to a particular seed exchange as white; so it is a bit more work.

I have been growing these for years and have tons of seeds. I start some inside end of March under grow lights, they have always done great. Then when the last frost is over I just toss the remainder of seed outside and they come up by the dozens. No stratification ever here and they multiply like crazy. I have the white, pink and lavender.

I agree with haighr and I'm in zone 5b. Gets pretty cold here. I don't have room to grow them in the greenhouse so I just toss the seed and rake it in. I usually have bloom in July and on until frost. I'm still trying to get them removed from an area that I want only filled with tropicals. Will probably be pulling them again this year.

is that yellow? i want the yellow still!

notmartha, I couldn't get the yellow seed to germinate. I sent what I had left to PlanterRik. I hope he can figure out what to do with it.

It is my understanding that Cleome is not a good candidate for transplanting at all. Seeds should be sown where they are to bloom. As they freely self-sow, they should be good to winter-sow, in this case, just scratch into the ground anytime now. They should germinate when the time is right, and be nice and vigorous, needing no hardening off. Once established, you will always have them. As golddog mentions, they will tend to revert to the magenta of their ancestors, so pull any forms you do not like!

They grow like weeds here.
I work at Henry Ford Museum Greenfield Village where we have quite a few of them. They reseed like mad. Bloom in mid June until frost.

Paul

They are like weeds here also.good thing I like them,let one come up diferent spot everyyear.

Happy Birthday Paul!
Root :)

Hadn't thought of winter sowing. This is a perfect situation for it. Thanks Pardancanda!

I haven't had a bit of luck with the seeds for Cleome!! I kept them in the fridge, and planted in the ground, fertilized, compost, the whole nine yards. I came to the conclusion that they are hardier above the Mason-Dixon. PJ you started your's from plant's, right? I think that is the answer for most of us in the south, and then my next question would be, how heat and drought tolerant are they?

"eyes"

as I sai - I only got 2 plants to live - they are not hardy, just produced a few seed pods the first year. Then they went wild!! They are very drought & heat tolerant.

Anybody know of a resource for the Plants? I have been wanting the Pink ones forever!


"eyes"

Eyes, when mine start to pop-up, I will be happy to send you some for postage. I will just be trashing them like 4 o'clocks.

"Eyes" is the one you want?

have seeds for ddwarf solo no thorns-email if anyone wants any.

Thanks PJ........write me down for some. Yes, Root......that's it!! I think it would be a nice addition to the tropical garden. I love the "Solo" too, dori, but the colors and height aren't compatible with what I plan. Tnanks so much for the offer.

"eyes"

Ok - I made a note to do that, you may need to remind me tho, I might lose my note, Lol!!

I Will have Millions coming up this spring,LMK if ya want some.Thats a volunteer in picture,see all the dry pods on bottom,I try to wash em down the drive way.LOL

I live in Boston and start them inside in flats, move the seedlings to 3" pots and keep them under light until ready to harden. Had not problems last year with both new seeds of smaller plants from Parks and with seeds collected from the year before. Also get lots of volunteers tho not until early July. Great plant in this area.

Welcome aboard gffgro!you can toss your info under your tag by going to your homepage,I think it's prefrences,that will save you being asked zone,location,and it makes it easy when people trade with you.And believe me we will trade! So welcome and jump over to the welcome matt,and say HEY.
Root.