Starting Seeds in Sponges Experiment

Just bumping this thread so I can find it!
aknapp, what is your latest progress report?
Please?

Hah! I think Alice is probably busy making her own 'Wonderland' by planting the bazillion seedlings she started.
;-D

I wish that was true scooterbug!

After working so hard to start my gazillion little seedlings in sponges, rockwool, and regular methods, I moved them outside too soon and lost so many of them that I had to start a lot of them over! (then I lost a lot of those too) I think I am not meant to have morning glories!

The weather here has been very uncooperative and I have learned some very valuable lessons in trying to push the growing season in Michigan! I was thinking I was only trying to push it by a couple of weeks, but when I sat down and thought about it I was actually about 6 weeks ahead. (gee I wonder why that would cause a problem) haha

I had also done a lot of winter sowing for the first time this year and I think that was the method that I was the most impressed with. Just the ease of it and the lack of having to harden off plants. The other bonus was that all of the bottles of those seedlings have come through the ups and downs of the weather with no problem at all. I just have to find out now if I can apply that method to the plants that I did so miserably with.

Is is possible to start annuals with that method also?

I have managed to kill all of the seedlings that I started with sponges and rockwool, but because of my own ignorance not because of the method that was used.

I also discovered that soaking seeds in a distilled water (don't know if thats necessary) and hydrogen peroxide mix, helped them to germinate faster.

I wish I had some wonderful photos to show you of all my successes but I guess that will not happen this year!!!
Next year I promise not to get so impatient with attempting to move things outside.

I didn't have much luck starting brug seeds in rockwool or sponges, but I think it was me not the method. I had been watching the other thread about starting them in the rockwool, and they had great success with that method, so I have to think it was me doing something wrong!

I had a really good time trying everything and have some ideas now on what to do and what not to do next year.

I must remember not to let the boredom of January get to me so badly that I start things before I should. The bottles that I winter sowed in late February and March did much better than the ones that I had done in January!

Hope this answers all of the questions, and I really appreciate all of the other posts on this thread and the useful information that I gleaned from it!

I think my biggest success for the winter was keeping the 4 cuttings of brugs alive that poppysue had been kind enough to share with me. They are all doing well, even though they have had their share of abuse! The winds here have been hard on them but they are hanging in there waiting for some warmer weather! I am hoping that I may have some blooms yet this summer, having never seen one in person I can hardly wait! I keep looking to see if I see anything that looks like a bud but so far nothing!

Sorry to hear you lost your seedlings..
It must have been so disappointing for you after all that caring for them.

I lost some of my seedlings as well..
I didn't try the sponge method, just in potting mix...but I did put them outside too early..and they died.
Yesterday my geraniums got sunscald, while I was at work.

It makes me want to say..to heck with starting things from seed..just spend the money and buy the plants at the garden centre.

Live and learn.

Starzz don't be so discouraged!

If I try something more than once and feel that its the seeds and not me I usually give up and buy it if its something I really want.

I love the adventure of trying things from seeds and I had the good fortune last fall and during the winter of many DG members sharing their seeds with me! (they may not want to any more)
To me that is one of the greatest parts of this site, I have met such fantastic people, who have been so generous, that to be able to grow plants from seeds that they have shared with me, was such a great gift that I feel worse than if I had purchased the seeds myself.
I also know from reading the older posts that I am not the first nor you, to have done things too soon!
Keep trying and experimenting and find out what works for you!
That is too me one of the most fascinating parts of gardening, we all live with different conditions and different zones, and yet we also have a lot of similarities!
Don't get discouraged!

Thanks for the pep talk aknapp..

I will carry on with what did survive.

I guess the fact that we live in Zone 5a makes us so anxious for the season to get going.

Have a great day..I am off work today and will "baby" my seedlings and plants.

Alice,
....So sorry to hear of your losses my friend, but look on the bright side. Ya dint get bored this winter didja ? Neither did I. Went overboard here number wise also. Found out that small seedlings 'croak' when the trays are put in the cold frame too early.

.......Speaking of 'early', in the future I will not start ANY seeds until February , unless there is a special one like the Cardboard Sago Palm seeds I just got =)

......The brug seeds I sowed in Oct & Nov basically failed . Germination rates were almost 100% but the growth was so poor I tossed them. The brug seeds I sowed in Feb are flourishing. There is a lot to be said about the growing season I guess. Unless you have a commercial GH set -up . HAH !

.........Winter sowing (Feb) went great, even the tomatoes. They are shorter but such nice dark green stocky healthy plants compared to the March seeds started indoors.

(((Nice to see you again )))

Scooterbug I agree totally about the things I started late in February, they are the ones that seem to have done the best!

I agree about not getting bored, this year maybe I will have to do some sewing for the grandkids for a couple of months to fill the void! I am sure they would be happier with pajamas then my plants!

I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it and sharing here with everybody!

I am still hoping that this fall when seeds are plentiful that everyone will still share their seeds with me even though I am such a dismal failure this year!!! haha

I try to always look at life as just one huge learning experience and not get too serious about the dissappointments that come along!

I am so sorry that you had similar experiences!!! The daturas that I had sown in January inside were doing really well, they were about 8 inches tall when I moved them outside and a couple had actually had very small blooms on them. Those I felt bad when I realized I had lost them! I do have one tough guy out there that seems to have survived it all and is trying real hard to get some new leaves! He is the last of the ones I had so I am trying really hard to be nice to him.

Small seedlings also croak if you put them in a hoop house and have winds and rain that blow it off, not to mention the cold that night!!! haha

Take care my friends and remember if we didn't have anything new to learn how boring life would be!

Alice:
I'm so sorry you lost your seedlings, but man, oh man are you going to love those brug blooms when they arrive! I hope the weather begins cooperating for you soon! Gretchen

This was fun to watch, and actually worked, so I thought I'd bump it for some of the newer folks.

I just found this thread and thought it was very interesting.

I have a large piece of black foam in my attic just waiting to try this

I have also tried doing he sponge action but found it was difficult to seperated the roots from the sponge. The tiny roots would find its way into the sponge.

I do the wet kitchen towel thing now just for testing seeds. Below is a photo taken today of Centaurea macrocephala (perennial) seeds that have sprouted after 6 days inside a moist kitchen towel, then placed in a baggie. These seeds are from 2006 and I was testing the how viable the seeds were. As you can see, the seeds are very much alive. These 3-year old seeds had 7 out of 10 germination.

Now to plant them in regular soil so they will continue to grow. Will give them to my daughter since she has a sunroom. I don't have the space or sun in my small house.

I usually sow all hardy perennial seeds in my coldframe for better germination since many perennials require stratification.

And here is what a mature plant of Centaurea macrocephala looks like, blooming summer.

I have been reading this thread with fascination. Has anyone tried cuttings using this method? Like possibly hydranga's or roses or leaf cuttings?

Blomma I think you should plant the sponge instead of trying to get the seedling out

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=765944

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=765948

Thanks for bumping this thread! I'm off to buy sponges!