Ursula's Garden Angel seed program - #2

Mr. Dave Sir...The seeds arrived in yesterday's mail!!

Thank you!!

aww man i missed this one i need to start getting online more often

got mine seeds.. thanks.

sheran.

It seems like I have one more package of seeds than I'm supposed to have. I -should- have 4 remaining right now, but I have 5.

Did anyone get shorted seeds? Everyone should have gotten a package like the one in the picture. Did anyone NOT receive that?

dave

My Payment was lost and I sent a replacement payment 3 days ago, the extra package may be for me. I hope you got the replacement check, PLMK, Thank you, Margie

my seeds have arrived today, a big surprise they have not been opened by customs HURRAY!!! have got the lot
Thankyou Ursula & dave

soaking 4 of the type overnight, tonight. The directions I got specify some things differently, but I usually do ok, so I'm going for it. I had to clear out some space upstairs in my indoor greenhouse to make room for them.

My neighbor, Dee, across the street came over and picked up many of my plants I'd propagated. She was delighted. I showed her what they would look like on the database. Sharing what we have with others is one of the BEST things about being a gardener. She just might become a member herself soon, as she was very impressed with how easily I could look up plants, get details, meaurements and pics. Me hopes! :)

What did you start and how? Curious!! : )
(perhaps we should bump this up- getting a little long?)

Actually, I JUST got finished sowing them into a flat. I planted:

Fortunatia bifolia
Alstroemeria ligtu ssp. simsii
Mix of low growing Alstroemeria species from the Andes Mnts.
Gold-yellow fragrant Freesia.

I soaked them for about 36 hours. The freesias were already sprouting when I sowed them, so I think those will come up quickly.

If I get a good germination from these, I'll post a pic.

It will be good for me to see, how you all go with germination,as i will not be sowing until August, but will be keep all seed in the fridge until then. My fingerer's are crossed of your success Boots

Thanks so much Ursula and Dave, the seeds arrived today. Unbelievably mine were not opened by cutoms either! D

Thank you Dave and Ursie, I got the seeds today. It will be so fun to try them . I appriciate your efforts sharing these.
Margie, aka Queen of Dirtland, loudigger

((((((Margie)))))))) sent you a private mail.

My fressias have germinated. :)

Freesias are now about 4 inches tall. I transplanted two of them into a pot out on the porch yesterday, with an Impress of India in the middle. Will take pics when they take off! :)

Those mauve ones, from under the Andes Mountains have now germinated as well. Someone asked to keep this posted, that is the only reason why I am telling this. I didn't follow the directions, just used my own regular methods. If you want to know what I did, just let me know, and I'll fill you in.

I am very interested in how you did it if you have the time to let us know, please!

OK - this is how I do it.

I divide my seeds into two categories at first. Big and Tiny.

The Big I soak overnight or longer. The tiny - nope.

With Big seeds, after soaking, (the Freesias started sprouting in the water in one day) I place in regular transplanting soil, moist, and cover with a dome.

The small ones I treat differently. If medium, I'll soak for one night, that's it. But from then on they get treated the same as tiny. The tiny goes as follows:

I get a flat of cells and fill ALMOST to the top with regular transplanting/potting mix (I use Whitney Farm's Premium). I then water that. I flatten it, and add more soil, until almost almost to the top and then water it again.

Medium seeds: then add seeds, then top with MOSITENED germination soil (very fine mix). DOME.

Tiny seeds: Top with MOISTENED germination soil (very fine mix), then barely poke the seeds in, about 1/4 inch or less deep. DOME.

I then water from the bottom of the flat. So, make sure there is a bottom flat that doesn't have holes in it, so it can hold the water. (I never water from the top -and it's actually very very easy to do this way, vs. the top)

I put them in a warm spot that is between 70 to 80 degrees farahenheit during the days, and no less than 60 at night.

When they start to germinate, I lift the domes when the plants start to lift to the top of the dome, so they don't grow sideways.

This seems to work very well for me. I hope it works for you as well! :) and good luck!

p.s. once you transplant into bigger pots, the bottom watering no longer works, but it sure is wonderful for flats full.

Since I am still quite a newbie I keep missing out on all kinds of neat things...How does one know when something like this will be offered, what forum or thread should I be watching. I work full time so can only check out stuff a couple times a day. Thanks......

faronell,

if you are looking for good deals, you want to check the plant trading and seed trading forums, the co-op forum (been kinda slow this season, it'll pick up) and of course, this forum as often as possible. Lotsa times there will be good stuff in plant trading and seed trading for postage, 'cause so many of us hate to waste . . . we'd rather ship it out.

Also, if there is a particular plant or type of plant that interests you, check for a forum dedicated to it and watch that forum. If I have daylilies to give away, I post it in the daylily forum first . . .

You never know when something good is going to happen here . . .

BTW, welcome to DG!

Cheri'

Thanks Cheri... The robins look like fun, and I thought the seed thing from the lady in Chili looked terrific. No doubt some very unusual items there. Since I have such a small garden space starting out (Less than 100 Sq Ft.) I can only plant a couple of anything for variety. So when I buy a pack of Seeds, I'm only using a couple or a few. Especially on the veggies. Will check out more on the seed trading forum....Thanks again.

Ursula,

Just wanted you to know the Yellow Freesia had 100% germination and they are such fast growers! They are all in pots outdoors now! Thanks so much!

Karrie

Dear Karrie,

I don't want to dissapoint you, but what you got from the Garden Angel Fund are Freesia cormils (baby corms), not seeds. Anyway, them being cormils guarantees you will have gold-yellow hybrid Freesias at the end of next winter.

Some flowers will produce seeds (if you let them) and it will be very easy to germinate them. However, they will revert to one of their parentals and the resulting flowers will be smaller, whitish with some purple on the outside of the petals, and wondefully scented (even more than the yellow ones).

Remove the cormils you planted only after the foliage has completely dried out (summer?). You might have a nice surprise: new cormils forming. Store them in a dry place. Replant in early Fall.

I always recommend to plant Freesias in pots or containers. This, mainly because they need this rather long period to have their leaves fully dried (chlorophylla - food storage for the corms) where they look quite fussy. At that time I place pots/containers out of sight.

Add some sand to your soil mix, to ensure good drainage/healthy corms.

Corms should be covered with dirt twice their own height.

Good luck!

ummmmm - they have these really long stems, and are long grass like plants, kind of like the pic you showed. So after they dry out, I pull them?????

Karrie, have you checked our PDB? http://plantsdatabase.com/go/2721/index.html

You can leave them in the same pot for two years. I do the whole procedure every year to give them fresh soil/compost/sand mix, since I do not like chemical fertilizers and to check that all corms are healthy (discard immediately any corm that has fungal attack).

All I can tell you is they love it and reproduce like mad!

I just did - sounds nice! I will take a pic of what they look like tomorrow and post it here. Some of them are over 9 inches long.

It's not letting me post pics right now - I have them and will try later.

try this AGAIN! first one the ones in their starter pots, overgrown.

oh good grief, now it's not taking it again! I'll try again! the freesias in planters with nasturstiam.

Ursula, you asked me on the chat how my freesias were doing. I just went and looked at them and two of them are forming cute little buds! I WILL have blossoms this year! Maybe it has something to do with my zone. I'll take pics when they bloom! :)

Hi Karrie!

I agree with you. Somewhere I read that Freesias bloom in mid-sumer in the colder areas. Since my zone is 9ish, our Freesias will bloom simultaneously - we are right in the middle of winter. At this time of the year we do not have many flowers and Freesias are sort of announcing spring.

The only flowers I have at this time are: Schlumbergera (Christmascactus), Geranium sangineum and Geranium pyrenaicum ex Bill Wallis.

Did you plant the other seeds in spring? What are the results? Did you keep seeds for fall sowing as per my recommendations?

Hi Ursula,

I planted some others, which I have been terrible about taking care of, because my sunroom got too hot, then I brought them outdoors (we get near the 100's in temps this time of year, sometimes over - was 101 yesterday in some spots) and then my back went out. I can't remember exactly what they were, but they did germinate, and seem to be doing ok. I sowed 3 of the different types I got from you. Bifola????? for some reason that rings a bell. I'm down in the basement and am NOT going upstairs right now to look (it's nice & cool down here) lol! I think they are a type of canna - looked like them, and that Andes Mountain one that is pink and looks similar to hens and chicks. They are still there, and surviving. The freesia took me completely off guard though. The germination was 100% - yep - every single one germinated. Not sure if I can do this from the network, but will try to post this pic of what I believe is a blossom to take place, and you can let me know. It doesn't at all look like the leaves that came up.

You are such a sweetheart! I look forward to chatting with you again, some Tuesday afternoon.

Karrie

Another

and one more. Let me know if you think these are buds, ok?

Hi ya'll, I am in Texas visiting and when I get back to California, I though that I would start an 'Ursula's Seeds Support ' thread and Karrie gets to tell us all how she did this! I haven't started a darn seed- shame on me- because I have felt a little intimidated. Silly, right?
So I will do that Thursday this week probably. Sound good?

Karrie, those are flowerbuds and you will enjoy flowers very soon. You will love them.

Daisy, if you live in CA, you should follow the recommendations in my Word document since our climates are very similar. Did you ask me/did I send you the Word document?

Please don't let these seeds die. None of them is too difficult for an amateur gardener. You will be rewarded with really beautiful flowers.

Ursula

Yep- I have it and I want to jump on them now!!
Don't know why I find it intimidating but I figured that we can start at step 1 and work through it... : )
They won't die, Ursula, because I am going to make sure that they get going this week with a little support...a little DG support, that is!!

Daisy,

those Freesias are very very easy. I soaked them in water overnight and they sprouted - I planted them and within a day or so had seedlings. I'm so excited now that they are getting ready to bloom!

I have yellow blooms on the freesia! So excited. Will take a pic later and post! Thanks so much!

Congratulations! Mine will bloom in about two more weeks. Isn't the fragrance lovely?