Stolen Idea!

That's a good idea Louise, I always have to look for the dropper, whew...

I found glass droppers at my local CVS drugstore alongside of the plastic pill dispenser boxes 2/79 cents.

You can ask the pharmacisist for the brown glass bottle with dropper also.
--------------------------------------

I winter sowed my sweet peas outside, in a pot Pins.


~* Robin

NatureWalker,

Can sweet peas take frost/freeze?

Thanks,

a

Check here to see for yourself:

Lathyrus odoratus - Sweet Pea: http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lathyrus+odoratus

~* Robin

Hello friends
I wasjust reading up some and seeing soo manypeople stillsprouting seeds doin the paper towel innna baggie gig. This baffles me... I've done it several times myself and it sure is fun to look at but...Why do it when your adding just 1 more stressfull transplant step to tho whole ordeal? I use all the ingredients but preffer to let them sprout in the medium they'll grow in until ready to pot up etc.
Do Y'all really see a benefit to sprouting in baggies other than KNOWING germ rates and germination times?
Just curious...I've snapped the roots seedlings when trying to remove them off the paper towels, they tend to snag if I recall.
Goodnight all, Jeff

I like the paper towel method because I am planting only the seeds that sprout and not wasting space or time on unsprouted seeds. Since I tend to keep my seeds from year to year until they are gone, the germination rates drop as time passes. Also I plant large seeds like sweet peas directly into individual cell packs and I don't want to have empty cells if I can help it. So germinating them first on paper towels avoids that problem.

If the sprout starts to penetrate the paper towel, simply tear off the piece of towel that is attached and plant the whole shebang.

Sweet dreams of seedlings!! :^)

Yeah, what you say NoH2O; ditto! My brain escaped me and took a nap without me. I knew what I wanted to say; but couldn't find the words. Next time I'll rolodex them! LOL

~* Robin

Thanks NW,
I did some more research on the Sweet Peas and find that for my area I can put them out 4-6 weeks before my last frost date. I see that you are in a much warmer climate than me and you could even direct sow in October. (Zone Envy here!)

a

TLC,
Ditto the zone envy,,,,LOL

Kelly

In a way Jeff is right. I didn't even do anything but pick up the bag and a root snapped off. Planted it anyway. Maybe it has 2 feet. LOL

Jeff, I am completely and only wintersowing this year and I'm quite active in that forum.. Not only am I growing seeds with regular old potting soil, I am going to put them straight into the garden from the containers they are in now. I had so many types and varieties of seeds that even soaking all of them beforehand would have been a major undertaking.

Susan

ahh I can see some good uses for this method now other than just getting to look at the sprouts;) LOL And some do look really cool. My wife likes the "plants 5 fold the recomended amount of seeds per cell and just deal with it later!" LOL Man I'm not kidding either when I say overfilling cells. Some are so stuffed, it's impossible to keep them watered before transplant time. She drives me crazy with this "method" annually! LOL
Keep on keeping on friends;)
JD

I wonder if you can sprout this in a baggie with H202?
It's funny you asked that question JD, because I had no idea why, other than it was a cool new thing I learned that worked rather well. Now I'm supersized with those seed kits with the lids. Wonder what will be next!? LOL
Let's see how long I can keep the cool coconut tree alive!
A little coconut humour- I brought this back from Hawaii.

Randy, that is a real cool coconut tree. How old will you be when it drops it's first coconut on your head? Do you think they will grow in Washington State? LOL On your death bed.

Jeanette

My Mom planted a coconut tree in Homestead AFB FL around 1974 and when I went back and passed by to see it around 1990, before Andrew, it was the only thing still part of all the things she planted, so unless RJ's coconut gets hit by a monster hurricane, it will do great!!

Susan

Now Jeanette, I try not to think of calculations like that! It is probably too cold here in the winter for it, but stubbornly I wanted to see for myself. I never realized how tall they can get, so I won't be able to cover it after a period of time. - although there is an occasional freeze in florida - Right!?

Yesterday I saw my first morning glory flower, from the seeds I planted in January, (yes JD, using the baggie method!) :-)
I'm too lazy to look up the technical name, but it is purple and white striped. The plant is only about 5 inches tall. The second crop of morning glories just came out of the seed "incubator".

Rj & JD, Happy_1 in Lauderdale has several in her yard from seeds like that.
Now how much peroxide and how big was that baggie? LOL
Sidney

LOL, better yet, what baggie size?

:) RJ, Homestead is right by Miami, so where talking very south... I will yours to make it!!

Susan

Spoken from the Diva herself!...Thanks!

This if the first time that I've noticed this thread and did a quick read through it. I am just about to get some seeds started and morning glories are among them. I'm so glad that I checked here first.

Most important question for me......does this H2O2 menthod work on hosta seeds. They are papery, so I'm concerned. I suppose that I could try it first on seeds that I have in quantity, but with others I only have a few seeds and would really like to have them all sprout.

Thanks in advance for all of the wonderful information.

Marie

Marie, I did not have good luck with the papery seeds and the H202. They turned all sticky. Don't know why. I can't remember exactly which seeds they were, but I do think they were possibly cup n saucers? Not sure. Anyway, I threw them away.

Jeanette

Mine turned out ok, as long as I left them on top of the soil and spray/misted them with the solution. They were Tecoma stans var. angustata http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2047/index.html wonder if they'll come back this year? Better start some more seeds to try too. Testing for viability.

I'm waiting to see how the Violet Trumpet Vine http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/2749/index.html// seeds come up; as I only had 2 of them left over to try.

~* Robin

Update for this year... I picked up a little bottle of SuperThrive at Wal Mart today.

I would try the papery seeds in a peat pellet or seed mixture. I also had some luck with Tecoma Stans, but low propagation percentage.

OK, where is JLD?? I looked back there and it was the 6th the last time we heard from you. How are you feeling? Is everything ok? Still have the computer up and running?

Lets hear from you. Jeanette

He posted on the 11th here http://aoeu.davesgarden.com/forums/t/575519/#top
Sidney

Guess I missed it Sid. Jeanette

Gee, I hope Jeff is too busy planting seeds and getting ready for spring to get on the computer. Does anyone know if there is somebody else on DG who is in direct contact with him and can let us know how he is doing?

I think his wife might, but have never heard from her.

Man I'm glad I checked this thread!!!
I'm doing great, thank you for wondering;)
I have no open wounds for the 1st time in 4 years!!! I don't know how to act, it seems so foriegn but I'm sure I'll get used to it;).

I apologize for not checking in sooner, my desktop pc crashed hard and I'm not sure how to get it fixed. It keeps telling me there is a corrupt or missing file I need to re-install in order for windows to start/load. I've fixed it once but it quickly crashed again and won't let me repair it. I'll figure something out.
Thanks again everyone;). It was an excellent suprise to check this thread and see Jnette and others wondering where I was and how I'm doing.

Thanks again;)
Jeff

It is great to hear that you are doing so well, Jeff. That is wonderfu, wonderfull news. Too bad about your computer though - I hate it when they don't work. You might try posting in the computer forum. There are some experts there who are very helpful and may be able to solve your pc problems for you.

Man Jeff, wonderful to hear from you!!! Are you still in the lockup?? I sure hope not. It has been so long since we have heard from you that I don't know what to expect. Bet it seems a hundred times longer to you.

So glad you are on the mend. Hope you get that computer mended also. Hang in there Jeff, spring is here, summer is on the way and it's a whole new ball game.

Jeanette

Jeff, welcome back... We have really been missing you!!! Your posts are so interesting, and I learn a lot from them. Thanks!

Yes Jeff...glad your back...you should go to the vines and climbers...
I started all those glories using your baggie method in Januarary now,.the rewards are opening daily now!
Rj

What's the baggie method?

NoH20, go back about 12 to 20 posts. It's there. Jeanette

Thanks, Jeanette. Now that I've read it I realize it is a method I have been using for several years with great success. This year I used it to sprout my ranunculus tubers. Usually I have a problem with them rotting before they ever sprout but this method has solved that. Now I am looking forward to lots of beautiful ranunculus blooms. Hooray!

NiH2O - how did you use it to sprout tubers?
I bought a bag of freesia tubers or corms I guess they are and the instructions are a little imprecise. Wonder if it would work on that
I've read this whole thread a couple times and I'm still a tad confused about what the recommended ratio is of household 3% peroxide to water. I think its 1 tsp to a quart of water.

I bet this would be good to mist my dahlia tubers with that are eyeing up right now
a

You're welcome. Love the Ranunculas. Jeanette