I just received some unknown Brug seeds from a very generous trader (Thanks so much Connie!). I've never grown Brugs before and frankly I'm not known for being all that successful with seeds. Brugs are NOT available here, so I have no way of replacing these seeds, so I'd really appreciate any help you all can give me to make sure these work for me. Here are my questions:
1) When should I plant the seeds?
2) Should I start them in the container they'll eventually grow in, or should I start them inside in smaller containers?
3) How large of a pot should they have if that's where they'll be grown (in other words, I'm going to have them on in pots on teh patio rather than in the garden soil).
4) Is regular potting soil good, or does sand/peat/whatever need to be added?
5) I've read that fertilizer is needed every 3-4 weeks. What is the composition of the fertilizer these need? Remember the name brands you have there, I won't have here, so I really need to know what is IN the fertilizer rather than what brand you like best.
Thanks so much in advance for any help you can give me on these questions....or anything else you think I should know.
I'm so excited!!!! :-)
-Julie
Help please
http://calastropicals.com/content/page6.html
Here is a link to the information you are seeking.
Judy
Judy thanks so much for that link! :-)
-Julie
A couple of links regarding rock wool that might be helpful:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/411784/
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/414428/
Kaufman, thanks so much for the info LOADED links!!! They are really great.
Now I just have to find out what the heck rock wool is LOL
-Julie
I also started my Brugs from seeds and DG members sent me seeds, in start I dont know how to propogate them, but nice and loving members of DG told me procedure and now I have beautiful seedlings.
Flowerjunkei also sent me one cutting, now growing fastely.
Just follow the procedure.
kaleem
Thanks Kaleem. But first I have to figure out what rock wool is LOL
-Julie
http://tn.essortment.com/growingwithroc_rtek.htm
http://www.elementshydroponics.com/category/grodan-rockwool
http://homeharvest.com/hydroponicmediumgrodan.htm
One of these should help you with what rockwool is. I use it, but not with everything I grow. It works great for brug seeds and canna seeds for me. I have some bananas started in it now, but nothing happening yet.
I used plastic bg procedure, I think this is the best, here is a picture of my seedling which are still in plastic bags.
Shirley -- I have two banana plants that I started from seed in RW last winter. Took 6+ weeks to germinate, but it finally happened. I purchased 6 seeds on ebay of Pink Musa, and of those I ended up with these two plants. Growing like weeds, I might add!
Did I hear PINK? Now I must go look up Pink Musa. LOL.
Thanks for those links Brugie! The last one explained clearly what it IS, the others explained well what can be done with it. I really appreciate those links! :-) I'll be going to my garden center tomorrow and see if they can tell me where to get it (if it's available here at all).
Kaleem, I may try your plastic bag method with half the seeds and see which method works best for me. Thanks for that photo...it really helps to understand what you meant! :-)
-Julie
You're welcome Julie. Good Luck!!
I soaked seeds. I planted seeds.
NADA.
Two weeks now. should I give up?
What could have happened?
Should I soak in Physan to avoid rootrot?
Carol
What's so funny is that I'm going to all this effort to learn the best way to make THESE seeds germinate.....but the seeds I DON'T want togerminate aer doing it at full force (those in my bird feeder! ROTFLMAO).
does anyone here have a good source for brug seeds or cuttings(although it's getting a little cold here to be sending anything live in the mail)?
Here is an other picture.
Kaleem, what are the sticks in your pot? Your plant looks GREAT! I sure hope I can get mine to germinate as well as yours! :-) Must wait til next week to get the pot and other things though. Too busy with Thanksgiving preparations this week :-)
-Julie
These sticks are used for the support of plastic bag. Otherwise Plastic bag will press my seedling.
kaleem
Thanks Kaleem. Now I feel sort of stupid LOL I should have figured that out by myself. Silly me :-D
-Julie
; )
Don't give up on your seeds
I have had some germinate quick and seeds from the same pod geminate MONTHS later
Kaleem, how long did it take for your seeds to germinate? Did you soak them? Did you peel them?
They look real good but I would let air into the bag gradually when you decide to take it off. Am I right?
Jump in here Shirley, Gretchen, Kell????
Jeanette
Jeanette
I soaked before sowing , seeds took one monthe for germination. I was thinking these will not germinate but thanks God, at last I have.
Now I have again sowed seeds in the plastic bag. Shirley,Ada and Gretchen sent me these seeds .
That's what I would do Jeanette. I'm always afraid of the shock they might go through if I don't do those things gradually. Brug babies don't look very nice when they are wilted all over the place. LOL!
As for seedlings, I start them in the disposable, domed, aluminum cake pans. Under the lights it seems to keep the perfect amount of humidity to start seeds. As soon as they sprout and have their two seed leaves (cotyledons), I remove the seedling from the dome (rockwool intact) and plant it in a 4" pot, returning the plant under the lights, but no longer in a controlled environment from a humidity standpoint. They have never wilted when removed from the dome... For the cuttings that I start in the baggies, I gradually introduce them to a dryer enviroment. Hope this information is helpful :)
Brugie and Kaufman, your input is indeed very helpful. Do you think I should start the seeds now or wait til spring? If I start them now, how marge could they possibly grow before it's warm enought oput them outside and into the ground?
-Julie
You would be surprised how quickly these grow. I think I jumped in too early. Mine are outgrowing the seed rack way too fast. I have till March to go before I can put them outside. I was hoping to get them early enough so they all bloom by next August so I do not have to keep them over another year for evaluation!
Julie -- if you wait until the end of January, you should have nice big plants by the middle of April. Kell is so right -- they grow very quickly. I'll be moving my seedlings to the GH this week so I can start another batch of seeds. PS -- I have around 300 that I have started this way, and I can't tell you exactly what my germination rate is, but its pretty high.
Kell, Kaufman, thanks so much for the quick feedback. I'm not very good at self control and I've been wanting to get these seeds started NOW. I think with your advice I will be able to hold off until the end of January to start them :-)
-Julie
You're welcome and good luck with them, Julie! You know you could always start just a couple of them for the fun of it...
I tried Brugs seeds for the first time last February. I planted mine in regular potting soil. I had to be very patient - it took quite some time for them to germinate, but after they finally did they grew like crazy. I can't remember if I nicked the seeds, but I know that I did soak them 1 or 2 days before sowing.
Okay ladies, I've got yet another question. Since I've never soaked seeds before sowing before, I want to make sure I understand what I'm supposed to do. Should I just put them in a small bowl of water for a day or two like soaking beans before cooking? Or is that too much water? Is the water supposed to stay at any particular temperature? And if I nick them before planting, am I supposed to nick them before soaking or after soaking? And how deep to nick them?
See! I'm such a miserable failure at seed germination LOL I have no clue what to do. Perhaps your tips will help me with my success rate with other seeds too! :-) (one can always hope anyway)
-Julie
I soaked my seeds at room temperature for two days.
Thanks Kaleem! :-)
You are welcome. : )
You might want to change the water a time or two to prevent them from smelling from bacteria growing. Then before planting do the 1-10 Clorox to water soak for ten minutes. I don't nick mine. The corky outter shell will open very easily when the seed begins to germinate.
Oh Great tip Brugie! I'll definitely remember that one! Thanks so much!
-Julie
I will add that I'm noticing a slightly higher rate of germination in those seeds that I don't peel. And, as Brugie mentioned, they shed the corky outer coat and seed coat easily. Don't think I'm gonna be peeling any more seeds. This is all trial and error and what works best for each of us on an individual basis :)
Gretchen, how long do you soak your seeds, and do you use lights and are they inside, rather than the GH??? TIA!!!