starting seeds

What seeds are you planning on starting up this week?
I was thinking of peppers or do you think it is too early yet?

I was going to start my pepper seeds this week. Tomatos too.

I'm a little behind this year. Need to spend some time sorting out my work area and getting ready. Will get some daylilies and hopefully some passifloras going soon if they ever arrive.

dillpickle, you remarked that the RU looked to you to be a good time after you were caught up in the threads. My post back to you was..." You are sure welcome to join us. We are gonna have a blast...."

I am also hoping to start my tomatoes this weekend but, as I don't have a vegetable garden, I am only doing cherry tomatoes and hoping to put them in hanging baskets. I am also trying to germinate some seeds using the paper towel method, hollyhocks, daturas, Linda's rose of sharon seeds, brug. sanguinea plus a few more. Overdoing it as usual ! I am also trying passionflower (which seem to be rotting) . Are they particularly difficult?
Heather

I didn't have too much trouble last year with P. caerulea, but am WAITING for a trade with some different varieties. They may not be as easy to start. I have two large plants that I kept over. There are pictures of the one that bloomed in my journal. Pam had an idea of which one it was. I will send some cuttings to the round up, for Ginny to use as trades, should anyone want them, besides Pam, who gets the first two.

Thanks for the kick in the pants all! I have got to get moving on them too. Joelle

Oh for heavens sake, I posted earlier but it must've been wiped out when Dg's was off line.

This week I planted: stocks, double pink 'matthiola incana'; columbine, long spured mixed; delphinium, pacific giants; double cream datura 'datura meteloides';and I hope this year my planting of sweet peas will actually do something, with all of your help of course, they are Spencer giant mix. I have my tomatoes still in the package, thinking it's too early for me to start them, but after reading these posts, maybe I should get them going.

Linda in Victoria.

I started some Lapegeria and Bomarea seeds a couple of days ago. I think I'm going to wait to start some neat tomatoe seeds in a couple of weeks. Also waiting for some variegated peppers seeds to come from a trade.

Perennial Girl must tell us about Lapegeria and Bomarea-- never heard of those seeds, and have you growned them before, sounds interesting...

Linda that's a good start. I am curious how the stocks will do for you. The Spencer Giants were the ones that grew real great but didn't flower for me last year, but I'm sure they will do great for you with such a long season. I don't start my tomatoes until about six weeks before I plan on putting them out. They get too big under the lights. Of course if you have a greenhouse....

Thanks for the tip on tomatoes echoes, now 6 weeks, what date would that put us at??. I have to start mine up too..Well a greenhouse would be heaven,
You got one???

In my dreams

Well we can all dream,
How many have greenhouse???

I am very excited as we bought a 10' x 6' greenhouse from Costco last week and although it said it could be erected in 3 hours it took us all Saturday and Sunday morning to put it together. It is quite ingenious though,as it is slotted together in a specific order. Of course, 3/4 of the way through my DH decided to cut corners and at the end was left with a piece he could not get in. What is it with men and instructions !
He now thinks I will be moving all my plants that I now have indoors out to it but I have other plans ! (i.e. seeds, cuttings etc.)
Linda, I will have to check out your lighting system.

Heather, in warm, sunny Victoria (today, that is!)

I do. Start moving trays out there in April. It's all ready to go! I have beds in there as well.

1.I put a picture on somewhere here not long ago. I can resend if you want. I only use it in the spring. Looking forward to seeing yours before long, Heatherbelle.

2. Dillpickle - Pot up that lily now in the coldest room in your house so you'll get some root growth. If you haven't grown lilies before, do your own research on the net before asking us.

Come to one of our Winterpeg winter parties and we'll show you how to plant lily bulbs/seeds/scales -if it is a real lily - lilium. there are many plants with lily in their name that are not real lilies.

In fact, go to Grant McNally tonight for the launch of 2005 Prairie Gardener. It is full of lilies this year, a few iris articles too.

Gardening in Churchill. Gulp...

3. Oh yes, seeds. Have started 5 diff. clematis, 15 lily species, tons of hems and far too many perennials. That is what I planted yesterday and today. Climbing spinach, leeks, lilies & iris a few weeks ago. Oh yes, sprouts, a few other brassicas, a few grasses and some liarope. Will shortly have to put heating pads in the bed abd put electric blanket on plant tables lol.
Inanda

Inanda

There's a launch of the Prairie Gardener at McNally's....coool! I saw the book there and the names of contributers to the book. Way to go!!
:) Donna

inanda

well I think the lily I have is a Stargazer, thanks I will checkout the net,a party wow sounds like fun, guess I could learn a few things about lilies. you must tell me more
well No time to go to the lauch tonight, got other plans,,,,
too bad I didn't know before, would have made a point of being there..
will have to check out the book somewhere, maybe next time I am around a book store...
What a great idea using a electic blanket, used to have one years ago,, but now I have hubby to keep me warm ,,,,
climbing spinach sounds really neat, does it grow like regular spinach??
guess I better go check it out on the net, to see what it looks like ...
Thanks.......

Old Flower Girl
well would be nice but out of my budget right now for a trip,,
Landscaping my back yard this summer...
Have a blast without me, sounds like good times had by all..

Too bad, would have loed to meet you. Next time and we'll take lots of pictures to post. You'll love your Stargazer...I have one. Beautiful and a wonderffull fragrance too. Good luck with it.

I finally started my primula seeds today. I started some leeks and sweet peas last Sunday and they're both coming up today. What's everybody else up to in the seed starting department?

I started some passiflora caerulea yesterday, put them outside in a covered clear plastic container. The first seeds I've tried this way, but that's what it said to do in PlantFiles, so I went with that. I have a few datura seeds that have sprouted and also a small pot of forget-me-nots. I still have seeds for, but not yet started, agaranthum, lobelia, coneflowers and purple asters. More seeds to come in the mail.

I have started up vanilla grass and purple corn millet and a few datura's
seeds also some geranuim cuttings and hopefully some more seeds this week. I think I will try winter sowing, never did it before but going to try and see if it works for me.
Have a great day
Wilma

Wilma - I am trying winter sowing for the first time as well. I need (or want) far more plant material than I can afford and I don't have much space inside to do a lot. I am intrigued by what I have read on this method and have been sowing some perennials and shrubs every weekend for the past few weeks. I have accumulated quite a collection of seeds via trades, eBay and catalogues and could be sowing for some time. I am going to try a some annuals as well but not for a while yet as I don't think they need or want the really cold treatment. I love an experiment...

Susan

Is winter sowing where you pot the seeds up and put them out in a cold frame?

Yes nightowl2. What I did was put my freshly prepared seeds in a small clear plastic case that's not quite air tight, and put them on my deck close to the door, and where I can see them from inside. I've only started 10 pots of these becase they're perennials and I don't have much space, so I'll be giving some away. I put 2-3 seeds in each pot, and have my fingers crossed. I've never done it before, but it makes sense. I always plant new perennials in the early fall.

This idea made some sense to me too. I see Mother Nature's winter sown seeds popping up in my garden all the time.

Here is a link to an interesting winter sowing site - http://www.wintersown.org/

I am trying a variety of containers including regular seed flats and recycled containers - 2L pop bottles cut in half, chinese food takeout containers and foil baking dishes with clear lids. From what I have read, a big key is holes in the bottom for drainage as well as in the lid for air transpiration. I guess they are like mini greenhouses. Time will tell..

Susan

Good luck Christine. I planted up some Shooting Star, Delphinium, Gentian, Clematis, Fritillaria and Meconopsis and put them all out in my little cold frame over the last month or two. I've got my fingeres crossed too, hoping I haven't done it all wrong. It's rather exciting thinking of the possibilities. I have my two shooting star plants and a couple of primula plants out in the cold frame as well and they seem to be starting to grow now.

Good luck to everyone!! Lets take pictures when we get results.

Lapegeria and Bromeria...Per Girl did you explain those?

All those wonderful perennials you're all starting--I have to limit myself as my outside beds are full, and making new ones is a major proposition (heavy clay soil). Started about 6 new types last year.

Most of my seedlings at the moment are for hanging baskets--the petunias and lobelias are up and thriving, things like torenia also. Tomatoes are doing well--started the larger ones a few weeks ago, started the hanging basket types in January. Tomatoes really benefit from being potted-up often. By the time I get them planted into the greenhouse beds--early April, usually--they are in 6" or 8" pots and staked. Am about to transplant my Spanish onions.

I like to have all my flowers as big as possible before I set them out, so they withstand frosts and June snowfalls! The picture was taken last June.

What is climbing spinach, Inanda? I'm starting a few brassicas now for early cabbages, but I don't start my brussel sprouts for another month yet as I want them to mature in September. I started them too early last year.

Happy growing

Rosemary

I started:

Tumbler Tomato
Campbell Tomato
Spacemaster Cucumber
Romanesco Zuchinni
Corn
Golden sunshine Pepper

Hollyhocks - 4 different colors
Ipomoea alba (Moon Vine)
Catananche (Blue Cupids Dart)
Gypsophila repens (Pink Baby's Breath)
Lobelia cardinalis (Red Cardinal)
Thunbergia (Black-eyed Susan vine)

This message was edited Feb 15, 2005 8:06 AM

Well, will take pix of climbing spinach when it grows. Leaves are edible. Last year I didn't do anything as wanted seeds. Didn't get any. Started them too late. So, got a few more seeds and have startedthem now, much earlier. I haven't seen them flower yet.
Remind me later in the year if I forget.
Inanda

Sorry forgot about posting info on them. Here is a link on the Lapageria:
http://lapageria.com/
Here is for the Bomarea
http://www.orc.govt.nz/html/details.html?details=6&articleID=166

They are very beautiful. But from what I've been told and have read can be hard to start and can take a while to sprout. I've had only one sprout so far, but I'm not giving up on the rest. These were special seeds that were sent to me.
:) Donna

Well climbing spinach is up and growing really good and today I noticed that my hyacinth beans popped up hope it isn't too early but I was just ictching to start them
Wilma

Neat plants Donna, with very beautiful flowers. I'm kind of partial to trumpet flowers. I guess you'll be keeping the Bomarea in a pot, although maybe in zone 4a it wouldn't be so invasive.

I'm just hoping that I don't lose any of the seeds. They can take awhile to germinate...so I'll keep you posted.
:) Donna

dillpickle
You have mail.

Donna, that Lapageria sounds like it has a cult following--like Brugmansias! Lovely flower. Do you think it will be hardy in your area?

The bomarea sounds right up my alley--"invasive". That usually means it is pretty tough and therefore "might" survive here!

DH keeps saying he wants me to collect all the plants that are supposedly invasive and put them together in a small area, and let them duke it out. The winner gets the bed.

Where do you put your climbers?

Chilko, I don't think these two would survive in my zone. I know I've tried overwintering Trumpet vine and lost that one. I planted two wisteria vines last year so we'll see if those survived. If I can get the rest of my seeds to sprout and not lose them to fluff, I could have babies to trade.
:) Donna