You guyz are gonna give me a big fat head.. LOL
Kell That picture is awesome.. wow.. you sure have a good eye for photos.. such a nice "pick-me-up" with our stick gardens outside these days.
You got it now Margo! I am so jazzed for you to get babiez.. they are so cute..
I've got a batch I am checking every hour.. I promise Kell.. it's been like 48 hours and I haven't opened the bag.. I'm dying here.. open open open!
A sneak peek into the incubator.. LOL
"Kellifornia Pink" and you forgot?? *rolling eyes*
And I do lift the tubers, they spend the winter hanging in onion sacks in the garage. So far they haven't frozen, but if we don't get a new garage door soon.....lol.
ZZ, I am so sorry for hijacking your thread!
mg
Not a problem MG!! Was fun. :)
well.. here's my incubator... taking the seeds fromy ollieseed pod.. along with a few others.. a double Hawaiian x La Amore.. the Dark Rosella seeds, the Englesglochen x Lilac for brugs.. passiflora temptation [ triploid ] X Temptation . a bunch of Japaneese morningglories .. in the blue family.. picotee and silk and another picotee.. got a new heat mat that comes with a wire stand for the matbelow andfor the flat on top... I put the flats in a copper pan on the stand.. but it got a bit warm.. so I blocked the flats up some above the pan and it's helped some.. the mat is in a thick tire looking hunk of rubber.. and is suposed to be thermostatically controled... but as the mat [ which sits perfectly on my 16"x 36" wire shelf and manages three flats whichwaswhyitwaschosen] sayssomething about birds.. it might be programed a bit high..
do Ya'll think 92* F is too warm... that's what it's running blocked up.. OH blocked up a bit higher now..we'll seewhat it equalizes at
I'm starting everything in rockwool..for the first time . I'd seen it in hydroponic set ups ..and thought it to be just like a fiber medimum to hold roots... wet when the water was flowing... but I was amaised just how much water it does hold..keeping everything wet .. while giving a great deal of air all amongst every little fiber that makes it up... Another thank you to Kell... for showing hers above..
I'm watering some with a weak seaweed water ..and sometimes also to try out for thefirst time..with this ionic mostly or all chemically derived I believe.. rooting soluition ..like the clonex rooting gel..but more liquid for hydropocic/areoponic systems...rooting soluition.. it's for rooting/growing clones... thought it might help the rooots in the seedlings and give the plant a boost... Thank the Aussies.. no sprouting yet.. Yup...just checked again.. but it's only been a few days..and only 385 checks so far.. now just where do I think all of these will live in their next phase... the only thing that might save me is an extended power outage.. Gordon
This message was edited Jan 24, 2007 8:04 AM
WOW Gordon, I am so impressed. You are so much fancier than I am. I just water the rockwool once in its life with plain water, then I plant it and bag it and keep it closed until the seedlings are ready to come out and be planted in dirt. You have to keep us informed how you do with your special water! You have some hot crosses too which will be such fun to see bloom!
Kell... I was looking at your rock wool set up... it seemed to be a bigger hunk of it than I saw when rockwool shopping.. I only saw the little cubes.. so one little seed per cube....and I think I'll keep them growing in them past emergence as I've alittle dome for plants... then into bigger pots with promix /rockwool under the larger dome.. nothingfancy..reallly just the rootingsoluition.. and asI said.. the first trial for it... lots of things make little change in them... I've never had a nutrition problem in sprouting out really.. don't think there is one.. spider mites under the lid... maybe a problem.. but if they are beefed up.. that can only help them then..
untill I got my own seeds last week.. I hadto seek them out to grow any..so why not find some that will have the best chance at giving you something you're really looking for in the flower deparment..that large red / blue/ purple triple... perhaps with long stringly tenticles... maybe I should cross them with my Taccas...if the taccas didn't look so about to die..to get the long things that hang along their flower... imparting long tenticles..well you know more of what particular breeding might produce ..just checked them.. no.. nothing yet.. Gordon
Nice set up Gordon ! I hope you get tons of pretty purple brugs to share with us :)) God bless, Margo
PS...I bid a few times on that Lilac seed group, so glad you got it. At least we can see the flowers :))
I need a purple brug too. LOL
I used the little squares too Gordon but I do not separate them. They come in a big rectangle. I just ignore the separations and make believe it is a big block.
I have a tacca to and that plant is just amazing. I have brought it to the brink of death 3 times from not watering it where it was so deflated I felt no hope and it bounces back. I love a plant like that.
Very cool setup Gordon and Kell. I've never tried growing anything in rockwool. Kell don't forget me on your list of surogate mother for your pink seeds.
:) Donna
Oh my gosh! I love the Taccas! I had never seen one before tonight. A definite addition to my "got to have it" list. I didn't research it very closely--is it hardy in Zone 8? Are they expensive?
Gordon, DMail me your Ebay bidder nicname so I don't compete with you. I hate driving prices up on friends. Seems we like a lot of the same things, lol.
Joyceeee & Kell.... I'm peeling seeds tomorrow, so wish me luck.
God bless everyone, Margo
Cool set up Gordon! Do show us your babiez!! I love to see babiez.. :)
Last year I tried bottom heat and rotted seeds.. same thing with Rockwool, it was a disaster.. I rotted a bunch of expensive seeds.. I swore I'd never do it again.. BUT...
I found the dreaded FUNGUS GNATS in my incubator, so there was no way I'm putting anything else in there...I still had a whole slab of rockwool.. and decided to give it another try. I looked up Kell's thread explaining how she did it.. and modified it just a tad.
I got clear plastic cups and put 4 cubes in a cup.. I had to smash the RW to make it fit in, it didn't go to the bottom, which I thought was good so you KNOW they are not sitting water. I filled the cup to the rim with a weak H202 & superthrive mix.. counted to 5 and dumped the water out and slightly squeezed the sides of the cup... Planted my seeds and put another cup on top and taped it with tape all over to keep me out of it.. LOL (I have a bad habit of opening them up and fussing with them) This is a poor picture, but it shows the idea.
I rescued the seeds that were taking a long time to germinate, or the ones that weren't eaten by the dang gnats.. soaked them in a bleach solution, and put them in these lil RW hothouses... and I have 2 that are sprouting!! They were planted 2 months ago and did NOTHING.. 3 days in Rockwool.. and they are coming UP! They are EDWxEP and I wanted them to make it soooo bad.. I'm jazzed.
Margo, I can't wait to hear about your first seedlings.. I just know your gonna be so thrilled. I'm biting my nails waiting for that post.. I'VE GOT BABIEZ!! LOL
Kell, I am learning that I am NOT a black sheep, your way works.. EVERY TIME.. I just had to do it right and NO PEEKING. LOL
We have got our first baby brugs on the way!! from seed, Thanks to Diana, some others that we are germinating now, we cannot wait to see what they will turn out to be, we have also got some mixed brugs that are on there way to, we have no idea what they were crossed with, as they were just bought as mixed, but they are on there way, they are baby's, we are really excited and pleased, totally new to brugs. we also got some brug seeds from Patricia, yours are in the propagator now, cannot wait for the baby's coming, i have labeled them as instructed, its better than winning the lottery, you just do not know what you are going to get, we will keep you informed of there progress, i have also been buying some brug plants.
BUGMANSIA, Versicolor yellow, rosea soft pink, suaveolens- white, sanguinea red, varigarta, suavolens double white. and that's just a start, we are both blown away by the colors and the varieties, and there size.
We are looking all over to purchase more seeds, we have managed to get some lochroma australis, the miniature blue one, we have been following your threads on dg and following the growing advice on bugs, like a couple of kids in a sweet factory, many thanks to you all, i guess we have the brug bug!! WOW! Peter and Mary-Anne
Joyce...here's the start of a baby.. the best part if you ask me...
Kell.. do your rock wool cubes get a green covering over the tops of them ..it looks like a golf green .. it concerns me.. could it be the rooting agent I'd included... getting everything around to root.. do you think this green is detramental to sprouting the seeds.. it also seems in another flat... witha long fibered sphagnum moss.. potting soil andperlite... thelongfibered peat is also sprouting and growing.. we'll put that in the next picture... first a hit of babies
Gordon
here's the sphagnum moss growing..guess I can always grow my own potting soil.. Gordon
That is a cute pic Gordon! That is so green! I got that on a couple of seeds, but not the entire thing.. Doesn't look like it's bothering that one lil seedling.. I had some come up that were covered with white mold and they did fine!
My big problem with rockwool, is the seeds just turn to mush. I have better luck in soil.
I am rooting some cuttings of Jacobina in Rapid Rooter Plugs (with rooting hormone) and I see some moss came to life on the surface.. LOL
Wheeee...on 1-21-07 I soaked my first group of seeds. 9 different crosses. On 1-27 two of each went into rockwool and on 1-29 one of each went into seed starter mix. Now, the hard part, waiting and watching. Last night I (1-29-07) I started 6 more crosses, 3 of each seed, soaking. I will do the same thing based on how my rockwool / seed starter mix looks in a few days. They are covered with the 6 inch plastic domes. There is a lot of moisture built up inside. If I tap it gently the moisture beads up and I can see in without removing the dome. All are tagged with crosses, hybridizer and dates....wish me luck keeping my big nose out of there, lol :))
Pictures will be posted of "nothing to see yet, lol" this afternoon. This is so much fun !!!!
****Melanie and Gary, seeds are on their way to you today ENJOY !!
God bless, love ya all, Margo
Gee Gordon, that is GREEN! NO, I do not get anything like that. Looks like algae. Your water must have had algae in it for it to flourish like that. Amazing. I do not know if it is detrimental. I think I read on here recently that someone said water with cuttings in it that is full of algae will not hurt the cuttings.
I just add water to my rockwool, nothing else. I do not soak my seeds either. I just peel them and pop them in the rockwool. I tried other ways and didn't get as good results. It definitely takes some trying different ways to find the way that suits you the best.
Good luck to all of us. I can't wait to see all our newborn pictures!
May I inquire what is the best source for seeds if I want to try this wonderful plant you all are so obviously in love with? I know I can buy plants started (Park's etc.), but what I love is growing my own stuff. Any advice as to good seed sources? Thanks.
Other than generous DGr's (thank you Kell & Margo) I bought my seeds from www.seedsprout.com
Kell.. yes they are green... most just seems green..other parts seem to have a slime attached... I imagine it's the nutrient... the cloneingliquid... just starting everything growing.. orperhpsthe high level oflight... This is a picture of the light above them... a 6bulb T-5 fixture.. I got afewdiffrent bulbsfor it..mostly white looking.. and a yellowish one and a blue one.. someone said they were useing thisblue.. and aquarium ligt .. to make coral bloom... Ithought if i wasgood to make coral bloom.. mightbehelpful for me as part ofan arrayof color... live and learn...but things seem to be sprouting ..finally.. Gordon
Fist of all i would like to thank every body for the warm welcome, Mary-Anne and i thought that we would let you see what we have been up to,as we are planing to make a tropical exotic garden, growing many types of tropical palms and bamboo and other exotics to numerous to mention, including a very large collection of brugmansia and datura,we have also sown brugmansia and datura seeds that are now germanating aproxamatly 180 mixed and 40 brugmansia cuttings that are well rooted, we have made a 12ft x2ft heated propagator, with a set of good grow lights and also humididty control,pictures below.
We just cannot wait for the spring to come, so we are starting early,lol, our coservatory is bursting to the brim with plants that we have had to over winter and its the same with our two greenhouses, we intend to start planting alot of seeds in the second week of february, we always do two plantings, one month to six weeks between so as to back the first planting up, we have a huge collection of fuschias around 150 also 35 giant begonia tubers, and hundreds of dahlia which we carry over from last summer, we are also starting a canna collection , and aroud 200 lilies that are one of my favourites, i have been crossing lilies for around about ten years and have managed to get some that are about 8ft tall, with spectacular huge flowers.
We hope that you are all keeping well and the weather is not to bad for you, the weather over here on the Isle of Lewis is very mild, plenty of wind and rain though, very little frost, we have alot of new projects that we are planninhg for the garden, an oriental tea house with a oriental arched bridge a new pond and water fall to go in, guess that we are going to be pretty busy, i design every thing myself and we make it, another part of this very pleasurable hobby for us, we will be posting some new photo's when we get started on our new projects, kindest regards, keep well, from Peter and Mary -Anne on the Isle of Lewis
Very nice you 2 ! Congrats on all the brugs and other plants, you'll have a gorgeous setting come warm weather ! Welcome to the "madness" :)) God bless, Margo