Hi All!, I have been busy looking through site since I'm anxiously awaiting for my seed order from the US and Canada. I have already planted a few things, mainly herbs.......the other 300 or so plants will be all started within the next couple of weeks, LOL. A little bit about myself, I live in Guelph Ontario, 40 minutes outside of Toronto. Last year was the first year I started planting my own seeds. Both my sister and mother also plant indoors through the winter months . Last year I planted so many plants that I gave lots away, the biggest problem was not realizing how much room plants look up when they were transplanted in 3 inch pots. Now I'll know better. What I'm most interested in this year is feedback from all of you on seeding perennials. I have ordered what is apparently first year flowering plants in the hope of them actually flowering to some degree this year. Also I'm interested in Winter Sowing, perhaps next year, since it seems like it may be too late for this year. Can anyone coment on the length of time it takes for plants to flower if WS , compared to indoor growing?
Thanks Sabina
New to Group
Hi there Sabina, and welcome to Dave's Garden.
Oh no, it's not too late for winter sowing! I didn't complete my winter sowing until the end of February last year and everything turned out just wonderful. As to the difference in length of time to flower for WS vs. indoor starts, yes it is true that it may take longer for a plant to flower if it is winter sown. The trade off, in my opinion anyway, is that winter sown plants are stronger and healthier as a general rule.
--Ginny
Hi Sabina
Welcome to the group,nice to see another Canadian here. You will love it here, everyone is so friendly and helpful. I am afraid I haven't done any ws or grown perianls from seed yet either so I am not much help. I have all my seeds lined up and ready to finish planting many over the next few weeks, so will see how it goes. I grew lots of things from seed last year but that was more tropical things. I know what you mean about how much space they take up:)
Happy planting.
Bea
Welcome Sabina! What do you like to grow in your garden?
I agree with Ginny that winter sowing means stockier plants because they've been grown outside in the elements and don't need to be pampered and then hardened off before transplanting in the garden. Winter sown annuals and tender perennials would definitely flower later than indoor sown. That's because we expect them to flower early and bloom all summer.
When it comes to perennials, when they say they flower the first year from seed, they will flower that first year, but only scantily and at a much later time than they are genetically programmed to flower. The following year, they will flower at their proper time. Most perennials that are started from seed will not bloom until the following year, so that's why WS is great for perennials.
Hope that helps a bit. Glad to have you here.
Sandy
Hi All, thanks for the nice welcome......Sanannie, you asked what I like to grow in my garden, for all my flower baskets and planters I'm growing Impatiens, Dichondra, Lobelia, Cascade Petunias. I also like several herbs that I start indoors, love different kinds of basil, tried Lemon Basil and Tai Basil agaain this year along with Genovese Basil which I've never tried. Last year both the lemon basil and tai basil were very skinny and eventually died in the garden. I may have put them out too early last year. Also this year for annuals I'm trying Ivy Geraniums, Figaro Dahlias and Purple bell vine for the first time, and for perennials I'm trying Summer Carnival Hollyhock, Pink Jewel Daisy Fleabane, Violet Dusk Penstemon, Dwarf Pink Campanula, Double Pleat Columbine. I'm planning on starting these all indoors, and perhaps in December trying winter sowing. Can anyone comment on some of the new plants that I will be trying, any sucesses or failures. Not only are these plants new to me to start from seed but I've never actually seen them in anyones garden.
Welcome Sabrina!
I can only comment on the columbine. I didn't have great luck with it indoors last year. In fact the germination for me was disappointing. I had them in the fridge for a while, then out and only a few out of 30 took. The ones I winter sowed however (twice as many seed), I had high germination rates and not to mention way sturdier plants. The ones started indoors looked rather sickly in comparison.
So when it comes to starting more aquilegia, I think I will always go the winter sowing route. This year, I'm expecting to see them bloom! Can't wait for spring!
Cheers from Erynne in Mississauga, who can't seem to stop sowing seeds at midnight (2 more containers done.....I'm getting there!)
Hi Erynne, thanks for the advice on columbines. Perhaps what I'll do is try both methods this year. Should get the seeds on Monday I hope. Just finished another flat of annuals, sure does make spring appear to arirve faster when sowing indoors! I'll let you know how it all works out !
Sabina
Hi, Sabrina and Welcome to DG!
Hows your sowing going? I'm also just trying Winter Sowing for the first time this year.
I've heard that Dahlia and Penstemon are great for it. I'm trying a couple types of Penstemon so I'll let you know how it goes.
Steven
Hi Steven, indoor sowing is going great, have planted now about 320 plants, don't know what I'm going to do with them all ! My friends will sure appreciate some plants in the spring. I've decided not to winter sow this year, will try in January next year. This is my second year indoor sowing and it's much easier than last year. At least I've figured out how to plant those tiny seeds, one seed in a cell, last year I planted several in each cell and then had to transplant them into individual cells when they were still tiny. Most seeds were ordered through Vesseys and Swallowtailgardenseeds.com, but I still can't seem to stay away from nurseries to see what they have. After I thought I was done, I found some seeds for Datura and annual hibiscus, couldn't resist......it's an addiction ! I've already asked my husband to buy another grow light fixture to hang from the ceiling in the basement, so that I can start my hanging planters indoors, he can put hooks in the ceiling beneath the glow lights for them, and as well anything that gets too big can sit then on the floor. Last year I mistakenly planted tomatoes in February and the plants were 2 feet tall in May, won't do that again ! Are there any plants that you would never do without that also are long blooming ?
Hi Sabina,
Good luck with all those seeds. Did you pot up those tomoatoes last year as they grew? I like to get mine started in late March or early April, but pot them up into a series of bigger pots - you can bury most of that spindly stem, and then I end up with good-size, bushy plants when I plant them out. But up here, I don't usually put them into the garden until early June just in case we get an odd patch of cold weather.
How do you keep everything reliably sorted out? In spite of my best efforts, I usually lose track of what some things are if I start a lot of seeds. As a result, I tend to go in cycles. last year I started a lot. This year, not so many. But then, I only have two banks of grow lights and not spread out in the basement.
Ann
Ooo, 320....I have 45 in styrofoam cups, with the names written on the cups. The ones in my cups are tropical seeds, theres this lady that sells them from Texas for CHEAP! So I keep wanting to order everything...I also get alot of my seeds from William Dam Seeds. They're good cause you can just drive there and buy them yourself, which I like. I'm also growing Daturas this year. Last year I sowed a bunch but left them in their peat pellets too long and only ended up with one that bloomed quite late, a couple weeks before frost. It turned out to be a double yellow though so it was worth it! As for long blooming plants.....I really like Scabiosa and Salvias, also Clarkia which mainly blooms in early summer but is worth it. The entire stems are covered with pink, purple or coral flowers. Cosmos are good too.
Steven
Heres my seed setup, not much is up yet.
And heres the yellow Datura from last year. I stood out in the dark(and cold) snapping pics..... :P
Steven, Need to jump in to ask if you bottom water those puppies? And also to say I love the butter colour on that Datura.
Sandy
Thanks Sandy, I tried to save seed from that Datura but the pod was way too small :(
And about the cups, I've actualy only watered once, it was after I put soil in them and it was from above(first ones were planted beginning of this month). Since them I've just misted them, the styrofoam seems to hold moisture very well.
Steven
Heres my first Abutilon seedling 'Bella mixed'
Hi Sabina!
I'm your neighbour in Cambridge...welcome to Dave's :)
Kim
Hi all, sorry about the late posts. It's been really busy at work, working lots of extra hours due to the RRSP season. I work at a Credit Union in Guelph, so between work and home and caring for my seedlings.........for the question on keeping track of the seedlings, it's quite easy if you label them well, and after while you can tell which seedlings are what. Hi Kim, yes we are neighbours !!!! How is your planting going? Perhaps you can tell me which flowers you've have most success with since we are in the same area. Last year the spring came early, so needlees to say I started planting out too early and lost a few. This year I took a week off work end of May and will plant out then. If my perennials germinate, which at this point I'm doubtfull, those I'll plant out earlier, but the rest can wait. Hate losing anything after all the work and love going into starting these babies.
Steven, I started Daturas as well, looks like mine are he same as yours. How long did it take to germinate ? Mine are under a dome with bottom heat along with the rest of my perennials which I think aren't going to germinate. Most of my other seedlings germinated with bottom heat and took less time than what the package indicated. The perennials are at their maximum germinate time and still nothing. maybe they don't want the heat?
The Daturas took around 2 weeks to germinate with bottom heat. Much quicker then they were last year in the cold frame. As for the perennials, I would try Wintersowing them, they'd probably do well with a cold period.
I posted a pic of my Datura on Ginny's seed exchange thread.
Steven