hows everyone doing with there seed starting.
seed growing
ugh...not good...hostas 0, crocosmia 0, begonia 3 that have been frozen in time for weeks, lillies 4, growing like weeds......streps 0, gloxinia 0.......I seem to have much better success when I direct sow right into the garden and let mother nature do her thing.
Pansies, so-so; salpiglossis, sad spindly little dudes; gazania & dusty miller, happy little sprouts, morning glories, robust little sprouts; cinnamon fern (started 2 rhizomes), little fiddleheads starting to poke up after only 5 days. First time trying seeds indoors under growlights. Fun fun fun. I feel like a mommy...have to rush home every night to check on them all; DH & DCat feeling neglected. Hee hee.
Joanne
Grow i do the same thing,im haveing a great time with my seeds.
Hi Robert!
This is what I have going on indoors and everything is growing pretty good. I just wish I had more time to start more seeds and tend to them a bit more. The Belamcanda has been the hardest one to get started.
Hosta
Daylily (various crosses)
Pansy Sandy n Sky Mix
Pansy Ultimo Morpho
Alyssum caespitosum
Belamcanda chinensis
Echinacea purpurea Magnus
Coleus Mix
Rodgersia podophylla
Tithonia rotundifolia
Gomphrena globosa
Viola coreana Sylettas
Coleus Mix
Lupins
Dianthus chinensis Velvet n Lace
Canna indica
I'll probably get a couple more types of seeds sown tonight but my problem is figuring out which ones to start next! Probably the browallia and then, oh geez, I dunno.
hi Erynne,i do the same when im planting seed ,ill say to myself(and most time im actually saying it) what to plant next.
i dont know about you but im starting to use up most of my space.could be boarding school for the boys soon lol.any way back to my watering thats taking up alot of time as will ,just love it.
Oh happy second day of spring.
Robert
Robert, my indoor sowing is going fairly well, just sowed the last of them last week, then all I have left is some Sunflowers, I think. Germinated so far is:
Hosta
Daylilies
Asiatic Lily (from 'Mystic Rose')
Viola
Dianthus
Hollyhocks
Asclepias curassavica - Scarlet Milkweed
3 kinds of Kale
Hibiscus acetosella 'Red Shields'
Salvia hor. - Painted Sage
Dolchios lablab - Purple Hyacinth Bean
Salpiglossis (chocolate) - Painted Tongue
Pennisetum glaucum - Purple Majesty Millet
Euphorbia 'Summer Icicle'
Zinnia 'Magellan Coral'
Clematis mandshurica - not germinated yet
Alyssum petraeum - not germinated yet
How about you, what have you got on the go, Robert?
Sandy
Sorry for the topic disruption, but I was wondering where you guys get Hostas seeds from? The hostas you grow yourselves? Just curious. I have 6 hostas now, with 14 on order, so perhaps I need to collect the seeds from them; I think it would be cool to grow them from seed.
Joanne
Hi Joanne,
I just got hosta seeds from two different sellers on ebay this winter. Later this year I will definitely have a go at harvesting seeds from my own hostas. You can also trade right here on DG for them. Maybe she has some left??
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/702915/
Erynne :o)
Joanne, If you will be collecting your own this year, just a note that some hostas are known to be infertile or just barely fertile, but Plantfiles has that information. Also, if you hang around the Hosta Forum from mid summer on there'll be discussions about collecting seed etc. As Erynne said, you can also trade for hosta seeds as well as buy them.
There was a time when I used to cut my hosta flowers off because I didn't like them! Can't imagine that now. Anyway, in '05 I collected seeds from my Niagara Falls just as an experiment, and I traded a hosta buddy for some streaker seeds. I liked taking care of them over the winter and not knowing what you are going to get and as a result, I collected lots of seeds from my hostas this past season, AND traded for some, AND bought some! It definitely is a lot of fun.
Sandy
will Erynne when you do trade those hosta seed keep me in mine im a real hosta junky.
sanannie you asked what i have started you will be sorry here goes
1.daylilys
2.3 different impatens a red double,peach butterfly and lavender blue
3.i have 3 different geraniums red,peach and some mix a friend gave me not at all sure of the colors
4.butterfly weed
5.5 different japanese maples
6.monkshood,white
7.cana lilys
8 golden rain tree
9.english yews
10.15 different columbine
11.shamrocks
12.heletrope
13.anglesfishing rod
14.begonia ,dragon wings
15.Astrantia major alba
16osteospermum
17.elephant eats
19 .5 different petunias
20.blue clematis
21.orenamental pepper call black pearl
and the list gets longer every day
im planting some black elder berry tomorrow. and another clematis this one has a sent very pretty.as i plant more i will let you know.Gees i love this time of year
Thanks for the tips Erynne & Sandy.
Robert, you have some interesting things growing. Wow, trees and shrubs, you must be a patient person. Just think, in the future you will be saying to your grandchildren 'I planted that tree from a seed 40 years ago'.
Sandy
I like to try growing different things.I just planted for black elder.i still have alot to go,im going to get all the grass in my garden gone (if it's the last thing i do) i detest grass.
Erynne & Sandy & anyone else who grows Hostas from seed:
I was able to get some Hosta seeds this weekend from Devonian Botanical Gardens at a seed exchange. They are Hosta minor and Hosta 'Tiny Tears'. Both should be little wee guys I think. DBG's seed catalogue directions indicate that the seeds need cold wet stratification for a number of weeks. Do you guys do that with your hostas, or does it depend on the Hosta? Also, if I start some inside now, will they be mature enough to put outside this season?
Joanne
I have seen as many recommendations for warm germination as for cold stratification, so I just went ahead and sowed in warm under lights. It seemed to work fine for me, with my Hosta seed from 'Great Expectations' germinating in about 2 weeks. I don't know yet about time to maturity. This is my first year starting hosta from seeds.
--Ginny
Joanne, Yep, sounds like they will be little fellers, Hosta minor and Tiny Tears. I started hosta seed about mid Feb last year and they did really well going outside third week of May. The ones I started this year are already two months old and I think they would be fine to harden off outside at this stage even, they are doing great. So, I figure, if you start yours now, they would have about two months or more until you would harden them off outside, (end of May ?).
As for warm vs. cold germination: I thought all hostas were warm germinators, and have only ever tried them as such. Warm under lights, like Ginny mentioned, has worked for me also.
Sandy
I'll third that.....warm germination here too via heat mat & lights! With that said though, the folks that I got my seeds from, had them stored in the fridge until I purchased them. Do you happen to know if DBG stored your hosta seeds in the fridge up until this time? If they did, and they should have done to keep them fresh, then you should be good to start the seeds now.
I bought some seeds this past weekend (like I really needed more, duh) from the Wye Marsh as they were having a Maple Syrup festival of sorts. The volunteers had a table set up of all kinds of goodies, with many seeds native to Ontario and some not, harvested from their own garden. On the back of each packet it said to prechill for winter (stratify) and start indoors for spring. Half way home I called the Wye Marsh back and asked if they had cold-stored them......yes they did, thank goodness.
So I'll be starting some of these seeds too:
Oenothera biennis
Epilobium angustifolium
Malva moschata (white & pink)
Coreopsis lanceolata
Anemone canadensis
Monarda fistulosa
Echinops sphaerocephalus
Erynne
Grow-jo
I always chill my hosta seed befor i start them.It works for me.
Robert, me bad for missing part of your post ......I will definitely pass some hosta seed along to you later this year when I harvest. I'm gonna be a good girl this year and leave the scapes on.
Erynne
Here's what I've got on the go inside right now...
2 Passiflora mollisima
1 Passiflora incarnata
1 Passiflora edulis
1 Antiopogon leptopus (aka Coral Vine)
9 Flowering Maple 'Bella Mix'
1 Mimosa pudica
6 Datura 'Triple Purple'
1 Ipomoea turbinata
1 Morning Glory 'Sunsmile Pink'
Uncounted - Delphinium grandiflorum
Steven
edited to add - 1 'Goldstar' Esperanza
This message was edited Mar 26, 2007 7:48 PM
Jo- I had my Hosta seeds in the fridge too, but I didn't start them as early. I have two seedlings from a streaker. Very late bloomer and I had to cut the flower stalk and keep it in sugar water, but it DID produce a few seeds and two of them germinated. They seem to be quite slow growing though. I started them in February some time. Planted them under lights and covered with plastic while we were in Vancouver for DD's wedding. The other seeds I didn't start to germinate until early March. They were from Summer Breeze - a much larger hosta. And they germinated faster and are growing much faster. You should, of course, bear in mind that your hosta seedlings will probably be just green. There are only a few varieties that will come true to the parent.
I haven't started anything else yet but will start some tomatoes and some annuals in April. Last year I started a lot. Probably not so many this year. If I start too many, I always get them mixed up.
Ann
update, hosta's have sprouted and so have the crocosmia.....I have about 5 of each and there's more getting puffy looking...
Thanks for the hosta tips everyone.
Catalogue from Devonian indicates they store their seed at 3C for several months after autumn ripening. However...it seems to me that I read somewhere that storing seed in the fridge is not the same as stratifying it, which seems to involve both wetting the seed and keeping it cold. Hmmm. Anyhoo, being the impatient gardener-type that I am, I'm going pop a couple of small pots of hosta under my grow lights (yikes, not sure exactly where) and see how they do.
Joanne
i have so meny growlights on the electric meter is going so fast i could grind a ax,lol.
i find hosta slow to grow as will but the second year thay grow realy fast,good luck with yours grow-jo
Started my tomatoes last night: Early Girl, Rainbow Blend & Marianna's Peace. Tossed the eucalyptus seeds I had started. Wimpy sad looking things. LOL. Potted up a bunch of my Morning Glories tonight; they were a bit dry and the rootballs fell apart, should have watered them yesterday, hopefully I haven't killed them. MG's started so far: Star of Yelta, Cameo Elegance, Flying Saucers, Sunrise Serenade, Scarlett O'Hara, Scarlet Star, Candy Pink and 'Mixed'. Quite a few more left to start, though they take up a lot of space - I start them in 16 oz cups, 3 - 4 seedlings per cup, and within a couple of weeks each seedling seems to need it's own 16 oz cup.
AHHHHHHHH
Just checked out my seeds this morning and I have damp-off on most of them. My 1001 Gardening Secrets The Experts Never Tell You book says to sprinkle with cinnamon or chamomile tea on them. I removed the covers, left them uncovered and sprinked the cinnamon.
Any other home remedies to prevent damp-off that anyone knows?
Please help?
Thanks
Elaine
This message was edited Apr 10, 2007 2:54 PM
Too bad about your plants Elaine, that's terrible. Mine are okay so far; I watered them with weak chamomile tea as soon as they had cotelydons. Chamomile is supposed to have anti-fungal properties.
Joanne
Hi Joanne!
Thanks for the suggestion. I learned something new as well. I didn't know that damp-off is called cotelydons. Wow something else to tuck into my teeny, weeny brain. I won't do anything else right now because I have used the cinnamon but it is reassuring that I know someone else knows about the chamolmile tea. My book said cinnamon and chamomile tea both have anti-fungal properties. Cinnamon was in the cupboard but no chamomile tea so I used cinnamon. I will let you know if this works.
Thanks for the helpful response. I am giving it a last shot try to save my "babies". I was doing my happy dance when they all started to sprout like crazy and then was devastated when I saw the "cotelydon" (see - I'm paying attention).
I will post in the near future and let all know if the cinnamon worked!
Happy Gardening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elaine
Elaine,
The cotelydons are the "seed leaves" - they are the first leaves that seed sends out. What I meant was, that I watered with chamomile as soon as those seed leaves emerge. (The seed leaves, or cotelydons, are not considered true leaves, so you often see references to "the first true leaves" of a seedling, which emerge after the cotelydons).
Joanne
OOPS!
Thanks Joanne. Now I understand what you meant. See - the learning just keeps happening.
Happy Gardening and thanks for this useful info.
Elaine
Hi Procrastinator. In case nobody has said welcome to you from the Cdn. moaners & groaners (weather you kow).
Went to Parking Lot for thefirst time ever today . What a fun site. Viola Ann and the coffee klatch. Think I'll have to broaden my DG sites a bit more. Usually stick to Lily/iris/Canadian. And another Canadian over there, Bettypause too. Well well. Guess I'm pretty unobservant.
To seeds.
Have many iris/lily/tomato seeds that's it. Oh yes, leeks are growing well too, and a few artichokes.
Have been very remiss in not starting seeds earlier. Erynne and others really put me to shame.
Used to catch a train from Havelock to TO to work every day. Longlong ago.
inanda
Hi Inanda!!!!!!!
Wow another Canuck lol. I haven't really been in touch with very many people from Canada other than ViolaAnn. She is such a sweetheart. Where do you hang out? Usually when I go to Canadian Gardening and post I feel like I'm invisable. Takes forever for someone to respond. Am I hanging out in the wrong places? Wouln't be the first time, as my mother would tell you.
So nice to get a warm welcome from the same country. Havelock still has a population of 1,300 but they are expecting that to change.
We are getting an Ethanol plant which will employ 40 with full-time permanent jobs, Tim Hortons and a new gas bar are opening up at the lights coming into Havelock. Timmies will be open June 1st. Can't wait. Have to drive to Campbellford these days if I have a Timmies attack. The town has been given money by the government for infrastructure and they are working on the water treatment system. The library has more than one book now,-----sorry, couldn't resist. I moved here from Peterborough. Do you know where that is? I am back and forth to Toronto alot for appointments at Toronto Western Hospital. The train doesn't run to Toronto anymore. Sure wish it did. I remember when it did because I would catch it in Peterborough and go to Toronto. Ah, the good old days.
Thanks for the welcome!
Hugs Elaine
I'm blushing! Elaine, I think you just have to hang out enough over there that people begin to recognize you. And I have to admit there's a lot there I don't spend much time on - we are such a diverse country that sometimes our gardening conundrums have more in common with the US mid-west or other places than with other parts of Canada.
Inanda, do pop in to coffee from time to time. It's not my thread - was started long before I joined DG, but we take turns starting the daily threads and this month is my month on. it IS a great bunch of people and we talk about all kinds of things.
Back to damping off, I don't really know where I'm going on this, but would a weak bleach solution be helpful? Certainly chlorine bleach is generally deadly to many funguses.
I hope the problem is solved.
Ann
Hey Elaine,
Sorry to hear about your seedlings succumbing to the dreaded damp off....I think everyone has experienced it at one time or another. I used that product called No Damp (which stinks btw) when I prepare the pot or tray or cell pack for seeding. I also :
~avoid keeping the surface of the potting medium too wet or damp....try bottom watering
~run an electric fan for a spell each day to encourage some air movement
~water seedlings in the early part of the day
~use a sterile soiless mix
I've had good luck just doing these things but sometimes you could do everything right, and damp off can still happen. Sowing a little extra seed can't hurt just in case eh!
Hey, just so ya know, I did give you a welcome in this thread many moons ago....I think my post got buried,lol.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/652156/
I used to feel invisible going into some forums and still do at times. I wonder if it's the way I come across or do I smell...sheesh,lol. Then I also realize that maybe that "right" person hasn't come along to answer my question or people are just plain busy. Please do come in here often and post all your garden triumphs, disappointments and need-to-knows; there are many great folks here!
Glad to hear that you're area is getting a Timmies! That's sooo important,lol. I gotta have a Tims coffee every morning or I'm rather grumpy. We drive by Havelock, via Hwy 7, to get to our land. I'd take living out your way anyday over this city living.
I've got 16 tomato seedlings growing now on top of everything else. I'm only keeping a few and giving the rest of the seedlings to family. One day I sure have to learn how to make tomato sauce for pasta.
Erynne
Wow Erynne! Went back to the post and boy does that bring back memories. I never intended to ignore you but I was so overwhelmed by all the warm welcomes and trying to figure out names and how to get around DG. I was such a newbie back then! The people in DG are amazing aren't they?
Where is your land that you travel to via Hwy 7? You could probably throw an apple core (okay, if your throwing arm is real good) and hit our house. BTW, I used to feel like maybe I smelled bad or my breath wasn't minty fresh so everyone was ignoring me too.
I find it funny that you take Hwy 7, go through Havelock and Ann lives in Ottawa which you get to by taking Hwy 7. Small world.
Thanks for the initial welcome and sorry it took so long for me to have a chat with you. Please don't feel offended. Like I said, my brain was overloaded and my heart was full when I received so many warm welcomes. Also, thanks for all the helpful info. Much appreciated.
I will pop in periodically and watch this thread to see if I can figure out where your land is.
Thanks to all~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hugs Elaine
Erynne, there were some good recipes floating around last September for oven roasted tomato sauce. I'm sure you'll make good use of those tomatoes.
Good night.
Ann
lol, and I live a mile or so from Perth, our house can be seen from Hwy 7, lol.
Travelled many years through Havelock on our way from TO to near Perth to the cottage....
on the seed front: I've started strawberries, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, bok choy, red romaine lettuces.
This weekend, I hope to start the flowers........and more veggies out in the greenhouse if the weather cooperates.
Sue
Hi Sue!
So glad you popped in and introduced yourself to me. Another Hwy 7 DGer! Makes my day! My ex-inlaws from H#ll used to live in Sharbot Lake so I'm quite familiar with Perth. I think there was a store my ex-MIL used to call Marg's Used Shoes. Is it still there are do you even know what I'm talking about?
Great to hear from you!
Take care
Hugs Elaine
Welcome Elaine...when I was a kid we also travelled through Havelock, on the way to the cabin, from Oshawa. I now live in a little village north of Brockville.
Seems lots of people travel through Havelock. My Dad knew a man there that was a train engineer..I thought that was the coolest job.....
Lee Anne