seed growing

I'll leave the greenhouse closed up overnight if the temps are within 5 degrees C of freezing.......

If the overnights temps are (and are forecasted to remain) above 10 degrees C, I'll leave the windows open.

Usually, if the peepers (frogs) are singing, it won't frost overnight.

The tomatoes and peppers don't like the cooler temps, but once everything warms up, they take off growing.

The perennials are placed near the windows and doors, and the more tender plants along the back wall or centre of the benches where it is slightly warmer....

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Elaine, I like the idea of free standing trelises and I enjoy crafting things like that. BTW, I can relate to your seed craze 100%!

Erynne, the tripod idea is really good :) I'm going to try it for sure. I like the idea of using the fishing line since, like you said, is almost invisible. I bet it would look really good.
And if you want any MG seeds just send me a dmail. I could easily spare some :)

Steven

Steven, got a kick out of your 100 seeds :))

Elaine, mid May in Iowa too. I just hardened off and set out my tomatoes, peppers, eggplant , zucchini and cucumbers.

I'm just strating to harden everything off here. I love starting plants inside, but it's definitely time to get them outside and out of the house!
Now all I have to do is cut out a new bed to put them all in.....

Steven

:))

here in newfooundland we will need to harden and rap them in a fur coat,man its so cold all the time.
Not one word of a lie on friday i was getting a bed ready and something started hiting me,then my son started saying oh no dad its snowing,and it was.Happy long weekend everone

Awww Digging_dirt, that is so sad yet funny at the same time. How long is your growing season month-wise?

most years its from late may to the middle of sept,this year because of the ice we had around our coast
its been colder, i think this spring we had two days when it got in the double digets.
It seemes the last couple days it starting to change for the better i hope then i can take the fur coats of my plants in the green house.

Me too. The cold is a big disappointment. Many Memorial Day weekends, we've had to relight furnaces, but this year and last, it's just been cool.

We go from the middle of May to the middle of October usually. And that's for planting tomatoes, peppers and perennials. Last of April for potatoes, peas, onions, etc.

Robert, I am feeling so bad for Newfoundlanders. I have Comeychance weather on a little icon down in the corner on my task bar. I started watching your temps a few weeks ago, when you said it was still so cold. You have had a rip of a spring for sure. I hope it warms up enough for you to get some summer soon.

You can feel bit sorry for us too. The prairies have been getting soaked over and over again, webbed feet coming on. Last night we got a bt of hail, so the beans have holes in the leaves along with a few other little disasters.

I do have some Chocolate Soldiers coming along nicely as well as some Newfie red pines.

Brenda

ohhhhhhh Brenda it has been so old this spring most thing are realy behind,now it is warming up put its so wet cant keep up with cutting the grass .
Yes you guys have been getting dumped on so to speek its been crazy spring all around this year
my cherry tree most years it would have flowered in late april of early may its finely out and its loaded heres a pic of a flower cluster on it and the smell is so nice.

It's a beautiful tree! Looks like you'll have fruit. We won't be doing well with apples in Iowa. It got cold when they should have been pollunated. I have two apples on one tree and none on the other :((

Friday, we woke up to rain. A grand total of over 7''. My Dad was flooded and mine all soaked in. We live straight up the highway from him, 4 blocks away and a highway width. I'm on high ground and he's almost the lowest point in town.

yes im hoping i get fruit this year,last year we had a snap of frost and lost all the blossums.This year it was loaded walking under it with the bees in it ohhhhhhh it would make you shiver.
7 inches of rain wow we arnt getting much rain this year but it colder then most years.
heres a pic of a columbine i started last year i like it.

Very pretty columbine Robert! Here is one that I started last year....I'm hoping it will make plenty of seeds!

Lovely Columbines, you guys. Gives me the idea to perhaps start some from seed next year. Columbines are new to me - I bought a few plants this year and I love them.

Joanne

What a pretty she is! Especially with the lupines behind, a great pic. Thanks.

We're having a drought here in Ottawa, hand-watering everything just to keep them alive, lugging hoses, watering cans... Open, ye heavens!

we finly got rain today as will everything was getting very dry,here is another columbine pic

hi erynne,
I love that color its the brightest yellow i have ever seen in a columbine.I like this one,whit a yellow alongside it wouldnt it look good.

digging_dirt - do you happen to know the name of that last Columbine? She's a beauty!

Joanne

hi joanne,this one i was told was call ladys pettycoats i dont know if that right,heres a wine colored one like it

wow i cant belive how long this thread has gotten,lets keep it going

This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 2:12 PM

Thanks Diggin! Oh, and I LOVE that dark purple columbine. Is it Black Barlow? I bought a Blue Barlow this year.

Joanne

yes is a Black Barlow,i dont have the blue heres a pic of a pink.please save seed from your for a trade.

Sure diggin. Umm, mine's already done blooming, so I'll check for seed pods. Do they have to dry out or anything? You can tell I haven't collected seed very often, eh?

Joanne

I'm jealous. My columbines are all done :((

I'm hoping this one reseeds. I just planted the one last spring and it didn't bloom till this spring.

Red Hobbit. It's supposed to reseed true to color and it was gorgeous!!!

Hi Robert,
You sure have a bevy of beauties there (as always).
That one sure surprised me with the intense yellow colouring when it finally bloomed. It really lights up the shady spot that I have it in. I can't remember where on earth the seeds came from but I'm pretty sure it's Aquilegia chrysantha. We've been dry as a bone here so I hope it can set some decent seed pods; if I get anything out of it, I'll let you know.
Here's another one that you might have sent me seeds for last year (at least I think it was you Robert). Anyhow, they turned out really cute!

Billy,
That is gorgeous! And Erynne - yours too!

Can some one help me out on the seed collecting? When should I take the pod off the plant. When it dries out? My Blue Barlow has been done blooming for two or three weeks now.

Joanne

Joanne,
Yes, wait til the pod is brown & dried out. If you shake the pod, you'll hear the seeds rattling around. I noticed on some of my columbine that I have to keep an eye on the stalks because if they tip over as that pod is browing up, you could lose the seed quite easy. The seed should be like shiny black beads.
I usually cut the whole stalk and tip it upside down into a brown paper bag, let it dry further for a few days and then harvest.

This message was edited Jul 8, 2007 10:13 PM

Thanks Erynne. I'm going out right now to give them a shake and see if they're dried. I don't think so, yet.

Joanne

Mine finished blooming a few weeks ago too, but the pods are still green.....taking forever!

Ditto on the green pods here...

yes Erynne i may have sent you seed for that one, i have that one flowering now,most of my flowers are behind this year its been colder then usual.but the amount of flowers on them is great.

Okay, I am such a nob.

I gave the pods a shake, heard a little rattle, and thought, ok, a couple of them are still green, but they're rattling, so they must be ready to go. So I cut them off (only had three). Of course, only one of them is brown, dry and full of little dark seeds; the other two are still green. Is there any hope for them, can I just leave them to dry out, or should I just pitch them?? Help.


Joanne (seed-gathering Newb)

Joanne leave them and let them dry thay still may turn dark

Thanks Diggin'. I'll see what happens. Worst case, I will still have one dried pod of seeds of Blue Barlow to send you.

Joanne