Wrightie, Those are really nice! Big!
Congratulations!
Suzy
Stoke's Seed Swa-Op Babies!
golly gee, they look like REAL geraniums already ;0) ... good job!
:)
I wish I had gotten a photo from a different angle. The color on the lower leaves is stunning -- you can just make out a couple of those leaves in the above picture. I'm excited to see what these plants do.
This is my first time growing any type of geranium in several years as I used to work at a nursery where we grew them in the Spring; I had become so sick & tired of their high maintenance that I couldn't bare the thought of growing any myself. lol Poor geraniums, I'm such a meanie.
Wrightie, Not saying for sure, but on mine, those bright red leaves are the cotyledons on their way out.
Suzy
Ya know, I thought that too, but they sure are taking their sweet time leaving (leafing)? lol I think you're right, Suzy, but they sure are pretty, aren't they?
wrightie your geraniums look great! ...my second one sprouted today at ten days :)
has anyone grown this type of geranium before? what are your plans for them? alone or in a combination planting? I'm thinking hanging basket but not sure how many per or keeping it alone or not?
Yes, they are amazing -- the color in a photo is not as shocking as seeing them in person...but you have some nice zones going on there, too...if those stick around, they might get bigger or darker. I only have zones on some, not the burgundy ones, though. Err, I don't think. I let them get bone dry before I water again, so I haven't actually seen them in a while. I'll probably water in the next day or two. I noticed the top growth was twice the size as the roots should have been on mine, so that's why I quit watering so much. Did that make sense? (The roots were too small and far less advanced than I would have expected for the number of leaves and the amount of top growth.)
Suzy
I let my geraniums get quite dry and the roots were amazing!
Since I only have 3, I was going to put them in a terre cotta pot all together, just the 3 geraniums.
But I also am thinking about what color pot, and if I really want to do Terre cotta for a burgundy flower. I am also thinking about some pink annual gypsophila, or white, or pale blue bacopa or somehting sort of airy to lend a little interest. I have until about May 1 to decide, though.
LOL!
I do not have a good track record with actual hanging baskets. They dry out and are dead before I even notice.
The seeds we bought were sort of expensive, probably not all of them were to everyone's taste, but it's fun comparing seedlings and plans for them with everybody.
Suzy
Hey Suzy, I thought that I had read that all of your burgundies germinated? Am I wrong? Do you need more seeds?
As for the roots & watering explanation, did you pop the plants out of the container to see the roots??? How could you tell that top growth was further along than the roots? You're very "high tech" ... lol I must be a bad plant mom because I don't pay that much attention to mine. I'm such a Meanie. Mine will grow up and have low self esteem.
No, I killed them -- almost all -- I think I received 6 or 7 seeds and used a bad soilless mix that held too much water.... only 3 germinated, the rest rotted.
My seed starting is like this, and it's not that I am advocating it for everybody, more as an explanation as to why I know this about the roots.
(A cell pack is a pack of 4 or 6 little cells in one container that professionals call sheet packs.)
I start my seeds in a community pot. When they get their second set of leaves, I move them, usuallly to a cell pack for slow growers and perennials and smaller plants in general. I consider the geraniums slow growers so they went to a cell pack. After a while, when they are touching each other, I move them to a little 3" square pot, or a 3" long post if the roots are long.
The roots were not as large as I would have expected when they were moved fro the cell packs to the 3" pots. If the leaves are touching, overlapping, even, then usually the roots have hit the sides of the pot/cell and there are enough roots to hold the cell in a plug shape while you transplant, but that was not the case. So I quit watering quite so much and have added not only a little fertilizer, but also some Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2 to make sure they are getting enough air.
Remember, I am not advocating this method for anyone, rather just saying that's how I do it because that's how I was taught.
Suzy
You are seriously high tech' *and* a much more patient person than me, Suzy! I'm sure that you have much nicer plants than mine as a result, too! You're amazing. I've come to prefer starting them directly into the cell packs because transplanting is one *chore* that I do not care much for.
I'll have to check my remaining geranium seeds -- heck, even if I have just one, that's one more than you've got now, eh? :) Worth a try!
Suzy, I'm the same way with hanging baskets LOL I couldn't tell you how many I've killed thru the years just from lack of water so I don't even do them anymore. I can even fill a hummingbird feeder right beside them and not pay any atention to weither it needs water or not!
I've been looking for something to put with the geraniums in a pot too, how big a pot are you going to put those in Suzy maybe a 14" at the top? I never know how many plants to put together. I think I would like something yellow with them, I'm gonna wait and see what's in these seeds that I might be able to plant with them, I can't remember what I have lol
Wrightie your baby geraniums look nice and healthy! Nice job! Mine are up almost and inch, guess I'll need to transplant them pretty soon.
Aw, Wrightie, the lament of working women everywhere -- you have a lot more going on than I do with your job and your horse. LOL! I only have my seedlings.
Lea, I never even thought of yellow -- hmm, maybe I'd better look around here, too. LOL!
Well if you find something Suzy let me know what it is LOL Geraniums don't like to be wet right so it needs to be something like that, hmmmm I'll have to wait until I go thru seeds again :)
I tried those water-holding crystals in my containers and window boxes last year, and they did great! I tested it by leaving them out of two window boxes and one container, and you could really tell the difference. It was significant enough that I'm going to be using them for all the containers for my clients this year. Otherwise they and I are like you LeBug - will stroll right past them without realizing they're yelling for water!
I had a time with those water crystals last year, I got some nemesia the red and white ones never have any problems with those except they need water all of the time and I didn't take the time to read how much to put in their pots and they died on me, I think I did a few caladiums in that way too, so this year I will read those directions for sure! What's that saying? When all else fails read the directions? LOL I never read directions that's my problem! I had a big pot that had persian sheild and sweet potato vine in it and it did great and put some in with some glads that did good too and put a lot in with my annual plantings that were in the ground, that saved a lot of watering last year.
One thing to be sure to do with those crystals - mash 'em and make them smaller! I use an old mortar and pestle, some of those crystals are big, and when they absorb water they turn huge and you can end up with them all over the surface of your container, and even pushing the plants around!
Oh yes, I understand that! Some where I planted them in the ground I got too many in there and when it rained it pushed the plants out of the ground LOL I got too much in there! I have a mortar and pestle, I'll use those lol
two more geranium babies born this am!!!!!! yahoo the seeds didn't rot...so far 4 out of 8 :)))
These two are 14 days after sowing. You can really see the difference a heat mat makes if you compare this really long germ. time with say dryads
Yay! Wind! Congratulations!
Suzy
P.S. If anybody sees any nice looking large 20-24" pots for sale cheap at a national chain, let me know will you? They need to look like Terra cotta, but be made of fiberglass or plastic or something so I can lift them.
weeee!!! I've got 4 geranium babies! They sprouted about 6 days ago, but I've been hesitant to post until I was sure they would be happy.
yay dryad :) for some reason I had the feeling all yours germinated 1-2-3
so I'm neck and neck with the pro's ;) we'll see if mine live ~ I have 'snoops', the cat that loves sprouts and I have a tendency to over water! hey, how about piggie prizes for best of show at the end of the summer? We can have our own online DG Cottage garden flower show :)
LOL - wind - they seem happy - I just didn't get them into anything until a couple weeks ago!
I've been checking wal mart out lately seems to me their plastic terra catta pots are cheaper now do they raise them for the summer? I've been wanting to get some but everytime I go in there I end up getting a bunch of other stupid stuff like for the house? LOL Check Wal Mart out Suzy.
I tell you what I used that moisture control MG last year and I'm not using it this year, I like my pro mix in the pots better, I don't have to water it as much and it doesn't get hard I'l just put Osmocote in with them this year and hope for the best.
dryad, I have 5 geraniums that I've transplanted so far and one more to go, the I think the other two are going to be deformed! I wonder what makes them do that? Have you started your violets yet? I'm thinking about doing that today and saving some for later on in the summer. I did start some bergenia :)
Wind congrads on your babies! I bet they are so cute, do they look like you? LOL
Yep, I've started a bunch of things, and here's what's peeked out of the dirt over the past week (I have saved seeds from everything but the Stokes petunia for later sowing): Johnny Jump Ups, Orange Viola, Blue Viola, 'Penny All Season' Viola, 'Blueberry Sundae mix' Pansy, Violet Star Petunia, 'Grandiflora Dreams' Petunia, dark blue trailing Petunia, 'Supercascade Lilac' Petunia, 'Summer Showers' Geranium, 'Orchid Blue' Geranium. Here's a pic of the babies in their tray. I started them in the little peat pots to make it easier to transplant them. (I've also got 5 nice little baby bergenia's at my sis's.)
And here's a pic from this morning of the poppies (Heirloom and Breadseed) I transplanted out of that darned APS thingie...the wild looking things in the middle back are Tansy
Cute!!! Nice and stout on those seedlings, too. Oh, and congrats on your Geraniums -- somehow I thought yo already told us, but maybe you just told me.
Tell us how you did the 'Orchid Blue' Geranium, will you?
dryad, you started your poppies inside? help, now I'm confused...I thought they should be either WS or direct sowed now outside??? yours look great and I love that tansy!
You've already started poppies???? I wasn't going to start until March!
Dryad, you have you paper pots in the house? How are you keeping the mold off of them? I tried the fan and still got mold a few years back so I haven't tried them again. Is that blue tote in the house too? Do you have it sitting under a light? Tell me how you are doing these lol
I add moisture crystals (see www.watersorb.org for cheaper source than Soil Moist from box store... I think there might even be a co-op going on now) to my potting mix (usually pro mix) and really love them.
I think I did already tell y'all about the geraniums, but since they were in the same tray they just got added in to the laundry list. And I just plain got lucky on the 'Orchid Blue' - I have them the same as all the others - there's an upside down tray, then a heat mat, then this tray with the grow-lights. I know they're supposed to be started in a baggie, but I tried a few here and it seems to have worked. I put cardboard over the Violas and Pansies to keep the light from them until they germinated. I think the Caraway may have sprouted too, but have to go down and make sure. (I'm going to use the baggie method on the rest of the 'Orchid Blue' to make sure I get at least a few good ones.)
I started the poppies because I didn't know any better - LOL! (Plus, I had a few extra so I figured I'd give them a try.) Those were started in an APS container:
http://gardening.yardener.com/YardenersToolshedofProducts/SeedStartingEquipment/SeedStartingSystems
I will NOT make the same mistake twice of starting poppies in that again - that container is definitely only for things that don't mind transplanting, and then need to be put into a more permanent spot than paper pots.
This whole setup is in my basement, which is usually around 62*. (Lights are on a timer for 16 hours a day.) I have a little thermometer right by the APS tray, and it consistently registers an air temp of around 64*, and humidity of 45%. I turn on a fan for a few hours each day for some air movement (mostly to help the stems get stronger) but so far no problems with any mold in the paper containers. I watch the paper to see when/how it dries out as an indicator of when I need to water. I've also moved the poppies a bit away from the Tansy (did that after the pic) so there would be more air movement between the paper pots. And another trick I learned when working for a garden center is weight - I know how heavy they feel when they're watered, so I just pick one up when I think they may need watering to make sure it's light enough to need the water, or if it's just the paper drying out.
Surely the Plant Gods and Goddesses are smiling upon me, because not only was that the wrong way to start poppies, but they've transplanted into the paper pots wonderfully. I use a 6 oz. tomato paste can to make the paper pots (I like that diameter, and you can still have good depth for the roots - the smaller diameter may be why I've not had mold issues). A little damp/wet seedling soil in the bottom, and a CAREFUL extraction of the poppies - then I CAREFULLY tucked more damp/wet mix around them and GENTLY tamped that down. They're sitting in an upside-down plastic lid with about 3/4 " edges - it's the lid from the box I use to hold a bunch of my office supplies :) and works like a charm. (The blue on the side is the label that tells me what office supplies are in the headless box.) When I transplanted the poppies I had a 2 cups of water waiting that I had put about 2 tablespoons of Osmocote pellets in and microwaved for about 5 minutes, then let it cool down. I spooned a few teaspoons of that water into the paper pots when I transplanted the poppies.
I water from the bottom. The first few weeks I watered exclusively with a dilute of chamomile tea, and didn't have any damping off, although I did let the APS get too wet and had some mold on a couple of things that didn't sprout. Figured that out and stopped that nonsense. When I moved them to the paper pots I started watering from the bottom with a dilute of H2O2, and each paper pot got two to three granules of Osmocote fertilizer (I'm still testing and gambling here...)
The next test will be if they like being moved outside to a hole in the ground made especially for them. Depending on the weather, I may pot them up one more size before moving them into the ground so they can harden off - not sure yet how I'm going to do that.
Critter - when I was out running errands yesterday I found the cutest little mortar and pestle and grabbed it for the garage. The one I had been using to crunch up the crystals was wood, and I wasn't crazy about the job it did. After my little experiments last year every single one of my containers is going to have crystals in them - even my clients' containers - that way I won't have to worry so much about their containers turning in to dried arrangements. I don't mind guaranteeing plants I put into the ground for a year, but I don't guarantee containers - LOL!
wow dryad you're a busy bee!
my geraniums are on a roll too...two more poking up :)
For WS, today I pulled out my old plastic take out cake containers I used to use at my store. They are going to work really good I think. I've been burning holes with my glue gun....slooooow process. I can't even imagine doing hundreds of containers, no way.
I'm going to cheat and plunk plastic cups in some of them or I'll never get all these seeds planted!
Today, I WS hens and chick poppies, seeds from my neighbors tree (Cryptomeria japonica 'Sekkan'), and jasione montana
ps: I've been keeping an eye on a stray black cat around here and I'm trying to get him to relocate to our garage so we can eventually capture him and get him to the vets and give him a home...heard him russelling around in the garage today!!! and he used the litter box we put in there along with some food. Named him Tango, he/she is a sweet little thing.
LOL - wind, are you WS cats now too?
WOW dryad! I'm impressed!
Maybe you have some of that special beginner's luck LOL I did great when I first started sowing seeds and it seem the more I learned the more I got confused! Sounds like you are doing a great job and sounds like you are having fun! You're going to have all kinds of great plants in the spring!
I sure hope your poppies do good for you! I'm just going to WS mine and hope for the best or just pitch them in the snow I know we'll have a few more in the near future.
I think I had more layers around my paper pots it's only looks like you have two, maybe they don't mold as easy with two layers, my son made mine so I can blame it on him, I just took my pepsi bottles to him yesterday to cut for me so when I get ready to sow in the spring I'll cover the seeds up with them so the birds and critters don't get them.
hmmm.....now I'm gonna trot down to the basement to see how many layers I got from using that 6 oz. can....
OK, it's three layers. I did it exactly the way Dave showed it on his video, just the different size can. I also didn't pack the soil in very tightly at all - was very afraid I'd mess up those sensitive roots. And I'll take beginner's luck - and just tell the seeds each year that I'm a beginner - LOL!
You have done good dryad! Pat yourself on the back!!! I might try some more of those pots LOL
my summer skies is sprouting!!! this is the one I had trouble with last year, no problem this time!
also, just fyi, I looked up info on the geranium again and noticed it has an upright habit at first then it must drape down and cascade
http://growers.harrisseeds.com/cart/detail.asp?subcat=461&product_id=02567%2D10%2D02
That is a beautiful one, wind. : )