Aah, that's just a gardener's life! Nothing to feel embarrassed over.
Borers - I some last year so I'm eager to see if my treatments were successful. Fingers crossed!
Stoke's Seed Swa-Op Babies!
I hate to seem dumb here but I thought irises were trouble free now I have to worry about borers, I guess I'll have to look that article up after I get finished WS, I'm really worried about them rotting this year the neighbor didn't clean his leaves up in the fall and they all blow over here in my beds, usually I do it but it rained so much and I just barely got mine done but I've been dealing with them allll winter blowing over here then cleaning them up off of my plants I noticed some brown spots on them the other day, is that rot? This is the first year for irises for me :)
Here's what I decided on the Lanata. There are sterile varieites that are only propagated by cuttings. They still get berries, though. And in the berries are seeds. But they didn't seem to germinate.
Then there are older Lantanas -- the colors aren't as fancy, and they are mostly those ramblers instead of uprights. Those seeds germinate and they grow faster than perennials, but not as fast as regular annuals like marigolds.
The best germination came from DGer DMAC who said to soak for 24 hours and plant. Those were the fastest germinators for me. Some of mine I soaked for 4 or 5 days waiting for tails that never came. Were those bad seeds from sterile varieities? Or did I kill them with water? Keep in mind Sterile means maybe 1 out of 100 willgerminate. Or 1 out of 1000, or 1 out of a million. It doesn't mean truly sterile as in no seeds, never-ever.
oh, and while i'm talking about probability, keep in mind mixed colors seeds often (usually?) germinate and grow at different rates. White is almost always the slowest and puniest, however whatever color is most unusual for the species in the wild is usually the puniest, and those are the ones that are usually most choice. Since there are so many Mauve wildflowrs, those are usually the most robust, except a flower like Zinnias, where a reddish orange is the color of them in the wild, and a mauve pink would be highly unusual.
Suzy
Sometimes I think you can soak your seeds too long I think 3 or 4 days is long enough I have better germination rates that way other than soaking until the tail comes if it's later. Like that one BB salvia seed had a tail on it when I planted it and I only soaked them for two days then that one shot up about an inch over night and keeled over? I sure hope I get more to germinate for me if I get enough I'll share. I don't know that much about sterile seed did you soak them until most of them had tails? I didn't know to do that lol I gotta get back to my jugs I'll be back a little later.
I'm sorry I missed that coop now that they had lantana in but there was something about that coop for me not ordering I can't remember :) Oh you had to order ten of what you wanted and I didn't want ten of anything they had :)
LeBug, I don't think I soak any seeds longer than overnight except for daylilies (which I've soaked until they have "tails").
As for the irises, the best thing you can do to prevent rot, slug damage, borers, etc. is to do a spring clean-up on your bed, removing old iris leaves, fallen leaves, and any other detritus. Here's the link to the article: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/832/
For anybody growing out any of my different basil seeds, tomorrow's article is about using basils in the landscape... It'll explain (a little, anyway) why I think I "have to" grow so many different basils each year, LOL.
Iris borers - I've read in different books over the years that by late Summer or Fall, you should trim them to the ground (well, almost) so that's what I do. I also do a clean up in the Spring, but I was under the impression that they should be 'nipped in the bud' so-to-speak before Winter.
It doesn't matter whether you remove the foliage in fall or in early spring, as long as you do it before it gets warm enough for borers to hatch. From all the info I found, it sounds as though eggs are rarely laid on green iris leaves -- generally they're found on old ones or on other dead plant material nearby. So some people cut off green leaves, and some don't. If I had borers, I'd definitely remove all foliage to get rid of as many eggs as possible.
Sorry, didn't mean to swerve off topic for this thread!d
All of my irises are clean around them until the neighbors leaves come over again which may be tonite the wind is blowing again lol I'll have to go out tomorrow and check. Thanks for the link Critter :) I've always heard not to mulch them in the winter that's another reason I've kept them clean. I'll check that link out and watch for your basil article :)
LOL! There is no "off topic"...unless it's about your kids or grandkids. Oops!
Wind, The Lantana had a 24 hour warm water soak, then planted. No heat mat, just on the shelf under lights with the other kids. I probably put a little thin layer of soil over the seeds. I'm not sure that yours are goners...I am keeping my fingers crossed for my other ones. I want the UPRIGHT ones!!!
No, The soaking for 2 or 3 days was a huge mistake. 24 hours is my new limit for all seeds. I am not going to try to germinate any in water anymore. Not even looking for tails or anything. They can come up when they come up.
I once knew a fella with hundreds and hundreds of irises, and he would go arond to each fan of every single plant every early May before bloom and run his hands up and down with some pressure and press each leaf. It's hard to describe, but the grub is traveling in the leaf to get either up or down (I forget) and he wanted to smoosh any that were in there. I have borers here. They leave me enough irises that I never have had to divide. They are about double the size of Jap. Beetle grubs and a lot softer, more like a short fat butterfly caterpillar. They also have short little legs. I found one last year and was so grossed out, I threw it into the grass, then realized what it was, and spent 1/2 hour looking for it so I could squish it.
Critter, Congrats to you and all the others with late geranium seedlings!!! I can't wait to read the basil article....I haven't started any yet. But I want to. My new problem might be where i am going to plant everything. Gee, I never thought of that! ROTFL!
Suzy
Suzy
You mean we have to plant all of these seedling too Suzy LOL That's it I quit planting seeds LOL I thought we were just growing them to cure the winter blues LOL
iris borers - geez, I had forgot that was on my list of things to check. The weather is sunny here, but still cool (below 40), so I may get out and do a bit of outdoor stuff. The grass has actually started to grow enough here that our smallest dog is letting us know it's too long for her tiny-hiney, so we're hoping it warms up and drys off enough today that we can mow the back yard. mow the back yard.....can't quite wrap my head around that....
Wind, if you still have those 2" peat thingies use those to start seeds, and then put the 2" peat thingie into either a paper pot or a plastic 4" pot after the seedling has got to a good start. That's what I've been doing with them, using perennial and herb seeds. As they sprout I can move the little 2" thingies around in the tray, adding new ones as I take mature ones out for transplanting, sort of like a permanent nursery bin.
I did go to Home Depot yesterday (LeBug had I read your note sooner I would have headed to Wallmart!) to look for plastic cell pks and they only had the domed trays with the peat discs in them as a kit. So I ended up going back home and using those 2" peat pots since I had them.
Dryad, you don't take the plant out of them you plant the peat pot? I guess that is what they are made for, but for some reason I always depot my seedlings and toss away the peat pots.
I planted some stock seeds yesterday and wasn't sure about how to plant them. Has anyone grown stock? How do you plant the seeds?
I ended up scattering the evening stock seeds and individually planting the cinderella stock seeds. The two seed types were different. The cinderella stock seeds reminded me of my cherry tomato seeds, so I only put 3 seeds per 2" peat pot.
I put the violas outside today for some cool crisp air, I hope this dosn't kill them but I was thinking they should start getting out, plus it frees up some shelf space :)
Yes, get the Violas out! Get them hardened off and outside for the season. Mine have been out all winter...and need to be planted BIG TIME! They were tests to see if some seed I got was viable, so I don't have many. We had too long a fall last year and I always plant the Violas/Pansies with the dahilas, but I didn't dig dahlias until the end of November, so I didnt' start or plant pansies.
I had a windfall last summer and fall. The retirement village where my mom lives had a boat load of annuals out, ready to be planted. I slipped a business card (a casual card, really) into one of the flats with a note to call me when they were finished planting and I'd pick up the flats for reuse. I figured I had a 50% chance, and they did call! Later that fall, they had literally 1000 3" square long pots, and the same thing....This time, though, there was a crowd of people wanting to know what I was going to do with them. They seemed intrigued that somebody could possibly need all the pots to grow in their basement. No, I don't need 1000 pots, but I like having extras so when I go visiting, or someone comes to my place, I can send them home with the plants in pots instead of scrounging around looking for something-anything to put the plants in. This way I don't lament the loss of my cell packs or 3" pots. I am a bad gardener - I do not even wash the pots -- I just stack them into nice neat towers and use them as-is.
Suzy
Is there a reason we should wash our 3" pots for transplanting outside Suzy? LOL I never wash my pots for transplanting outside and I don't think you are a bad gardener if you were I would be too, all of my pots well were on shelves in the garage but I have the neighbors cat that likes my shelves too and she seems to have knocked them all on the floor LOL Thank goodness my hens and chicks that I have on a shelf are too heavy for her to knock them out of her way LOL
Is it wet in Indpls.? I would be afraid to plant my violets out now as wet as it is it won't hurt them? They say wet soil carries diseases and usualy I don't pay any attention to that but we haven't dried out since way early fall so I'm really afraid to plant them now.
wind go to the Thompson & Morgan site that's what I do when I want to know how to plant a seed sometimes, I was going to send you a link but I downloaded the Nortons today and can't get it up, sorry.
Ok, I'm going to get my cover on my little greenhouse and put my violets out in it tomorrow and I think I'll go ahead and transplant my parsley and stick it out there too cause my parsley from last year is still green or it's up already don't know which either way it's there so the transplants should be alright it's going to be warm for a few days that will give them time to get used to it outside then maybe I can plant them next week on a nice day if we have one and depending on what Suzy says about the wet soil :)
Off to transplant glad this thread wasn't as hard to catch up on as the other one LOL Later 8^)
here is a shot of my geranium babies :)
I've decided I really don't like peat pots....they have to be spaced out a bit or they get moldy...but when spaced out they dry out faster...
I save most of my plastic pots and do reuse them but have always used peat pots too; however, I think I'm switching over to all plastic pots when these run out.
How are the cow pots working out for those who are trying them?
I've had 6 geranium babies in cow pots for a while now, so far so good... pots are still holding up, and no mold, although the geraniums are still small enough that they don't need frequent watering yet. I don't like peat pots, either, so I thought I'd give cow pots a try!
I haven't gotten my cow pots yet not until she gets back from Mexico then they should be in just in time for Fairy's coop plants to come in I'm putting my cone flowers in them :) I just ordered 50 this time around and that won't be enough for all of the coop plants I'm getting from different ones but I really just wanted them for the cone flowers. I've heard a lot of good things about them so I think I'll be pleased.
Did you see this thread talking about how they are doing?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/823406/
I ordered 50 cow pots and I missed delivery, too! Durn it! I was thinking I could use them as soon as I get back home.
Right before I left, I got some germination on Pulsatilla vulgaris.
Suzy
I have been awful ... my seedlings are screaming at me to be moved into their new pots, but I've been busy with other stuff and neglecting my plants. Their roots are most certainly bound & gagged by now. ***I Must Get Them Into Cow Pots this Weekend***
Don't forget you can make those paper pots in the meantime. (I sound like a paper pot pusher...) I found they need some space between them or they will grow mold on the outside, making transplanting a bit of fun, but otherwise they're working fine for me. Here's a pic of my little asparagus :) (the plants to the right are some snapdragons I have to transplant before they get too leggy, the BIG ones to the right are brussel sprouts I have to get transplanted today...)
Dryad, I have a couple hundred paper pots I want you to look at -- if you want them, they're yours. The reason I want you to look at them is because they didn't last long enough and I wonder if I made them right. Maybe because I put them cheek to jowl, or maybe I didn't use enough layers, but they just collapsed on me.
Suzy
hmm....I'd be happy to take a look at 'em.
So are we pinching our geraniums? LOL @ "we." Like I can't make this decision on my own.
Well OK. I can't. So are we pinching our geraniums?
:-P
I don't know!!! Anybody?
Suzy
As a follow up, the geraniums I started on Dec 24 have buds on them. They are still geen and tights, but they are full-fledged geranium buds!
It looks to me as if some branching takes place as they bud, because the ones started a month later, about Jan 24, do not have any branching, nor do they have buds. It might be a coincidence, but I bet the buds trigger more branching.
Suzy
Isn't it the buds that you would pinch back? I have not been a good plant mom the past couple of weeks - I hit them with water, then run back upstairs. I'll take a closer look at mine to see if there are any buds as well.
I would think that you could pinch back buds without a problem. My geraniums were started Feb. 12, and are just on their third set of true leaves so I'm gonna leave mine alone for a while. I did, however, have to pinch buds off the Lady in Red salvia (started in Jan.) - those little beasties are sure happy things! I've not noticed buds on anything else yet, although a couple of the poppies I started in Jan. are beginning to put up some stuff that looks like it may be more than just leaves.
In perusing the yard yesterday I saw my first bulb bloom! A white crocus has peeked up in the back yard - sigh...finally......
Now I have to go and figure out how to make more room - and continue the transplanting - aaaa!
I won't be pinching y geraniums unless maybe they get a bud on them and maybe not then it takes them so long to flower anyway it will just take them longer if you pinch them won't it?
Welcome back Suzy! 8^)
I used to work in a nursery where we grew geraniums ... one of my jobs in the greenhouse in the Spring was to pinch back 100s of pots geranium buds, so that's what I figured I'd do with these guys to get them to bush out a bit more. I stil haven't checked mine (BAD MOM!)
LOL! I don't know if I can pinch back my very first flowers; I might have to take a second look though, now that I know you're supposed to. I thought you meant pinch back the growing tips.
I sowed more seeds today, though I don't know why since I don't have rooom for what I have growing now. I think I just want more of a variety. Right now I have snapdragons and Salvia,, lots of different kinds, but still, a lot of spikes! I wish Zinnias didn't need so much light and heat. I would like to get those started.
Did we get Hyssop from Stokes? Mine has germinated -- my first (and only) WS germination.
Suzy
I'm not comfortable at all pinching back :) I have my osteospermum getting ready to bloom or at least that looks like what is happening and I hate to cut them off I want to know what color they are going to be talk to me and tell me again why I should pinch back LOL I want the darker ones if they are lighter I don't want them and I could get rid of them to make room for more plants lol Can I at least let one bloom come on them to see what they will be?
I'll be back shortly doing pots to transplant in :)
I'm not pinching back everything - I will let a few of those beasties go ahead and bloom early - I couldn't take not having them! Pinching gives me the option of delaying where I put them so they can get more woolly in pots. I'm going to have to go back to my original Stokes spreadsheet to see which seeds are from which bunch of packets - LOL!
I just planted some of dryads salvias and ws a pot of liatris from a whopping stuffed pkt from Margaran!!!!!!! Margaran, I think you and soulgardenlove get the prize for pillow case stuffed seed packets! Your packets, make mine that I sent in look anemic. I think I could plant a butterfly lawn of liatris with so many lovely seeds :) Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is my understanding from another thread in another forum that not all the Liatris "seeds" are viable seeds, so maybe Margaran packed for that eventuality?
SApeaking of Maggie, my Coral Porterweed just germinated!
I don't have anything to pinch..yet. I started mine so late. Here's the biggest one. At least it looks like a geranium should look. I find that encouraging.
I found w/s sprouts of Veronica spicata 'Sightseeing Mix' today, too. I love the pastels.
Gram, It looks happier than any of mine!
Wrightie, I pinched off all the buds from the geraniums, but I don't understand how that will make them branch more because the buds were all on their own private little stems. Does just the act of pinching off a flower make them branch more? I would have thought I'd have to pinch out a growing point (a tip).
Gram you ws pots are weeks ahead of mine! Maybe I should bring them in to germinate and then take them back outside or somehting.. It's ridiculous! The Columbine I had from last year's WSing is already broken ground with new leaves, so I know it's not too early.
Suzy
Oh, Suzy, your guess is as good as mine. =) All I know is that the nursery owner would have me pinch those branches all the way back and it took forever to get through all of the tables in the greenhouse. I came away from the experience disliking geraniums (except for the scented types). This is my first venture with geraniums in several years. lol
grampapa, that's a nice looking baby, I'm not sure mine look so good I try not to look at them much except looking at the pot to see if they need water lol I'm waiting to start all of my veronica a little later in jugs but they are for sure going to get planted I love veronica!
I've never grown veronica before, but I have several seedlings started now thanks to you Lot! I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do. =)
They are really easy to grow and mine bloomed the first year too! I want to see mine spread and have a feeling I'm going to have to wait another year, I like some things that spread by runners like they do or at least I think they spread by runners, where I have them planted at in the back and front there is plenty of room for them and I plan on adding more this year. I like those pictures with a bunch of blooms sticking up, only thing is where I planted out back last year the blooms almost leaned to the ground so I may have to move those I really hope I don't!