Success - I finally got 2 seedlings to come up! How long should I keep them in pots before putting into the ground? Do I wait for them to get a certain size or wait until the outside temperature reaches a certain level?
Carla
Free Candletree Seeds
Hi Carla!
Yes, wait til they get several branches and put them in partial sun/shade (harden off) for several days to a week before planting in the ground in full sun.
Debnes
Deb,
By "branches," do you mean real woody branches, or just the first several true leaves? About half of my guys have true leaves, but nothing approaching thick stems or branches.
Not woody branches, just green 4 - 6 branches with true leaves. The muscles* connecting the leaves should be working well before hardening off. This will make sure the plants are strong. Good planting outside height is about 1-1 1/2 feet tall.
Even at 10 feet tall mine never gets a woody trunk like it would as a perennial, (in zones above freezing). It stays green and is very strong (about 2-2 1/2" in diameter).
* Candle trees are like mimosa and sensitive
plants they have muscles that fold the leaves
together at night and when it's cloudy outside.
:-)
At the current growth rate, it will be August or September before they get 18 inches tall. Am I supposed to be providing a particular kind of environment for them?
DD, as Deb has mentioned before, when the climate is warm (free of killing frost), we can take our seedlings outside and gradually acclimate them to the outdoor. We can do this by expose the seedlings to a few hours of sunlight each day, and gradually increase the exposure, til they 'hardened up' enough to plant them in their permanent spot. :-)
Mine have been outdoors for eight days now. I started by taking them out for a bit and keeping them in the shade, then gradually introducing longer times and more sun. They now have no problem with a full day of sun ... but they're only 2-3 inches tall, and I don't see anything resembling branches. I'll have to check to see if they're folding their leaves at night.
Indeed they do, I germinated my seeds indoor, thus I get to watch them folding their leaves at night. Mine too is also being hardenin up outdoor. I've only a few, you must have alot more. Congrats, and have fun.
Thanks again Deb. for the seeds.
I've spotted a sulpher b.f. for the first time in the garden today, and an orange looking b.f. I'm not sure if it's 'American Lady' or G.F. among other swallowtails b.f. and a gazillion of bees, and a few ladybugs.
By gum, they do! How neat.
They grow very fast and even thought we have to wait until late July or August for the blooming to begin the foliage really puts on a show until then.
Well, not knowing any better I planted mine when they were about 4" tall. They ( a group of 8) had been outside for about 2 weeks hardening off and I thought it would be better to get them in the ground when it was more temperate. They have been planted for about a week now and they look great. Maybe I have just been lucky?
Oh how wonderful Annie!!!
You will have to show us a pic when they get a little bigger.. Please please!
Debnes
Yes, photos please!! I want to see what I have to look forward to (my seedlings are only ~2" tall right now).
Carla
I will certainly post photos! They are still babies but when they become teenagers, I will let you guys know! Thanks so much for this opportunity, Deb, it is going to be so much fun!
Annie
I finally got around to starting my seeds! I was afraid to start them before our Spring break/Easter trip as I didn't wan to leave them alone for a week LOL.
Anyway tried a couple of different methods Tuesday. I nicked and soaked about 10 in H2O2 and planted in potting mix and put in hot box. Then I took 20 seeds and nicked with nail clipper and soaked inH2O2 and placed in baggie on wet paper towel then put in hot box. The Baggie/paper towel seeds sprouted in under 24 hours! I had 100% germination rate! I hope they do as well now that they are in soil! the 10 planted in soil aren't up yet, but I bet they will be!
I just found this cool website today--I am so excited!!! Do you still have seeds left? I would love some. I will have some bluebonnet seeds in a couple of months that I can send out.
Yes janbassi!
I still have lots of seeds.. Just send me an envelope and I'll get them out to you.
Debnes
About half of my seedlings have six-eight true leaves. I'm getting ready to transplant them into their final homes after the next rainy period ends (probably this coming weekend). They've been outside in 4x4 pots for weeks now, happy as clams, just waiting for some real heat.
Debnes...what a nice thing to do, if you have any left, I would love some too! I haven't had these since I was a child in Houston, quite a few years ago! I'm not sure what zone I'm in, 8a or 8b...will they grow here?
mamaj
Yes mamaj!
They will definitely grow where you are. Please send me an sase and I will send you some seeds.
My address is under "Extras" on your home page. Just go to the member address exchange there and you will find me.
Debnes
Debnes,
I soaked my seeds between paper towels overnight and then planted in peat pots. I have several seedlings but not quite ready to move them outside. I shared some of the seeds you sent with family and friends at work. I saw this plant years ago when I first moved to Houston from West Texas and thought it was beautiful. This will be my first time to have one. Do you think I could move some seedlings to some big pots and grow some movable ones this way?
Bonnie
Sure Bonnie. They will grow that way, and since you are in a warmer zone they may even bloom in the pots. Just carefully mind the feeding, as in pots the nutrients get washed out. Also it is important for the plants to be good, strong & hardened off before placing in full sun or the tender seedlings will disintegrate.
Other than that you might ask people in zone 9 how they fare growing them that way. I have only grown them here as annuals. The times I grew them in large pots, they didn't get big enough to bloom by fall and/or didn't have enough vitamins. :-|.
My 2 seedlings are in pots outside being hardened off. I plan to put them in the ground within the next 2 weeks .... which will give them time to put on a bit more growth and me more time to decide/change my mind/redecide/change my mind again/and re-re-decide where to plant them! :-)
DallasDad, how are your seedlings coming along?
Carla
The outdoor ones haven't changed very much. It's like they're frozen in time, actually. There are 25 of them outside in little pots, and they've been there for ages now. They get whatever weather we have, and seem unfazed. One of them still has only two tiny baby true leaves, neither growing nor dying. About half of them have a good half-dozen true leaves, while the rest range from the one with baby leaves to ones with just four leaves.
I have a few -- four actually, three in one pot, one in another -- indoors, as my reserve against disaster. They've continued growing all along. Although their growth is slow, they're probably a good inch larger than most of the outdoor ones by now.
I didn't plant the outdoor ones last weekend as planned, because I want to see if their stasis is broken by some warmer weather.
We have had some horrible weather here lately in Austin and what wasn't pulverized in a hail storm two nights ago was shocked by 42 degrees this morning. I took a picture of a couple of my little cassias, but as DallasDad states, they really haven't grown much since planting. Maybe they are waiting for consistently warmer weather. But they are all doing okay, just a little beaten up now from the storm.
Annie
Yours are much larger than mine, but otherwise have the same general appearance. We've had a number of unexpectedly cold nights lately, too (low 50's or upper 40's). This week is mostly in the high 70's and low 80's during the days, high 60's at night, so we'll see if something changes.
Mine are looking really good, stll in 4 inch pots in a sheltered area outside. They are a little bigger than yours but i only started them 20 days ago. Maybe it is the heat? They are growing like mad things
Deb,
Quick question for you: When we plant the candletree bushes, do you recommend that each one stand alone, or should they be clumped a bit? I was thinking of putting 3-5 plants in each hole (about a foot apart from each other), but then I realized I don't know how big they will get in the DFW area. All the online photos and culture instructions are for zone 10 or 11.
SURE WOULD LIKE SOME THE THESE SEEDS
I made a circular raised bed, about five feet in diameter, and planted eleven of the candletree seedlings. I threw some sun-tolerant caladium bulbs around the perimeter just for fun, and added three infant sprigs of decorative grass. Temps are going to be in the high 80's or low 90's for the next couple of weeks, so I'm hoping to see the candletrees take off.
Although no roots were poking out the bottoms of the four-inch pots I was using to harden off the seedlings, I found when depotting them that there were plenty of good strong roots. Oddly enough, many of them were green rather than white or brown, even down to the tips.
I take photos of all plants on the first of each month, so we'll have a good record of how these things do. While we're waiting for those, here's an elephant ear started indoors in February, moved to the patio about two weeks ago:
The candletrees get up over 10' tall and about the same in width when they are given room, sun and water. If there are 2 close together they grow much slower. I had 2 together one year and they didn't bloom before first frost. The space you mentioned Jeffrey would do great with one solitary tree in the center and caladiums around that. Great job on the EE!!
Debnes
Okay, then, I'll move the seedlings. I have an acre to spread them out.
You'll be glad ya did :-)
Do you have anymore of these seeds? LMKP
Thank you.
Blessings,
Sandy ^8^
Hi Debnes,
I have learned much by reading your post concerning this tree. I found 3 small plants at our local university plant sale early last month. Planted themright away - in full sun. Now they are growing rapidly. I am going to move them apart after reading your comment on space requirements -thank you for that - wouldn't I have been crushed wondering why there were no blooms! My question is - do they need feeding for all that fast growth? If so, would manure tea work?
I would love some seeds and can send you some bluebonnet seeds if you would like.
Sure rosysunset & thx... The tea might be a good feeder for them, and the space you give will pay you back... but they do love to keep watered most of all. Should work out great!
Post your pics if you take any!
I still have some seeds janbassi... Just send me an envelope and I will send you back a pkt.
I would love some seeds if you still have some/
Thank You,
Blessings,
Sandy ^8^
Just FYI for those who didn't get your seeds started in time -- Rohdes Nursery (Garland, North Garland & Leon St) has 4" pots for $1.99
My seedlings, started indoors in February, seem to be growing quite nicely. Thanks again, Deb!
Carla
This posting is dedicated to thanks Deb for her generosity on sharing the joy of butterfly gardening. By offerring Senna Alata seeds,
Deb has expanded my enjoyment of my gardening tenfolds! My seedlings are growing up beautifully. To tope that, I just reviewed
previous posting by Deb. I come to realize, I've now have 4-5th instars of suphers' cats. on my blooming Senna Alata. Many, many
thanks Deb.
Kim from Alabama.
Here is a pix of one of my seedlings, that's putting out its very first flower, and buds. To top that off, my precious many cats.:
