Piggie Swap babies and seed starting

Suzy, thanks for the insight into how you organize and prioritize and plan your seed planting. That's very helpful!

Looks like I'm going shopping for more seed trays today..... :)

OMG - when I first read your posting, Susybell, I thought it said you were going shopping for more SEEDS!!!! hahahaha . . . .

I just sowed18 little pots of perennialas and 3 big pots. I have most of my seeds form the swap sorted, but I am very heavy on annuals, so it will be a while before I get going into full gear.

The reason I can sow now is because I have a place for the sprouted seedlings in case the weather really fouls me up. It's a pain in the rear end, but I can put them in the garden cart and run them into the garage which has a lot of windows....dirty windows, but they let light in LOL!

Last year I was REALLY fouled up because they sprouted soooo early (March 5th) and we had that week long freeze over Easter. I had to call in Mr. Clean to help me, but he was okay with it because it was just once (and it was my car out on the driveway and not his)

I also have some of the quick and easy perennials already sowed, but just sitting on dry potting mix. When it gets closer to the date I want to start them (outside) I'll soak those pots from underneath and set them outside. This is my first year trying this, so no guarantees it will work.

Suzy

LOL, Seandor, Uh, No, I think I'm done seed shopping for a while.... ;)

dryad57, I WS my purple tansy last year and they still looked like that, I think that's just the way they look, I won't be sowing mine for a while yet but I'll WS them again. I was so glad to get these seeds from starlight and come to think of it I had one seed I guess that germinated later and it was leggy looking and it was in the ground. Have you seen the blooms to those yet, they are so pretty! I really wish they were perennial for us.

Suzy, we must be on the same wave length, I though about doing my containers like that too, sowing them ahead of time, only thing is that it takes so long for the containers to soak up water, usually I just stick mine out in the rain to get wet, let them sit over night a spell then plant.

Yes, I know, but I wanted to get those seeds sown and the markers made and all of it out of my hair. I'm thinking they can soak up the water on their own from below, especially if I provide warm water, but it might be a huge mistake....stay tuned! I don't really need to stand over them while they soak up the water -- I can put them out in the soak in the morning and take them out of their warm water bath, long since cooled off, in the evening.

Suzy, thanks for sharing your 'plan'. I've been working on the perennials that I really really want. I'm heavy on perennials because I'd rather put my energy into them until I get my half empty beds filled in. But I really wasn't sure where to go from there. I did 24 last week, but really need to get more going. Now I've got some direction.

Hey, you guys know what's neat? Getting a garden catalog in the mail and having seeds for most of the plants in it! DH saw Jacob's Ladder and thought it was pretty. I said, oh, I've got seeds for that, and the white one, and the beautiful (showy) Jacob's Ladder and the few-flowered. he was impressed last year with winter sowing, now I've got him going on the seeds. I had him pick a catalog he really liked and we paged thru it and i pointed out everything I had seeds for.

I had no iodea there was even a annual forum!! THanks Suzy!!

I winter sowed 7 different plants yesterday and all the brugs, palm, protea, paw paws and oriental poppies and I forget what else. Today was a big fat bust for my direct sowing, we started getting ice at 7:30 this morning. Luckily it's those little ice pellet like stuff so it won't weigh the trees down like the 07 storm did.

I did start 16 other seeds and they are in the garage which is very cold. Most of mine were perennials that I started, I won't start my annuals for another month unless I am direct sowing or they need stratifation like the cleome.

When I heard what was heading our way I got my behind in gear and got 22 pots WS, and just now finished updating my Journal - and putting the Journal IDs into my spreadsheet - LOL!! Tonight and tomorrow will be setting up some inside lights on some shelves and getting the most urgent indoor things sown.

grampapa - are you trying to convert him?? Seems like it may be working - LOL!!

Hey Gram,

That *is* neat! You know what's even neater? Having your dh actually look through a catalog without thinking it is torture! Congratulations!

Robynz, I can't direct sow anything until I do some leaf raking -- doesn't look like it will happen in the next 10 days, though, so Ws only.

No spreadsheets, etc. for me...I spent my whole month of Jabuary typing, typing and more typing...or did it only seem like it?


Suzy

LOL - Suzy, I can send you a spreadsheet if you're going through withdrawal!!

Suzy -- you have leaves on the ground?? no snow?

and Ugggg, i finished my spread sheet today... 199 seeds. oh... but i never entered the 6 or so pkgs of parsley you sent me... those will be direct sown for the butterflies.

Morning All,

Yesterday I finally had some time for sowing about 45 species into an equal amount of coffeecups. It was overdue, and I want it done before my box of goodies arrives and I'll be busy jumping up and down from yoy! I sowed peppers and aubergines, which need an awful lot of time to mature and flower. And lots of perennials. Sowing early may coax some of them into flowering in their first year......
They're now all happily sitting on my windowsill!

Oink... Gotat put my foot print here so I don't lose this page. I had been huntignthrough all kind sof other forums, didn't even realize this forum was here. Some times Dg is shopping throuhg a nevr ending store, so many goodies and isles and no time to get through them all.

my DH is a peach, ain't he? he's disabled and it's killing him that he can't help me more with the garden. but we're doing the wintersowing together (don't tell him, but I could get it done faster without him lol)

OK, please, I need help with what seeds don't want their roots disturbed (I've been winging it). I had this brainstorm this morning of sowing in a cow pot and putting that inside a plastic bag for w/s in my new setup. I hope the whole things not a bust.

here's my thread on containers with how I'm doing my w/s this year

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/809636/

That would make for a good list for everyone to compile, grampapa.
Plants with a taproot don't like their roots disturbed:
milkweeds-Asclepias
larkspur
fourO'clocks
Dill
lots of veggies


I think most folks already know about morning glories, poppies and nastruiums. Except me, until I read about it from someone's post.

I heard that you can start the seeds of plants that don't like to have roots disturbed, then when they are VERY small, pot them up in pots lined with paper.

I might try this. Of course, I could make paper pots like last year . . .

I've heard that zinnia don't like their roots disturbed, and if you are growing doubles, transplanting can lead to them being less double and more semi-double.

This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 9:34 AM

But what if you can't direct sow? The squirrels here are horrible!

I've learned that Zinnia's do best if sown in the place where you want them to flower. They become so laggy if you grow them indoors.....

Seeds can be covered, maybe you can fool the squirels! Otherwise put a wire mesh cage over it. This will also work well as a support when the plants start to grow through it.

I like your idea, I think anything that is meant to disintegrate into the soil is a good idea. I personally start mine indoors and it doesn't bother me if they aren't as double. But I know it is my fault not the seed source if this happens.

I start alot of annuals under lights just because of the squirrels scratching around. If mine start to get to leggy I add soil just past the cotyledons. For Asclepias and the like, I use peat pots then put those in cups with more media. Once they get their second set of true leaves then right into the ground they go.

Tuink - I think I might try some of them outside this year. Usually I just wait to start stuff like that until about 4 weeks before plant out time. It gives them just enough time to germinate and get some true leaves. I think it makes them slower to get going but I hate chancing that something will eat them up on me.

Coreledawg - I like that idea about putting them in another cup. I had the problem with plants roots growing right out of peat pots and getting all tangled up together, which seems to ruin the whole point of using peat pots as not to disturb roots!

I WS my ascplesias and now find outs they have taproots. Should I transplant into a biodegradable pot when they get?????? (what size leaves) Don't have to worry yet as in my z5b nothing has sprouted. I always transplant direct sown zinnias and they almost always live if I keep them watered until they take off. They look a little sorry at first but grow out of it. I always sow nasties in place and have never tried to transplant them.

Sorry to have butted in on this thread but like to keep up with you all and want this on my thread watcher. Besides you are so nice I figure you will forgive me

what's to forgive? We are flattered by the attention :-)

I haven't had any trouble with winter sowing asclepias becuase of a tap root. I transplant them from their ws container with no regards to a tap root and haven't had any problems with them adjusting to transplanting.

Welcome to the mayhem Indynanny!!

Cordeledawg, thanks for that tip about adding soil, etc. I'm going to give that a try on some this year. My problem isn't rabbits, it's our over-zealous dogs chasing after squirrels - and whatever I plant at my sister's will have not only bunnies but deer, AND their big outside dogs romping through everything :) I expect mine will get potted up a couple of times - that's why I'm using the paper pots. And what didn't you know about nasturtiums, cuz I'm sure I still don't know it!!

That one of the few advantages of having a small town garden. There's not too much wildlife eating your babies (if you don't count a zillion of slugs, that is).....

Not only do I think the squirrels eat seeds on me, but they are always planting oak trees in my garden! Lol

Of course you can hop in Indynanny. Welcome to the group!

I transplanted Nasties when they had 2 sets of true leaves...they grow awfully fast. I have also transplanted Asclepias, Sunflowers & Dill, likewise, 2 sets of true leaves. I don't mind these 4 because they are a decent size and grow fast. But I wouldn't try to grow them for any length of time in a pot and then expect to successfully transplant them.

Zinnias same, but I wasn't happy with them started so early and won't do it again, but it wasn't a transplanting issue.

I have had trouble with poppies and larkspur. The thing they both have in common is sort of a thin and willowy or lax stem. The Larkspur just were not happy being transplanted, and the poppies the same, except it was more a function of them being so small....it was hard to seat them well in regular garden soil. Actually it was hard to handle both of them.

Did you all notice? The garden centers do not usually have any of the above for sale except the dill. I believe on some it's a matter of transplanting *when in bloom*, which is how flowers are sold. Zinnias -- the large ones, not the Profusion/Magellan/Dreamland style Zinnias they would not be happy being 3 feet tall with a flower at the top and being transplanted.

Hey Meredith,

I have that too. Crows and parrots are the culprits.....

Oh my that is funny, I can't imagine having parrots flying around. Here you only see them as house pets. Do you have squirrels? They can be as bad as having mice here. My neighbor won't put out bird feeders any more because she had a problem with them living in her attic! I watched a show on how easily they can figure out obstacles to get to a feeder. They are smart little rodents!

You have feral parrots, Tuik?

Things I have had difficulty transplanting:
-Columbines, lupines, hollies if left too long the roots seem to get substanital very quickly. I am direct sowing some and for the unique varieties I am wintersowing I am going to set them out as soon as I see leaves.
-Poppies - these just don't transplant for me, I am direct sowing most annuals and peat pot wintersowing perennials and then transplanting the entire pot

I have had no problems moving / transplanting (but I water all my transplant a lot)
-small zinnias (6") grown inside or outside, they seem to be a rather rugged plant to me.
-penstemons - the husker reds and another purple variety I have here I have literally ripped out of the ground right before bloom and transplanted, and they still bloomed.
-Adenphora confusa - same as the penstemons
-Dill bouquet also worked fine when small, but failed with larger plants.

I WS my milkweeds and butterfly weeds in the early spring before last frost and haven't had any trouble transplanting them, when I was selling plants I sold some in gal. containers and told the people to come back if they didn't make it and they had good luck with them, I talked to them about the weeds when they came back to buy more plants :)

Hi Veronica! You shouldn't have any trouble with your milkweeds. Welcome to the group! I'm going to try and grow my nasties in place this year I never have much luck doing that but sounds like that's the way to plant them, I'm saving little pepsi bottles to put over the ones I sow in place so I can remember that's where I planted them and so the birds will leave my seeds alone LOL

Veronica/Indynannyof8, is one of the newbie’s that I was telling you about that dmailed me in Dec. lol

I take those pepsi bottles I save fill them with water and throw them at the birdfeeder from the back door to keep the squirrels off of my feeder LOL Then when I go back out I take all the bottles and put them back by the door and use them again, it works! Knock on wood, the squirrels haven't headed for the feeders yet this year but I'm sure it's coming we got a couple of inches of snow and a lot of ice on top of that so they'll be there before the day is over I bet.

Well I finally got all set up to start some seeds today, I've been procrastinating, bad girl!!! I have my lantana seeds soaking in H202 and getting ready to plant my geraniums and a few Lisianthus I'm kind of late starting these for comfort and have more coming, I'm wondering if I should start my Ligularia seeds yet and starting my begonia seeds today too.

I need to check Suzy's thread out and see if I need to get anything else started yet, I want to wait a couple more weeks for the petunias and figure I'll start a few of the pansy and viola seeds and start the rest later on in the season for fall blooms like Suzy was talking about.

Tuinkabouter, have you ever started Ligularia seeds before and if you have how did you start yours, anybody else ? I really want these to germinate I tried WS last year and didn’t have any luck with them so I want to try them under lights this year. Not sure how fast they grow either, if I should plant them now or wait abit?

Kd, I wonder what the problem is with transplanting columbines is for you, they don’t have tap roots do they? I keep a lot of mine in pots until I get around to planting them, some have been in pots for three years, honest, and I transplant them without any problem? I don’t disturb the roots that much though just rough them up a little then plant. I have some lupine seeds too I’m going to start this year, I planted some Texas Blue Bonnet last year that was growing in a three inch pot and they did good so trying some more from the swap this year. I’ve tried direct sowing with other lupines with no luck. I just don’t have the knack for direct sowing lol

Meredith and Seandor,

Those parrots used to be pets that escaped. They survived and have reproduced. We have a couple of colonies in the neigbourhood. This a photo I made at the allotment. They seem to be overly fond of marrowfat peas but they also snatched the only three plums my little tree produced this year.

Squirels are great little rodents, but we don't have them around. They are the red kind that lives in woods.....

Lebug,

I never sowed Ligularia. They are too big for my garden. These seeds were a gift of a fellow-gardener. Knowing I'm an enthusiastic trader, lots of people give me their seeds as they are not sowing themselves......