I have no idea why they came up with that crazy name, but I was thoroughly confused with it last year, and had to actually pull out several plants to make room. The hummers went after them twice a day, mid morning and evening,,,from one flower to the next to the next, and there are a million flowers on those things. I can't wait to see what kind of reseeding I get. OMG! It might be quite a mess!
Suzy
Piggie Swap babies and seed starting
I got lucky and only put one in - in front of the Mexican Bush sage, which was next to the Black & Blue sage....I've no idea what's going to volunteer there this year!
That's because you didn't have a pack of seeds that all germinated LOL! Just you wait for this year! You will be planting in multiples like you never imagined!
Mexican Bush sage -- I need to look that one up.
You can save the seeds from Coral Nymph and use them to trade in my Fantasy Swap in September :-) Will the seeds be ready by then???
Oh, yes, they will definitely be available, before then, after then... they are prolific!
I have some seeds - maybe I better get them started :-)
It's too early for those IMHO. I wintersowed them and they had plenty of time ....did you see the thread in the Annuals forum on what seeds to start? I added some that Tabasco posted, too.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/804677/
Seandor, I always start our coral nymph seed indoors around St. Patty's Day which works real well
Does anyone have any coral nymph seed they aren't using. I am in a round robin so maybe there will be some in it. Do you think? I am wanting anything that hummers like. Am trying to get different salvias. It is a salvia, right?
Yes, it is a Salvia - an annual Salvia? (Correct me if I am wrong on that, anybody)
it blooms when it's only 9" tall, so you think, "Oh, you cute little tyke, I'll plant you and your brothers right here." (on the edge of a bed) and then they grow and grow an grow and grow -- blooming the whole time, mind you, but they were over four feet tall when they were finally hit by frost in November. Considering I thought they'd be be 12-14" I really missed the mark!
Yes, seed is easy to come by -- tell Cat or Robbi you really, really really need seeds of it.
Suzy
I have viola seeds from Weezi, her railroad mix. Could someone help me decide what month l direct sow these? Or should I direct sow them?
Yes direct sow them -- but very thinly. Ruffle the ground and sprinkle them out. You can do it now. I think they need darkeness to germinate, so they need to be covered. That's the trickiest part, to cover them until they germinate and then make sure they have sun right away. I would use chopped leaves that are very fine (which I have here ready to go in the even I need them) and finely sprinkle it over the seed, but I've heard snow works , too, but maybe not in Cordele GA. LOL!
The Railroad mix shoud be Johnny Jump ups. those are different from Violets and pansies in their requirements...they are easier for one thing, and they germinate all through the spring and all through the fall and down there, probably all winter, too...but they go dormant (or die) in Summer.
Suzy, do you reckon we could put boxes over the viola seeds, with a rock on top? : )
Sure that would work, but then ya gotta keep going out to look under to box -- and remove it at the right time....I'm not sure I'd use a box in Florida with all those weird lizards and snakes ya got there. LOL!
LOL, we do have alot of lizards, but I very rarely see a snake. I'm not afraid of the lizards, but since you mentioned snake this late, I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Me no like snakes.
Wow, Suzy, you really are organized! Finely shredded leaves leaves and all.
Those little lizards in all the plants in Florida are cute! Or at least I thought so when I was there on vacation, I've never tried to garden with them.
I know, I kind of like those little green lizards, too.... I was just teasing her and I couldn't think of anything else that could be hiding under a box -- those centipedes & milipedes, I bet they have JUMBO ones in Florida! Eew!
Lol, ew, yes, giant centipedes, milipedes and cockroaches, that is ew!
Hm, turtles, frogs, really small alligators? ;)
Still, it can be startling to have your ground move independently. I disturbed a salamander once, got quite the start, although the little fellow was really quite cute. I hope he stuck around. Almost anything that eats slugs is a welcome friend in my garden...
Hey Indynanny - I've got extra Coral Nymph and Lady in Red seeds - send me a dmail and we'll figure out how to get them to you :) Suzy nailed the Coral Nymph - i got three pots last year and tried two in a window box - HA! The third went in the back and it was a nice 8" or so. By the end of the season it was a good 12" and really pushing its elbows around.
Robin
I am having troubles finding germ. info on a handfull of seeds and thought you wonderful peeps might have some ideas on some things (not all from the swap-hope it's OK to ask)...if you do know thanks!! I know it may look like a lot, but I have 4 pages of seeds to sow, so this is really just a handful-I still haven't gotten all the way through my piggie box!!
Salvia Staminea
Cuphea Purpurea
Ipheion uniflorum
Mimilus Alata
Eucomis bicolor
Italian Basil
Cilantro
Thyme
Flat Leaf Parsely
Lemon Lime Hosta
Clematis 'Dr. Ruppell'
dietes iridioides (spelling??)
Pennisetum 'Piglet'
Oriental Lily
Pracocephalum
Fairy, there you go!
Salvia staminea:
Salvia staminea seeds will usually germinate in 10-14 days, even under good conditions germination may be erratic. Normally will only germinate with light. Sow Salvia staminea seeds on the surface of a Well drained seed sowing mix at about 20-25°C.
Cuphea purpurea:
Cuphea purpurea seeds will usually germinate in 8-10 days. Normally will only germinate with light. Sow Cuphea purpurea x Firefly seeds on the surface of a Peaty seed sowing mix at about 20°C.
Ipheion uniflorum
Shouldn't be to difficult. It appeared in my garden all by itself and it selfsows too!
Mimilus Alata
Start inside 4-6 weeks before planting out. Do not cover seed, provide light and bottom heat of 21-24°C (70-75°F). Germination in 7-21 days.
Eucomis bicolor
Eucomis bicolor seeds will usually germinate in 20-25 days. Sow seeds about 2mm deep in a Peaty seed sowing mix at about 22°C.
Italian Basil
Basil can be direct-seeded or transplanted to the garden in late spring, after all danger of frost is past. Basil seeds normally germinate in 8-14 days. Optimum germination temperature: 70-75°F.
Cilantro
Realy easy. Just put in the ground and they will happily germinate. You can sow inside, or where you want them to grow (when frost has passed). They germinate in about 7 days.
Thyme
Sow from late winter to early summer 1.5mm (1/16in) deep in Seed Compost. Make sure that the compost is moist but not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 18-24 days at 13-16C (56-60F).
Flat Leaf Parsely
Grow in ordinary soil in sun or part shade, but for best results prefers a rich moist soil. Soak seeds overnight before sowing. Sow outdoors from spring to mid summer, 1cm (½in) deep in drills 30cm (12in) apart.
Lemon Lime Hosta
Sow from late winter to late summer 1.5cm (½in) deep in a peat based compost. Make sure that the compost is moist but not over wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 1-3 months at 10C (50F).
Clematis 'Dr. Ruppell'
Sow from February to July just covering the seed .with compost. Use good seed compost which is moist but not wet and seal inside a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 21-40 days at 18-24C (65-75F). If no germination after 3-4 weeks place in a refrigerator, and leave at 3-5C (37-47F) for 2-4 weeks, then return to warmth. Inspect regularly while in the fridge and remove immediately if they start to germinate. Seed sown early will often flower the same season. Seeds need to be stirred every now and then after sowing. This will help germination!
dietes iridioides
Germinate on the surface of good free draining, soil-based compost. Cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Keep in a cool position at a temperature of between 15-20C (59-68F). Germination can take 1-3 months.
Pennisetum 'Piglet'
Sow in pots or trays of moist seed compost and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite 6 to 8 weeks before last frost. Place in a propagator or warm place, and keep at a constant temperature of between 20 to 25C (68 to 77F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination will usually take 3 to 10 days.
Oriental lily
These need to be prechilled. Put them in compost and place them outside, or in the fridge
Pracocephalum
Dracocephalum argunense, canescens, grandiflorum, nutans, ruyschianum, and speciosum , Sow at Max. 5ºC (41ºF), germination irregular, often several months
Dang, Tuink you are so on it!
good morning :) wow Tuink, great info!!!!!! I'm plugging along sorting through all the great seeds I have here thanks to everyone :)
I take a handful of seed pkts out of the Suzy box every morning, up to the computer area and log them in and look them up. The plantfiles info has been really helpful, esp the printer friendly print outs which I have been printing so I can log all the information into my garden journal.
I made the mistake of trying to print out the WS germination list from wintersown.org this morning....OMG it was 85 pgs long and cut off a column to boot!!!!! Found out it is best to just log on and look up the data.
Fairy, I'm trying to figure out how to best plant the datura seeds??? any help would be great
Hi Wind,
It isn't difficult. I always sow them indoors at room temperature and they germinate happily! And fast too!
I just cant resist an opportunity to teach. I stem from a whole dynasty of teachers. It must be in my DNA!
For Datura-
What I did this last year was put them behind my garage in an area that gets about 75% sun the weekend of Mother's Day. I just sprinkled the seeds and lightly covered them with soil. Then I made sure they had plenty of water. If I remember correctly it took about 3 weeks for them to germ., then another few weeks for them to get about 10"-then they REALLY took off!!
Hope this helps-if you have ?? let me know
Does anyone know how to transfer celcius into farenheit??
Tuink-I forgot to ask about Salvia Evansiana?? Any ideas or the same as staminea??
Can you believe I have all my seeds entered in my journal and alpha. organized in my seeds boxes? I had the day off yesterday, due to snow, and it took me at least 4 hours total to enter them all! Then it took me the rest of the day to add pics to them all, which was just for fun. Now I just have to add all their germination info. I did start some paw paw seeds - if you count throwing them in a bag with damp mix and putting them in the fridge that is. I hope they end up germinating, I read that if they are allowed to dry out they lose their viability, so that's why I did those right a way. It went as far as to say that 5 days at normal air conditions makes the seeds lose 50% viability! So if any one else has some put them on your starting list as high priority!
Fairy,
Degree-converter: http://stabb.com/tools/convert.html
Salvia evansiana, same as staminea but will take a very long time!
I grow Belle Blanche datura metel, it actually self sows for me, but I simply shake seed pods in a few areas in the fall and then transplant the seedlings when they arrive in the spring. I even threw some seed pods out in the snow and they came up as well.
Tuink thanks for the information, I am cutting and pasting into my germination tables :-)) KD
Tuink-thank you!!!!!!! I do have 3 ??
1st, can I use perlite instead of vermiculite?
2nd-for the ones that say 70-75 degrees-I read somewhere on DG that you can put them on top of the fridge for warm germ-is that right?? I don't have a mat & am looking for alternatives.
3rd-for the Pennisetum, after they germ, do I then transplant them out of the baggie??
I have a newbie warm germination / growing question here. I have an unheated sunroom on the south side of my house, approximately 80% glass. I would like to get a few things going quickly (hibiscus and butterfly bushes I will cold stratify before bringing the seeds back indoors) so I have substantial plants to set out come spring. For set up I was going to do the following and would appreciate any comments:
-put a plug in area heater in the sunroom to keep things from freezing and hopefully keep it from dropping below 60F, but I am not sure I will be able to keep it this warm at all times
-I wasn't planning on using heating pads, as I do not have any
-place pots in watering trays in direct light but not use a growing lamp
-water from underneath using critter's camomile suggestion for damp off control
Editted to say the hibiscus are hardy varieties and I have a fan for air movement / doors that can be opened to create cross wind on warmer days. Thanks again . KD
Thanks so much for any comments or suggestions, I do have lights in the room so I could change them out with growing lights if that is possible (I assuming grow light bulbs can be put in normal light fixtures, but maybe that's not the case?)
This message was edited Feb 14, 2008 10:39 AM
Fairy,
1. Yes you can use both. A very light sprinkling for compost will do to.
2. Yes you can put them on the fridge or, if you run out of space, on the videorecorder or any aparatus that's turned on 24/7. That's better than the central heating because the heat is more constant.
3. Yes, pot them up after germination. If you've sown a red/purple variety you mustn't be disappointed when your seedlings are green. They will get their colour when placed in the sun when they've grown a little bigger.....
KD,
- I don't thing the temperature has to be constant. As long as the diferences in room temperature are not too big. Just take care to switch off the heater when the sun is shining into the room, otherwise it may become too hot.
- Placing pots in watering trays on window sills is what I do all the time. I only switch to grow lights when I have to put my babies too far away from the window
- Chamomile solution is something I'm going to try too!
- Growing lights only work if they're placed 10-30 cm above the seedlings. But they do fit in a normal fixture. At least they do here.
formula for converting C > F
C x 1.8 + 32 = F
Tuink-you have been my savior!! I don't know how you keep it all straight!! I cannot begin to thank you. 1st I ask for seeds, then how to grow them-you'd think I wanted you to actually grow them for me too!!LOL JK-I really do appreciate all the help!!!
Wow KD I am jealous of your sunroom - I think that sounds like a great plan! I've seen bulbs that fit in reg. lights but I think those are better for single plants not seed flats.
Tuink you are awesome, thank you! This is my first year growing from seed on a big scale and really hope I can "do right" by all the great seeds you are all sending me. I am a little worried about temperature fluctuations, but if it gets to difficult to maintain I can always open the doors to the main house and keep things at 20C.
And Meridith, yes the sunroom is great and not used much until summer so I thought it would be a better place to start things than the garage, although I am a little nervous that I am more likely to "freeze" or "fry" things here than in the garage, but I so want butterfly bushes and hibiscus seeds come spring so I am risking half my seeds on the indoor sowing and the other half will be wintersown. Thanks again all, the information you all provide is really helpful :-)) KD
KD It doesn't sound like you'll need extra light with a south facing sunroom (you might as well have a green house). However, I recently got orchids and I was checking out stuff for them, I just found some light bulbs that say they can be used far away from plants but I don't know how they'd work for seedlings.
Sorry I forgot the links here they are...
http://www.orchidlight.com/wonderlight.html
Here are some reg type. http://www.orchidlight.com/incandescent.html
This message was edited Feb 14, 2008 10:31 AM
This message was edited Feb 14, 2008 10:32 AM
KD, I am sooooo jealous! I wish I had a sun room! So many of the homes on our street do . . . but not ours, alas.
Here's another try for rose info. Any suggestions on perennials or annuals that would grow nicely around roses? I have a rose "bed" sort of, but would like to fill in around with non-competing perennials. They'd have to allow plenty of air movement so the roses don't get the dread black spot or rust like they did last year.
I think a traditional combination is roses and lavender :-) I also have a rosy creeping thyme at the base of my white rose. Around other roses I have dianthus.
Depends on all sorts of things (of course!) but I've put dianthus around roses and it's worked quite well. I've also put some Campanula 'Cherry Bells' with them, and that's worked well too:
http://www.paghat.com/campanula5.html