Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #6

Oops, seandor, culling has become inevitable......

Seandor-I don't have any of my blue lobelia coming up yet, so don't throw them all away-I may have to send you a couple $$ to send me some if mine don't germinate!! I really wanted them to go w/ my burgundy lobelia!!

Gemini-thanks, now I don't feel like the seed failure!! I have been behind in my germ logs, so tonight as I get some more planted I will have to get caught back up on all of that.

??--when can I take seedling out of my little GH?? When they have like 3 sets of true leaves, do they need as much babying, or at that time can I put them in a tray and start treating them like reg. plants??

Also, what is the H2O2 mix that I keep reading peeps watering their plants with-I just want to make sure I am doing everything right so I have good size healthy babies to plant in the spring!!

Mine have sprouted! You didn't cover the seeds, did you Fairy? If you did, stir the topsoil a little, this may help!

With 3 sets of leaves they should be big enough to fend for their own. You'll have to watch them regularly, though, to check if all is still well with them. This may also be the time you want to pinch out the top two leaves to promote bushy growth.....

No tuink I didn't cover them. I used your rule of thumb-if they can't really be seen on top, then leave em on top-all I have been doing to the little ones like that is pressing them into the soil a little so they are steady & were I want them.....

When did you sow them, Fairy? Mine took about three weeks to start......

Fairy, I use 1/2 cup H2O2 per gallon of water.

"??--when can I take seedling out of my little GH?? When they have like 3 sets of true leaves, do they need as much babying, or at that time can I put them in a tray and start treating them like reg. plants??"

It depends on what kind of plants they are. Some hardy annuals and perennials are tolerant of frost and can be hardened off and planted sooner. Typically, once they have true leaves, your out of the danger zone if you're referring to damping off. Well, I guess it kind of depends on what kind of little greenhouse- is it one of those shelf units with a zip up covering, or perhaps the little clear, plastic dome that goes over a flat?

Re. the Lobelia... I sow seeds really thickly for those and then clump transplant them. They're such delicate little things. I take pretty big clumps -- maybe a dozen seedlings -- but some are bigger than the others, and no matter how careful I am some of the little ones will get crunched or buried in the process. I started out with two 6 inch rows of seedlings and ended up with 3 dozen 'Crystal Fountain' (blue) and 1 dozen 'Riviara Lilac' -- a whole flat! I love having a whole flat of some of my favorite "filler" and border annuals... because I know I'd never pay nursery prices for that many...

Which reminds me... it's almost time to start some alyssum! I haven't found anything better for a border plant in my yard, especially in any hot/dry area that gets infrequent extra water from the hose.

Tomorrow's article from me is Seed Starting 101: Sowing Seeds and Clump Transplanting for Sturdy Seedlings.

:-)

So many seed starting crises! This thread is like dialing 911 for seedlings!

What have I started under lights this week? Let's see...

More Japanese Morning Glories (20 seeds) They have sprouted.
More Cup and Saucer Vine (2 seeds) (Don't think they will sprout at all--I know, pessimistic...
16 Zowie Yellow Flame Zinnias (just 16 seeds total in the packet from Parks)
16 Hot Crayon Colors Zinnia Seeds form Renee's Seeds (more seeds in the packet but they aren't so special I guess)
Coriander
Summer Savory
Basil
Aristolachia Serpenteria (for the swallowtail butterflies)
Eupatorium rugosum
Liatris ligustylus (had these seeds in perlite in the fridge for several weeks)
LIstris pycnosomething or other (same thing in the fridge)
Cardinal Flower (is this lobelia?)
Skullcap (seeds from LeBug, Thanks again!)

I am running out of light room too. Only one thing to do...buy more lights! (-:

I am growing a lot of Salvias under lights and in researching came across Salvia divornum (or something like that). It's supposed to be a hallucinagenic of some sort. I don't have it, but I wonder if other salvias also have the same effects...? Interesting.

Would't know about that, so I'll stick to the good old mushrooms!

LOL, being in The Netherlands and all, I'm surprised! (-: Well, I was just curious because it's been in the news a lot and I haven't heard anything about it on the Salvia forum or elsewhere on DG. I'm not suggesting anything, I just wanted to learn more about it.

Tabasco, read Becky's thread in the butterfly forum about the salvia craze.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/822795/

WOW, didn't know that....

"I'll stick to the good old mushrooms!".....LOL Tuink!

Tabasco - I am in the same zone as you - but you seem to be weeks ahead of me. Am I behind schedule . . .or are you super eager to start seedlings?

t, I don't think the other salvias have that effect :) and that one is grown mostly in Mexico I think from what I remember of some conversations last year about it.

You could have WS a couple that you have up there like the blazing star, Liatris, cardinal flower and Eupatorium.

Critter, I bought some yellow alyssum at wally world yesterday and it's a perennial and won't bloom until next year, didn't notice that until after I got it home and was reading the back of it, I had no idea that they had perennial alyssum, I wanted some yellow for this year.

Seandor, Spring comes earlier in the midwest -- Tab's last frost is probably around Apri l12-15. Mine is April 22, for Z5

Yikes! Basil already! How time flies :))

Thanks Lea!

Susybell, yes we could trade back and forth, but Dryad and I seem to have different choices in flowers and plants.

I s anybody doing marigolds and Zinnias yet?

Suzy

Seandor, I think we just have some egar beavers here, they make me feel like I'm behind too but I don't think so :)

I don't plan on doing marigolds until about the first of April, I figure they will grow fast enough and I'm doing my zinnia outside on the pic nick table in early spring those grow pretty fast too except for my profusion I'll start some at the same time as the marigolds downstairs if I have room by then :)

You know, not to change the subject but...my rue has just now bit the dust it's finally turning yellow/brn, I've watched this plant all winter and was wondering when it was going to die back, I just love this plant! I didn't get cats on it until real late in the season so I doubt if they made it, I have it planted several places in the yard and would like to plant more if I didn't have so many seeds lol I should have some seeds from it to share in the next swap though this year, I'm such a proud mom lol

Oh, yes. I don't know what I am doing. Don't follow my lead on the timing. (-:

I planted the basil because someone said I could start it under lights and get a nice pot of fresh basil for springtime cooking to keep on the kitchen counter.

I planted the liatrises inside because I heard they will take two or three years to bloom and I wanted to try to 'jump start' them to cut off one year!

I started the Zowie zinnias inside because they were expensive seeds and I wanted to baby them. (Kill them with too much love?!) then I had extra room in the tray so I filled it with the other zinnias.

No real logical rhyme or reason to my planting plan!

Also, DH is on a business trip so I can spread out all my seed sowing stuff all over the house! And revel in it!

I've got room to start one more flat - and am having the same decision issues :) I've decided to wait on zinnia and marigold and sow them in a couple weeks. 5 of the red cannas I got in the piggie swap have sprouted! Working them over with an angled file and soaking for 48 hours did the trick - but there are 7 others that haven't shown any interest in sprouting at all. Moved the echinacea down to the basement so they'll be a bit cooler - disappointed in them as most haven't sprouted, but then there's every possibility they were just too wet (another flat that was at my sister's).

I know I need to get some osteospermum planted, as I've had those soaking for a bit, but I'm really at a loss as to what to plant next as I have more seeds than I have room! I know for sure some will be some daylilies and bachelor buttons, but not sure what else....

Robin, I'd do the daylilies outside in the spring they won't bloom for about three years anyway.

I sowed some osteospermum the 20th of Feb. and it's up almost 2", time will tell if I sowed it too early lol What colors are you growing? Mine are lavender shades.

My DH is gone this week, also... I'm eating things like herring & crackers (delicious! and he doesn't have to deal with my "kitty breath"), and the kitchen counters are full of potting soil!

My son's father used to eat a lot of sardines and OMG I could smell them from the other room and didn't even want to get close to him I never will forget that smell lol And one time I went to get a pizza for a lady in the hospital and she wanted sardines on it and never thought about it until I got in the car with it on my way back to the hostpital to take it to her, another OMG! LOL

Nora's gone this week as well! Visiting family in California. She'll come home to a new lasagna bed in the front yard :)

Lea, I wish I knew what color those osteospermum were, but they were part of the Piggie Swap and the originator didn't identify the color - but I'd bet they're either white or puple :->

LOL! Kitty Breath!!!!

Mr. Clean used to eat sardines in mustard sauce when we were dating -- they came in a flat can, but I don't think he's eaten any in decades. The smell never bothered me, but they looked awful!

I went ahead and did 18 of the 36 last night. I didn;t pick by any method, just what looked like it would be logical to start at this time.

I have some red Sweet peas I really want to sow, but I am not sure how to do it. I know soak and nick or file, but I don't know what kinds of temperatures they take and where they would be happiest growing here. I don't actually even know how tall they get. I think I need to keep them away from the brick house because it gets too hot for them, but I don't have any pea netting around and nothing to hang it from even if I did have it. If I put them in a pot, then is has to be a foam pot becuase they'll go outside when there is a chance of freeze. I do know they don't like to be transplanted, so I guess I wish I had my cow pots so I could at least get them going before I go to Florida.

Any ideas for me?

Suzy

I should have added that I am still cleaning out beds from autumn leaves, so no direct sowing yet, either. :((

S.

Does Nora get into plants too Robin? That's nice if she does, can't have too many lasagna beds lol I don't have enough I ran out of leaves lol And the time to do them! I could get out there today it's really nice but hmmm seeds/outside, hard decision today!

I have never had any luck with sweet peas, the few times I tried them. I started cleaning up a bit outside today too - the weather here is gorgeous!

Is it too late to sow aquilegia outside?

Suzy, I think people have sown them SP and put them in the garage about this time then set them out in early spring, I've only tried to grow them once and I just direct sowed them before the last frost. They came up but I don't think they liked the spot where they were they didn't get full and haven't tried to do them again.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2008 2:44 PM

I haven't sown my aquilegia out yet but I thinks it's a good time to, I need to get caught up on my jugs lol

Hi all! Finally after almost a week, a bunch of bucks and three more hours of sitting in puter places office til he fixed my puter right for the second time, I finally back on line.

Gonan cathc up thread later, but just wanted to say I missed ya all. Have to find all my links and buttons an dstuff again cuz have no idea where he put all the stuff.

Haven't had to time to se e what i lost or what was saved, wanted to say HI!!!!!!!!! first.

Welcome back Star, I feel your pain, I just went thru that a while back really hope you didn't lose anything!

LeBug--is it a good time to direct sow the aquilegias? I would love to have a whole section of them in the garden!

I tried to grow sweet peas so many times in california. They were basically a flower for the cool season and they were so gorgeous for everyone else but a bust for me. I can't imagine how to grow them here with the weird changeable weather, but perhaps there is a hardy sort to grow in Ohio. I LUV little bouquets of sweet peas in the house.

Now, do we direct sow lavender alyssum or do we start that in flats here? Any advice?

Good to have you back on line starlight! You must have been going through withdrawal with so many computer issues to sort out. Doesn't it make you want to cry when you have to go through that?

I've had annual sweet alyssum volunteer, so I imagine direct sowing would be fine... I like to start a flat of it inside to have blooming little plants to set out.

Any time after they set seed is a good time to direct sow Aquelegia (Columbines)... they'll volunteer around the parent plant also. I think a little cold stratification is good for them, so get those seeds out there! :-)

Yes t, I would if I had any luck direct sowing lol I've had better luck pitching them in pots with other plants that I over winter but I have a few that I really want to come up this year so I'm WS some soon as I get my jugs done they like the cool periods we have this time of year I do believe. Do like Suzy said on here at one time, scratch the dirt up and keep it watered.

I'm debateing sowing my alyssum out in the spring they bloom pretty quick anyway, I just pitched some seeds on the dirt last year in a pot and they came up right away and then bloomed pretty quick after that.

Oh, LeBug, so you don't direct sow your Aquilegias? I did WS some of the Aquilegia seeds a couple of weeks ago but I thought I would direct sow some of the extras if there was a chance they would catch on.... I would be in heaven if I could have a nice elegant plot of aquilegias in bloom.

critter, so you transplant alyssum plugs into the garden? That's what I thought I might do. Last year I direct sowed seeds and it took them forever to come up. Maybe I'll sprinkle a few of the alyssum seeds in my pots, too. Always a pretty filler.

I bought a packet of 'Chinese Temple Bells' seeds, an annual, I think, from Brent & Becky's Bulbs. They are supposed to bloom with the late daffodils so I WSed them and will also sprinkle a few around the bulb bed. I can only hope.

Can we sow radicchio and leaf lettuce seeds now? Maybe in one of my 'rubbermaid bins' for 'cut and come again' salads? Or is it too early?

Thanks again for all the tips! They are really helpful to me! t.

Tuink-I sowed em anbout 3 weeks ago...the lobelia-it was so long ago you asked!!LOL

Gemini-I don't want to put my seedlings out yet, just take them out of my little mock GH to make room for others & wanted to know when I can take em out of there and just set them by a window....??

Suzy, I started some Magellan zinnias a few days ago, and they're up. I only sowed 1/2 the pack of each color, just in case I'm pushing it. I do love having those bushy little blooming plants to set out.

After many failures, I had luck with Sweet peas a couple of years ago. I started them toward the end of February in peat pots, and they germinated well with warmth. When they got about 3" tall I moved them out to the cold frame till I planted them, sometime around the first of April. All of June through the first half of July they were really nice, but dwindled as the summer got hot. I'm not doing any this year, but definitely will again.

tabasco, this is a great time for sowing your salad greens. I found some sweet alyssum seed among some other seed that my friend, Jan, who passed away year before last, and lived in this house before me, had bought. I've had them volunteer before, so I wintersowed part of the pack. Its old seed, but I figured worth a try.

Oh, and I've wintersown several kinds of Aquilegia. Hopefully I'll have way more than I need and can load you up at the RU!

Oh, I know what you mean now (I think), Fairy. I remove any covering when most of the seed has germinated. Its typically considered a good idea to give them air circulation once most of them are up. All mine indoors are under lights, I've never had any luck growing in windows.