Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #10

Oh, Pam, that's sounds awful to me. I'm so glad it doesn't snow here. I like snow, but just to visit it. Hope it won't be too bad for you.

Wind, your money plants, are they in shade? I have some to set out, and don't know where to put them.
~Lucy

Man I had three variegated money plants planted last year and lost all three of them and gave one to my neighbor and it is blooming and pretty right now just makes me sick lol I planted mine in three different spots and still lost all three! Hers is in the shade and doing great! Don't you just hate it when you give plants away and they do better than yours lol

pamsue, I started the hibiscus but not getting a lot of them it's taking the seeds so long to germinate! Some only one has germinated in each tray for some reason the basement is getting so damp I really need to take them outside but I'm worried about the temps. at night.

grampapa, what does your directions say on your pruchased burgundy seeds? That would help :)

Star where is that picture of your calla bloom :)

I won't be on for a while need to run to town :)

hi lea
i soak the hibiscus seed in warm water..hand hot water..overnite then i plant them using heat mat..i think most of them germinated...ill plant the rest when the weather decides to warm up..probably around after mid may or june. I always have seed if you do need more.

pam

hi blue
the snow is pretty but messy...my seedlings are in the garage for now..

ive lost over half of my tomato seedlings due to low light conditions outside in march and april..so i may have to end up buying plants which i hate since they cost so much.

the geranium seedlings are looking cute..

i was planning to spring sow this weekend but it will have to wait

pam

Hi Kids!

Starlight, Congrats on your Calla!!

Wind, I love that pineapple sage (from memory, I've never seen it in real life.). I need to find the picture in PF and the Latin name so I will recognize it if I see one at the garden center. Oh, wait. I am not going to go to the garden center in spring. LOL! Well, I still would like to know it. And the hardy orchid..I bet it was pricey!!! Good luck and let us know how to grow it in case we accidently slip up and get one in the shopping cart.

Lala, On your seedlings, I only had one that grew like that with the three heads and it was Delphinium coccinum (a red species delphinium).

PamSue, How big do those Pink Swirls get? I have 8 of them and only have room for probably one if they are as big around as I think they are. I'll take the extras down to Lea and she can give them away to the neighbors and then lament that she gave all the pretty colors away and kept the ones that turned out to by ugly for herself. ROTFL!!!

Lea, You once sent me variegated Money Plant seeds and I grew them and they looked sick to me so I pulled them out. I htink that's right. I'll go out and take a pic of Money Plant Rosemary Verey with purple leaves. I asked Mr. Clean if he liked it and he said it looked like it was vandalized with purple spray paint! LOL!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/186017/

Geminii-- I am in the exact same position as you -- Operation Pretty Patio kicked in and I got everything cleaned up (I think I already posted that) but we still have to blow off the offal from dahlia digging last fall. It's just some odds and ends that got between the chair legs and table legs; I already got the big hunks before winter set in.

I am wondering about Nicotiana, myself. Anybody? I have never grown it before except N. sylvestris and those seedlings are up now, I think, (they only have the cotyledons) which makes me think it's ok. But I don't want to lose them because they are so slow from seed.

I know the sunnies and nasties are ok to put out. And it is my opinion that it's too early for Cosmos based on them not having germinated (self sown) here at my house

Cloudy out. Boy is it cloudy! I have some transplanting to do today and am sort of putting it off because it's so cold and cloudy out. (perfect for plants, but so non-motivational for me.)

Suzy

hi suzy

are they commercial or garden grown seed? if commercial they should grow 2 to 3 feet tall

and if they are garden grown open pollinated with other hibiscus growing there..who knows because some other varieties can grow much taller



pam

Thanks, Suzy! I didn't realize sun flowers were so hardy, good to know!

Hi Pam,

The Dianthus, Peppers, and wallflowers you sent me are going great. But for whatever reason, I've hod no luck with the Ipomoea coccinea. Do you have any suggestions? I really wanted this one for my hummers.

Suzy, I haven't moved my new Nicotiana yet, but I did just discover that either my plant from last year didn't die (unless this week kills it) or it's reseeded itself and has sprouted with no protection whatsover. Maybe they're tougher than we realize. It was still blooming into November for me, as well-it's a N. Alata variety, if that helps?

Aw Suzy, your money plant probably looked good you just don't like variegation! My neighbor's looks good and I bet it's what yours looked like I could see someone saying (like you lol) that the plant looked sick, next time I'm planting mine in shade was yours in shade? mostly shade anyway. That Money Plant Rosemary Verey really looks cool too save me some seeds to that one if you get any, please? lol Like I'm going to NEED seeds this fall lol I plead the 5th on that one! lol

My plants that I left out in the rain last night look so good they really needed that, they are so perky with this cool weather and rain wish I could put them all out there, I'm wondering about the osteospermum, I want to put my seedlings of those outside seems like they do like cooler temps but it's gettin to 47 in town tonite and think that might be a little cool out here for them.

Pink Swirls Suzy, I would probably plant a couple of those myself, I have one of luna blush and I did find one of the texas reds outside in a gal. pot so it should be good to go for you and a blue river II (white) if you want it :) I cleaned them all off and set them in the rain to get a good drink this weekend, I think I even put some compost on them cause I knew someone would want them lol I have a little corner of plants I'm putting together for the taking :) I have plenty of pineapple sage don't buy any!

I stoped by the nursery cause they had an open house and when they do that they give trees away, well that free tree cost me about $93! I bought stepables which I wanted last year but they looked like hell :) Four osteospermum, and still haven't gotten the color that I have been wanting lol, these are yellow (2) and violet purple (2) I want the grape purple, some plantfood other than miracle grow it's a lot more expensive but then that's why we use miracle grow isn't it lol, this will hold me until I get my compost tea to going but I'm never sure how much to use of it. Oh I found a red lantana at the nursery too that gets tall not the trailing one :) I wanted two but I didn't see anymore of them.

susybell, usually most of the Nicotianas you can WS, I think they all reseed. Anything that reseeds you can WS, none of mine are coming up yet from last year but they will when it gets warm enough here, now if I was in zone 8....errrrr! lol I don't think I've grown the Alata before I'll have to look that one up. I had the big tabbacco one and never got it planted I've had seeds to that one twice now and haven't planted it yet lol

hi susy
the ipomoea coccinea need warmth and lots of it. I simply soak mine overnite and grow on heat mat as it hardly warms up enough outside this time of the year...if you dont have luck..i can send you more seed or seedlings. You might have better luck direct sowing them outside later on.. if you do not have a heat mat you might want to wait longer and they might show up when it finally warms up around here if the seeds you originally sowed did not rot.
i need to go out and clean the pond pump out and it is raining/snowing showers here.... I am waiting for a break in the weather but i am not sure if there will be one this afternoon. this cold weather will continue tomorrow as well.

pam

hi, The money (lunaria) we have here does best on a woodland edge, in shade; the previous photo posted is under a pine tree ~ only gets late day sun. We also have some in other spots that only get early am sun.

OMG I NEED the rosemary money plant too!!!!!!!! my weakness is burgundy/wine colored stems on plants...I just love that for some strange reason!

...can't believe it was snowing in OR this am! We got spoiled the past few days; it has been over 70 and really nice....edited to say: did I say over 70?....it got to over 85 deg. here today, no wonder I was so warm!

I'm exhausted, transplanted all day; now I need more trays to hold the cups! Critters basil seeds were really viable and I have, gosh, at least 10 germinated basil seeds per cell. I may have to start a catering business and only sell PESTO!!!!!!

Today our cosmos, the seeds for yellow datura and a few ws hibiscus started :) I took out, and left out, a few plants that were over wintered such as: lemon grass, plumbago, gingers and bay leaf. I also had all the seedlings out and just took them back in. Ahhh a green house would be so dreamy to have right about now. I did spot a white fly...hope I don't get a problem.

My newest thing now is not throwing out poinsettias and we are getting a few too many :0 They make great houseplants, it is a shame their destiny is usually to be tossed after the holidays. They do get a bit large... ours are blooming now! I took a few out for sun today, but just took them in, the nights are still too cool.

I took this photo yesterday :)

This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 7:49 PM

Thanks wind, I'll plant my money plants where they will be shaded some, from the hot sun. : )

wind, don't give up on your 'Pike's Peak'. I w/s'd it and just got my first seedling yesterday. It's nice to see a pic of money plant in bloom. they always show it gone to seed. It must be tough if it's under the evergreens. Thanks for the tip on the shade.

so I could direct so some sunflowers now?? what about aquilegia?

Good morning :)
glad to hear Pike's Peak is germinating for you gram. I didn't ws mine. I'm wondering too about direct sowing holly hocks and MG now? I did direct sow some columbine already as well as poppies but haven't seen any germination so far.

...resorted to a light spray of my seedlings this am after seeing a couple more white flies, signs of trouble.

...more trouble...our septic is backing up this morning...oh boy....the warning signs were not as noticeable this time, or maybe they were and we were just ignoring them; figures it happens on a Sunday! Our septic system is really old and we have been putting off doing anything about it because it is super $$$. I'm really dreading the day we eventually tie in to city sewer because no matter how they dig the pipeline it will cut through established garden areas.

ws fava bean seedlings in the center, by far the largest of all I planted!....edited for typo!

This message was edited Apr 20, 2008 8:33 AM

Pamsue, I have my ipomoea coccinea soaking in H202 on top of the cable box and one has finally germinated and I planted it yesterday I have a few more to go :) I want to do a red, white and blue morning glory trellis with those.

Wind, sorry to hear about your septic system, I put some kind of stuff in there once a month mom and dad used to do it and I’m glad I knew that or we would probably be having that trouble right about now this house was built when I was 3 yrs. old so it’s like 57 yrs. old now and things are really starting to go wrong here.

wind, your babies are really looking good! I don’t have any WS babies that big yet :)

My orange canna seed came up yesterday and Suzy, four of your four O’Clocks are up 3 more to go :) I put them in cow pots so it would be easier for you to plant them. I haven’t even started mine yet maybe I’ll start soaking them today if I get around to it lol There are a lot of things I’d like to do today at least I don’t have to go to town today first day this week :( I hate going to town lol

So far I have found two hardy geraniums outside that I guess germinated from old dirt that I dumped in the can last year and transplanted with so that’s cool, won’t know which they are until they bloom but I need to get them out today and pot them up one is in the yard but not where it would be safe. I hope one of them is jester’s jacket cause I’m not having much luck with the seeds that I have planted downstairs.

It’s a cloudy day here today and yesterday, I didn’t have time to do any transplanting yesterday so hoping to get it done today. I have way too many to go yet and need to do my gal. pots outside too, I have too much work adding up outside I may have to quit planting seeds and start to get some of that done the yard looks like hell lol I’m embarrassed for the girls to show up this weekend lol And besides if I don't get this grass cut soon it's going to be too tall to cut lol It's taller than the grass in the field lol I've probably got two days worth of picking up sticks and limbs!

I have a question, what can I spray on the columbines to keep the leaf minners off of them? How about that horticultural oil would that work, I’ve seen on here where people get something called ‘Bayer’s’ at the dollar store but I’ve been looking since last fall and haven’t found any yet. I really don’t want to see those ugly lines all over my leaves again this year!

I just let the leaf miners do their thing. I've always thought of it as a losing battle. It does bother me to look at them sometimes; but I've never had a reduction in plants because of miners, at least that I'm aware of. I'll be curious to hear what people recommend.

We have more ws seedlings coming up today but I forget what they are! I need to go back out with a pad and pencil ~ one was the blue vervain. Also, I noticed the purple majesty has sort of a light variegated stripe pattern on the leaves; that was a nice surprise.

Hey Lea-I have 4 of my jester jackets that are growing well! Woo hoo! From my experience with columbines you can cut off the damaged leaves, but that's about it. I agree with wind-it's a losing battle to do anything else.

LeeBug... best way to get rid of them is to cut off the leaves and squish the heck out of them so they don't get a chance to escape and grow up and make more babies.

Found this for ya. Just scroll all th eway down til the see the big red pic of the miner.
http://vvv.caes.state.ct.us/PlantPestHandbookFiles/pphC/pphcolu.htm

In years past I used some kind of Ortho spay on systemic for roses and other flowers on columbine. It did do the trick, but I've quit using chemicals mostly, and since they don't seem to damage the plants I let em go. I have found that the look bothers me, so I try to fill in with other plants to cover them up after they bloom in areas close to paths.

Thanks star :) I've never heard of those controls before I'll have to check them out, don't want to just leave them alone sounds like they will just get back into the soil again so I'm going to check the stuff out for the soil too, I just hate to see them that way, I love their foliage and all these years I've never done anything about it now I feel guilty! Didn't realize they went back into the soil, guess I'll repot them and throw that soil away, so far they look good and want to keep them that way. I wonder what those dudes look like guess they are too small or they would have had a picture.

Kath, congrads on the jester's jacket I'm just dying to see what this one looks like, I think my favorite geranium so far is bill wallis and I'm trying to do more of them this year too I lost the one that I got to plant last year because of the water running on both sides of it :( I need to do something about that and not sure what, it's from all of the water running down from the hill then it runs on the road and runs over to where I have plants planted so far I think that's the only one there that I lost this year time will tell. Oh, my jester's jacket wasn't doing all that well in the dirt so I just put them in some H202 and one germinated like day before yesterday so I potted it up and stuck it in with the seed trays under lights to see if it would make it, keep your fingers crossed for me, I do have one potted up so far other than that one so I'll have at least one :)

I just transplanted some blue knoll (annual aster), I had a plant last year and it was in the sun for most of the day, this year I'm putting it in my herb garden (pt. sun) to see if it does better sure didn't look like the picture! Of course they never do lol I transplanted four kew blues too so far that's all that has come up, I really wanted more of those so I could share when the girls came. The blue knoll seeds were from the one I grew last year so if anybody got any they are good, I had some seeds to that one but not sure who got them and wasn't sure they would be alright so I should have more this year but the thing is not all of the seeds are wide that's the only ones that germinate not like perennial aster seeds.

The cottin pickin deer keep trimming my pussy willows that I planted last year! They just got another 3" off of four of them, they are only about a foot tall I'll have to make some cages for them this week I guess or go ahead and put my dog outside, lookd like they nibbled on my tiger sumach too and that is close to my butterfly nectar garden! I hate to put cages everywhere, last year was the first sign of them and it looks like it's going to be worse this year :(

On a better note my golden rain tree, only about 3" tall is coming back! Wooohooooo!!! And I found a dogwood seed germinating in a pot outside with another plant so I transplanted it and guess what? A cottin pickin bird yanked it out, yes it did! I found it on the ground so I'm hoping it makes it! Darn birds and deer LOL

Lea, you tickle me to death. lol (A cottin pickin bird yanked it out, yes it did! ) : )

LOL I have 'other' words for those critters but I can't say them on here LOL I was being nice :)

It's getting chilly out think I'll go out an put my plants back in.

LeBug, you won't believe the weather we are having in New England! Absolutely amazing! I was planting stuff into planters and containers, 'cause there is no forecast of frost for the next 10 days - which is our last day of frost! Every night is in the mid-40s - and this weekend, we high 83 degrees!

No serious rain in the forecast either; this weekend we had to bring out the hoses and sprinklers!

Hey Seandor, Sounds like our weather got swapped-it's been cccoooold here for the last week-snow and all!

Pam & Le Bug, Ok, I'll try soaking the last few seeds in h2o2 and see if that helps with the Ipomoea Coccinea. I did soak the first set when I soaked the other i. purpurea seeds, but I don't have a heat mat, so they're probably not warm enough? although I am starting most things inside the house under lights (right next to me here, actually.)

I guess I picked the right year to start everything late, with the weather here. But, so much is getting really leggy looking. Is there a list of what can and can't be pinched, and when, for flowers? I'll try doing a search, I guess.

Morning all!

Weather was splendid this weekend and I've been sowing, transplanting, potting up, planting out and shuffling babies like crazy. Am really tired now and just want to sleep! Unfortunately I'm at the office right now....

Sowed some ipomoe a couple of days ago and they're sprouting already!

I'm trying not to start any more seeds, other than what I will direct sow. and I was kind of waiting to see where things are outside before I started that. I planted so much in my new cottage garden last year I couldn't possibly label everything. and I didn't expect everything to come back this spring either. so now that there's a show of green, I think it's time.

Neal-Thanks, I am going to try that then-just cover them up lightly w/ soil I am assuming or do they have be planted a certain depth??

Fairy, they should probably be planted at the same depth they're growing in the pot. I meant I place other plants around the columbine, that fill in and hide them after they bloom so that I can't see the tunneled leaves.

There is a peony coop maybe starting, but they aren't Dutch peonies; these are the collector's peonies. Show peonies.

Be sure to look at the fragrant ones I chose, and also the fernleaf Merry Mayshine (that will be really cheap after the coop! :)

Click here for the particulars:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/834536/

Listen to Suzy, the seed pusher and enabeler ;-) LOL It seems everytime they have a coop on the peonies I have always ordered too many plants, they are always last to be ordered it seems. I've been wanting a fernleaf peony too! I'll check it out lol

Lea, There is a guy who lives off of 65 in Austin, IN who sells the fernleaf peony for $35.00, or $28.oo to Peony Soc Members. That is a far cry from $9.00!!

See, I'm just helping you SAVE money!!! :))

Suzy

Neal-I was talking about pansies not columbine silly:)



What happens when you step on your seedlings...not that I would do such a thing while trying to get to the ones and my cat made me trip....do they bounce back????

Suzy.. you are bad.. had to go over to the peony co-op and put down my interest ones too. : ) Like I really need to get going on another hobby, but can't resist.

Fairy, don't know abotu stepping on them, but trying to get excess gathered rainwater off gh, was lifting up plastic to push it off and fell over backwards and landed on all kinds of little plastic trellises I had in pots and sat down flat on all my thungergia blusing suzies. Taken em abotu a week but they finally starting to grow back. poor babies.

Not to fear Star I don't intend to trash it. But I don't think it's a mutent, or if it is there are 2 of them! It looks like there is a second one coming up in the Bulgarian Carrot piece of pepper pie. (LOL Critter, I'm sure it's just coincidence that both of those seeds came from you.) I've studied them closer and there is one short main stem then two long "stems" that I guess are the cotelydons as they have the plain little leaves on the end of them. Then there are 2 more "stems" with what I presume to be true leaves....and they're all joined at the same place.

Suzy I looked at my spread sheet to see what my non-germinaters where and I found Helenium (did anyone have luck with these?), banana, lantana, and datura. I have a feeling that it's none of those so this really IS a mystery.

On the up-side some of my wintersown basils sprouted. Wooohoooo. I'll know to start them inside next year, but I'm plumb tickled to have gotten at least a few this year.

Three years ago I saw this tree in a nursery and could barely sleep for wanting it so bad. I have a male friend who told me there was something wrong with me (Imagine that.) He said most woman get wistful after a new pair of shoes or a new outfit and there I was jonesing for that tree. But it was $150 and....um, well just no. That fall they went on sale for 50% off and I scored! Can you understand why I wanted it so badly?

I've always had visions of a small pond in front of it reflecting all those glorious blossoms.

La, I have one Helenium that has germinated for me so far :) Just did a couple of days ago so maybe yours still will we are a zone different.

What kind of tree is that, it's beautiful, no wonder you wanted it so bad! Seeds don't forget! lol I always take any seed trees, almost :) And I'm soo glad your basils came up ;)

Fairy, your little seedlings should be alright unless some of them broke off at the soil and still they 'may' be alright? Depends...

Oh Suzy lol I want a fernleaf one too I kind of looked over there but didn't have time to go thru them :( Maybe later, I'm like really, really, really busy :) I did get counts done today if I can make sense out of them will be a miracle lol The neighbor was helping me and it seemed like she did a good job, she said you don't have that many plants to count, no not this year I thought to myself :) When I pulled four pages from the computer she about had a fit LOL That wasn't counting some of the jugs and gal. pots I have out there lol Another neighbor cut my field and I just finished the yard....now I hav to water then water downstairs after I finish that then transplant and I still need to do jugs!!!! LOL

I'm loving Illoquin's list!!! =)

Please consider me very interested.

ok Suzy, I just told them to copy your list I have no time to look lol Hope you don't mind but I know you make good choices! I'm a copy cat!!!! LOL Back to work.....

Lea it's a serpentine weeping cherry. I just love the way the branches twist and turn. I'm sure it's grafted though, so it wouldn't replicate from a seed. :(