What have you ordered for Spring 2009?

I bought a bunch of seeds this year from swallowtail. I did ask other half if he would mind if the bay window in the living room would be filled with flats of seedlings. He said no problem. OK, good to go. Except I am terrible at growing from seed. What is the secret? I plan on getting the plastic pans and using the peat pellets. I thought I might get pebble to line the bottom of the pans and water from below. They will be in a southern exposure window. Any advice is certainly appreciated....hmm, come to think of it I'm looking for advice/suggestions in another area..different thread.

I'm going to be sowing mine in medium to large pots, put them in large clear plastic storage containers with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage and in the top for air circulation, and put them out at the back of the house, which faces east, and will give them afternoon shade. Then when the seedlings get bigger I will transfer to individual pots. Some I will plant in the gardens, others I will give to friends, others I will sell. I'll be starting my perennials in Feb. and my annuals in March.

Karen

I have had no luck with peat pellets.... I tend to over water... hehe think that's an understatement

but they always molded up on me even with the use of camomile tea... tried the cinnamon and the h202.. (all those do help) but I vowed off them forever... too many disappointments... you are better off filling your trays with seed starting mix

if you have to go that way... I have used these for a few years... and they aren't the cheapest way to go.. but way better than the peat... the little trays allow for bottom watering too

http://gurneys.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_68085

Nuts - it's Geranium c. 'Purple Pillow'. I really like it - it's one of the low & slow growers.

Re: Poppies.
I must be doing something wrong - I cannot get rid of the oriental poppies I have, no matter what. I even sprayed them with RU many, many years ago & they thrived. I was told that if you plant Poppies and move them every few years, you can spread them around quite easily. I threw roots of the Orange buggers out in the brush pile & guess what's showed up?
I finally made peace with them & forgave them their very fiery orangeness, and decided to live with them. When the other things around them start blooming, off come the petals: I really like the green pods with purple fringe.

Our columbine seed themselves--the nice white one on our gravel driveway & we could not get it up to move it. Oh well, very pretty.

Allison, they look like the peat pellets. I like them for the lack of transplant shock. I won't do the peat pots because they dry out before you step out the door. I am really bound and determined to grow something from seed this year. Columbine doesn't count. My nephew Cooper could grow it from seed. He's 2. ^_^

they are little sponges like the ones used for hydroponics

nuts - i'm also trying ws for the first time this year - i'm just using plastic milk containers - cover off and holes in the bottom - cut them almost all the way around - put in some soil mixture, watered and outside they go. in your research on the ws forum is there anything i'm missing? have about a dozen containers with probably another dozen to go.
need to drink more milk!!

Try yogurt cups. Might work the same as milk cartons.

Except I am terrible at growing from seed. What is the secret?

If your going to do the flats, get the dome plastic covers. Depending how many seeds your going to plant should determine to use the peat pellets or fill the flat with soil. Seed starting soil is better especially for tiny seeds. Potting soil if you break it up really good will work for medium to larger seeds. I will take a flat and put in hundreds of seeds. If I put in different seeds I will put in a marker and do rows. The fact - its cheaper.

Put your dirt in loosely and spray it till it is "moist" you want it wet but not drownded. Get your seeds in and cover them lightly with soil. I use my fingers and grind it till the depth looks good. I take a spray bottle of water and spray it, I dont use the sink sprayer unless I have a gazillion seeds in the tray.

Put on the plastic dome and set in a bright particial sunny window. If you dont have the plastic dome use Cling Wrap or something like it. You could put a piece of glass over the tray. Once or twice a day I will open the top and stick my finger in to see how warm and moist it is and go from there.

Come right down to it you can use anything that will hold dirt and water and not let the light to the roots when they germinate. A tin meatloaf pan and Cling Wrap will work!


This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 10:32 AM

I use germinating soil its better and try spritzing instead of watering till the plants have two set of leaves on them and if you must water them after fifteen minutes if water is in the bottom drain it lol so they do not drown hahahah poor babies now my sister which is a great gardener with a beautifull landscaped property kills her seed I am not sure how but have her stuff does not come up like some flowers all germinate and some she get not a one lol I have always at least a few babies of each I tend to put about 10 seeds if really small to 3 if the seeds are bigger to 1 if really big like castor bean I use two and half inch pots for the ones that I will only start three pots of each kind to using a flat and filling the whole thing with soil no peat pods or pots and sow 150 to 200 seed of one kind of flower, perennials like to be planted and put in the cold for a few weeks so they visit my garage while warmer wanting seeds sit in a south facing window I have never used a heat pad or a growing light. but everything seems to grow lol green hands haha

LOL so many different methods. I use soiless mix and I don't use domes, lids or plastic at all. I use peat pots, bottom water and mist the soil surface.

on the easy seeds I do that to but when the rating on the seeds says it is low germination and gives instructions I try to fallow the directions

Here's my germination guide http://tomclothier.hort.net/

I recognize the little thums I use the same one lol man that is a good site
I made a catalogue of my seeds and added growing info using that site so now it is easier to get thing growing at the right time

mona

Bill, on your milk containers, tape down the front with a piece of duct tape. Make sure you label top and bottom so you don't end up with any NOID's. Otherwise I think you're good to go.

Thanks for the info on that geranium Katye.

Karen

Dahlianut, that's a great website! I have bookmarked for future reference.

Karen

I always end up with noid plants since my daughters think its funny to switch my tags hahah they started that at age two or three for about five years I had no tags at all by planting time, and now they always change a few just to get me going hahahah

i already had duct taped them and labeled - thx

You're welcome! You're way ahead of me!!!!

Karen

I originally said three to four but when someone informed me that you can get them taller I went with it lol the taller the better but when I went and looked the ones that are taller are larkspur many people say they are the same but larkspur is a reseeding annual and delphiniums are true perennials coming back from the mother plants and also do not usually bloom the first year.

I think lol

ps karen if I can get them fully double fire engine red at three feet most of my stuff grown 20 to 30 percent larger than advertised they will do just fine lol

mona

This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 10:08 PM

This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 10:15 PM

Yes, 3 ft. is fine, and I know what you mean about plants growing larger than advertised.

Karen

what was that about meatloaf tins.... LOL

Glad to help cousin nut. Just spreading the seeding love. I've grown most of my perennials from seed. Hi my name is Dahlianut and I'm a seedaholic. ps. I'm very excited. I'm joining some DG buds at a get together for the Denver Botanical Gardens Spring Sale in May. Cuz I can't bring plants across the border I'm doing seeds big time. pss This is dependent on my good buds at the DA office otherwise I will end up in prison and you will have to bake a cake with a file in it. Just a heads up. I'm really hoping you bake just in case.

Maybe it should be a "meatloaf", Dnut!

Just sent my LAST plant order.
Bluestone Veronica Royal Candles
Heuchera Plum Pudding
Sedum Sieboldi and Lynda Windsor

Big Dipper:
Aqueligia Black Barlow
Liatris Violet and White.
THATS IT
THE end
Finitto.lol

I keep my seeds in shoe boxessss yes have fifteen now just added two more to my
collection they are marked like a to c and all packages are in alphabetical order some are purchased and some are home made packs I will plant some seeds from most of the packages, some of all the annuals, and vegies, by the the end of the growing season I will have planted some of each or close to it, since this is my biggest growing years in the past five. what I do not like is when I buy a pack and it has 1000 seeds lol who needs that many anyway, but seeds are viable for many years.

Wow, scicciarella. I wish I was that organized! I'm always flipping through the seed pkts to find something.
My Fedco order came in yesterday. Received every except Paydon Acorn and Waltham Butternut-they are on back-order! They sent a newsletter w/ the order and stated they received double the orders from last year! More than 1,000 before Jan 1. I'm hoping to at least get the Paydon from the backorder. Fingers crossed.
I was in H.D. yesterday and they've got their seed display up already, too!

Big Lots is getting in Spring stuff.
I go there for inexpensive planters.

JoAnn I like your last selections. I am doing pretty well not adding any more this year. Already have a list started for next year. Crazy isn't it. Looking forward to seeing some pics of your additional plants and the progress your garden is making.

ya got sucked in at the local supermarket and purchased five more packs found purple pole bean, pampus grass not sure if I want to grow that but my sister wants it so I will start it for her since she has tried it for three years and cant seem to get it going. also found a type of cosmos that I didnt have lol have like seven different ones now
I also got my two seed orders that I ordered a few weeks ago from T's flowers and things she is in indiana and all her stuff is one dollar per pack man that was a good deal
and the other is from fothergills which is out west in alberta

I am not organized when I comes to when I actually purchase the plant I just stick it in the grown lol have to go around making a list of everything that I planted last year with the girls changing my tags I know that this year I will have to move some plant because the color may not work together since half may flats had no tags lol

Just ordered a Gruss an Aachen rose for DDs birthday. She lives in OH so didn't get it locally even though it is available. Let the pros ship! She will get it in May, a month late, but she is well aware of when plants should be put in, in her area.

Even Keppel's catalog is not here as yet--always try & buy the plants from specialists. WFF & Wayside catalogs are here, but ordering not done here while snow cover still on the ground.

these catalogs are killing me. got 2 more junk ones today (Inter-State & Burgess), but also Roots & Rhizomes and Abundant Life Seeds. Just when I think I've got myself under control, DH starts pointing out plants he likes. I say 'we haven't got any room for more DL's'. He says, 'Sure you do, cram 'em in'. And this is the guy who keeps telling me to stop spending money. It's Celeste's fault...she got him hooked on DL's

I know the felling purchased seeds last night on ebay for red delphiniums hope they come out good lol

Good luck with the red delph seeds. That color is spectacular. Thanks to you, it has been added to my list. I LOVE red.

ebay sell has them for 2.99 for 10 seeds only a few packs

Mona thanks for info about red delph seeds. I hope they work out for you.
Every day another catalog or two. I try not to even look now. DLs are oh so hard to resist. Such a great plant with soooo many options for color, size, bloom time. Oh dear I will be strong. Whenever a DH says to spend $$ on a plant, I say full speed ahead. LOL I can get my fix through others, so details: we need names, pics all that good stuff. Just think of it as a public service. :-)

I wish I could say I was finished with buying but I know I'm not---something will catch my eye somewhere---I'm seriously thinking about ripping apart 1 whole per. bed & starting over from scratch---I've done it before to the same bed---that was about 10 years ago---I just don't like the direction it's going in---however, with this frigid winter, I don't know what's surrviving---probably the stuff I don't want---that's always the case.

That is exactly what I am gong to do this year. Have two beds I'm not thrilled with at present. Also a lot of things need dividing and moving about from here to there. Of course that did not prevent me from ordering a few beauties already. Only plants that I am worried about are the usual suspects; the ones that don't like winter wet. The snow cover is good and really the continuous cold is better than the freeze/thaw cycle that we usually get around southeastern Ma.. It does seem like the ones you wouldn't really miss that much last through thick and thin and that beauty you really love gets wacked. I mourn for a minute, then think oh I have a spot for something there.

ok well I have a few plants that do not like the wet freeze cycle and I found a trick a section of plastic placed over the plant over lapping the ground I use rocks or wood to keep it in place early winter or as soon as plant is dormant then it dries up and just remember to remove in early spring and problem solved it works for plant that are up to one or two zone higher also Im in a five but I grow a few plants that are a zone 7 and they made it last year brought them from toronto

mona