Maybe... but I've never overwintered begonia tubers before, so I'd like to see a bloom or two their first year, just in case!
Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #23
The lovely dead stuff is petunias that insisted on getting aphids, didn't phase the begonias though!
Thanks, KL! I guess I'll get right on it, then. :-)
Those baskets are gorgeous! I think I've got seeds for the red Illuminiation ones this year... smacking my lips in anticipation now!
I didn't manage to save the tubers, but took a few cuttings and they've rooted nicely both in water and perlite. Just potted them up this weekend.
Another great tip -- thanks!
Has anyone used messenger or mighty plant? I'm considering the coop...
Those hanging baskets are amazing! I gotta try those begonias!
Ok, I don't have any sprouts yet, but I do have one plug growing fuzzies already :( Normally I'd just let it go, or pull it out, but it's Geranium "Splish Splash", one of only 5 seeds in the packet.
What do you do to fuzzy soil that won't kill the seed?
I think the hydrogen peroxide mixed in water trick they were talking about would help. Anyone?
Plant the tuber begonias. You wil see bloosm this year. Kl yoru begonia bakets are beauuuuuuuuuutiful. : )
Mighty plant is snake oil. Messenger ok, if ya gotta use something. some swear by it. I did a research study with it and it didn't do anybetter than miracle grow. My prefernce and this just me is root shield or plant shield.
Here for the Lisianthus.
Start indoor early in Jan or feb. Sow on surface of a good seed starting mix--- do not cover. Place container inside sandwhich baggie to keep startign mix moist or spray mist to keep most. Place container at 70F. Seed should begin to germinate in 10-30 days. ( closer to 30) Seedligns are tiny and should be grown undr grow light for approximately 3 months.
Was gona post it on here so good ya brought it up cuz didnt have time to write it on everyboyds lisianthus seeds.
If ya can, if it hasn't sprouted yet. Use somethign to scoop that plug out. especially the top. Take the seed give it a bath in hydrogen peroxide and let dry and replant again. But keep on the dry side.
Either too much moisture or soil had somethign in it, or somethign as on seed. That why even with tiny seed I sray em withhdrogen peroxide from spray bottle before planting. really does help. But think it your water or soil first.
It it sprouted. Take out of that plug, through that plug soil away , plant gently in new soil and give hrodrogen bath and also if ya have some camomile tea that helps.
Ya need to sterilze the seed again or it just gonna grow the fuzzies again
Ok, the H202 is what mixture? I read somewhere 1/2 cup per gallon? (Not that I want to mix up a gallon...) Sorry, searched and can't find it somehow, even though I know it's all over dave's!
Duh, never mind. Found Jill's article again :)
I just use a coffee cup, I fill almost to top with water and add one capful of hydrogen peroxide.
Since ya getting rid of fuzzies ya may want to make it a tad bit stronger and when ya water or mist make afresh batch each time to use. Hydrogen peroxide and water does not last and can't be stored.
Just to be sure... starlight had a minor typo above... sterilize the seed starting mix again. If you nuke the actual seed, odds are against it ever sprouting. I figured that was obvious, but you never know. ;-)
Thanks! I soaked the plug, (it's one of those spongy things from Park Seed), and added bottom water with H202 to the rest of the container. That seed was already starting to pop, so we'll see, I didn't do more than dip it, too chicken :) I don't usually have damping off issues with these plugs, so I hadn't added anything initially...
The other thing if you're growing fuzzies is to provide a little extra air circulation and be sure your plug or starting mix isn't too wet (especially on the surface, which is why bottom watering is good).
Ella, thanks for mentioning that H2O2 doesn't store. Just mixed up a gallon last week. Guess I'll just use it to water the plants with it like I would regular water. No sense wasting it!
I knew they'd come to the rescue! SuperSeedWomen lol.
I had some fuzzies last year, and it was only on the top of the ones that I had sprayed with a water bottle mist. I did it after reading that was a good idea on some seed starting website. Well I won't ever do that again! I never had anything like that just using premoistened mix and leaving them be. Of course unless they dried out, then I would bottom water. : )
LOL Thanks Critter. I wouldn't doubt it. Was supposed to be high 30's last night so didn't turn any heat on and woke up in the 0's and frozen to the core. Don't think brain has thawed out yet.
Hydrogen peroxide is only good for about 30 minutes to maybe hour. I foudn that out when my mentor laughed when I told him how long I soakign some seed in hydrogen water. Doign the 24 hour soak seeds with it in it.
I don't know... I think adding it to soaking water or water for cut flowers has a longer beneficial effect than that, although that may be simply due to the fact that the water was essentially sterilized from the H2O2, so even after it dissipated, it was a better environment.
The non-storable H2O2 tip is a good one. I'd always wondered about that.
Although I'm not certain, it seems to me that diluted H2O2 would store longer if protected from light and air... the dark colored bottles of it that you buy at the drugstore are diluted to 3% from stronger concentrations, and they last just fine. But if you put it in a non-opaque container, or leave it open to the air, then I'll bet it does degrade pretty fast.
KL... Openoign your trough backup and puttign five more Geranium Splish Splashes in it. Incase those fall over from damping off later.
Ya cna start this batch seperate and again. And also would liek to know how ya did yours, so I cna start mine. : )
I'm thinking that Begonias are beautiful. : )
Sure wish that I could grow them. : (
I always manage to kill them. : (
Took photos of my hard work yesterday. Am sending one. These containers will be moved outside in the next day or so. I don't know if you can see them in this photo, but I also planted two window boxes as well as the milk containers. Tops are off because temps are in the 80's, outside!
Note: Milk jugs are easier to cut than apple jugs. The plastic is thinner on the milk jugs, go figure! Since I used a lot of them up, I need to go make more. : )
DH put the materials for the bottom watering trough where I can't reach them, so I'll have to wait for him to finish planting the Monterrey Pine Seedlings. Then he'll get them down for me. We plant the Pine seedlings now so that they can take advantage of the winter and if we are lucky, spring rains. We always give them a little straw blanket at the ground level, keep them warm, and wet and keeps the weeds from sprouting.
Next week or so DH has to start moving the bees up to the Almond Groves for pollination. Another cycle has begun.
WIB,
SW
: ) Way to Go Singing Wolf! Ya getting it goign on there. Nothign gona be planted here for awhiel it seems. That artic blast gonan be a kicker for us. I'll get down to about 10 or 12F we haven't seen them cold of temps in a logn time.
Gonan have to race to bring in plants and hurry adn cover up the pipes to keep them from freezing. They just don't build stuff in the south to handle the bitter cold. I nt built to handle the cold LOL.
Ya makign jealous with your temps. : )
Never move a bee hive in yoru vechile unless ya know the little door hatch is tight and locked shut. Freaks peopel out when ya drivign down the road with a car load of bees swarmign ya and they can't see the hive and ya can't open yoru windows up or you'll lose yoru bees. Also freaks you out hoping ya don't get stung.
Almond groves, I bet them pretty.
I love chocolate covered almonds . . .
I do too... but almonds are too hard on my jaw. i cant eat them anymore. [TMJ nightmare]
heck... chocolate covered anything ......
Now THERE'S a plant I wish I could grow - cacao....
Star. LOL! You don't move bees during the day! Certainly not inside your vehicle unless you are talking the bed of a truck! OK, ROTFL. The visual of you driving down the road in your rugged car (the one I hope you got a new battery for!) with bees swarming out the windows and people standing along the road and in other cars with their mouths gaping open! Got to ROTFL some more!!
The temps here have been very unpredictable and the Weather Channel says some of you are due for blizzards! : (
I am grateful for the warmth. Our winters are very short and can be very cold. My B.Fly Garden is all frost bit, despite my best efforts. Folks have been telling me that most of the plants will come back. I sure hope so. It would have helped if the leaves had dropped in Nov. instead of the end of Dec. It can still freeze here on into March. So unpredictable. Am going out to see my puppy, and to take a few photos.
I can't grow those beautiful Begonias, but look at this succulent that lives in the greenhouse. Don't know what it is, but WOW!
WIB,
SW
That flower looks like a hummingbirds delight!
I've got an enormously tall (at least 4 feet) stalk of "mother of millions" that's about to open some blooms that look very similar to SW's photo.
Aah would love to see a picture of it when it opens, Critter.
Wow SW - that is beaUUUUUtiful! Does look like a hummingbird's succulent delight! :-)
I ws'd 40 jugs around the ful moon - very excited. We got a couple inches of snow/freezing rain with more to come tonight. My jugs are covered. I love the feeling of wsing, like I'm doing gardening in the winter. I think I'm hooked!
I'm hooked on wsing too only I'm far behind.
I ws'd 20 jugs this weekend, as well. Would have been more fun if I wasn't doing it outside in cold wind, but was very fulfilling anyway! Have another 40 or so drilled and cut and ready for piggy seeds! What a fun winter!
Starlight, that's so sweet! I didn't realize anyone had those!
How I did them? I just plopped them in the pre-made holes in the little spongies. They're in a dome under lights. Pretty low maintenance indoor stuff, these biodomes from Park Seed. Though I wish I wasn't dependent on that company at this point for my spongie refills.
Oops, way old response :) left the window open before dinner!
This message was edited Jan 12, 2009 8:42 PM
I bought this plant in a mixed planter with other succulents. This one shot up to between 3-4 feet tall. There are two others not quite as tall. It has really weird leaves? See photo. This is a close up. They almost look like suckers pads or little cups/pitchers. Been watching it to see what happens. I hope it's a Hummingbird Succulent Delight! That would delight me! : )
nbgard. You planted 20 and have 40 more to go? Boy, I've got some catching up to do! Brrr, just the talk of the wind blowing makes me feel cold!
'Chelle, you're giving me an inferiority complex! : ) You over achiever! : )
Critter, I don't know what a "mother of millions" is, want to see a picture too! Please!
The almond groves are pretty when in bloom! : )
tcs, Chocolate covered anything, (but bugs) is great!
dryad, I don't think it's legal to grow cacao in this country. I want a vanilla bean plant myself!
Cordele, catch up! There is still time! I have to start early in my zone. The weather is capricious. Next week it'll probably be freezing again, and here my lilacs are already starting to bud out!
WIB,
SW
Sorry, I guess it's "Mother of Thousands" rather than millions, although wow does it ever manage to toss its little babies into all my indoor pots!
See http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141595/