What have you wintersowed so far #4

Terese, I think you might have been asking me "which cosmos". I planted these: Dwf Sensation Mix', 'Seashells mix', 'Daydream', and 'Picotee'.

Have fun tomorrow Shirb. I can't remember the last time we had a "snow day" although I remember them from my childhood in Ohio and New Jersey!

Tonya

I started planting some of my stuff today... it was such a beautiful day!

shirb Hi neighbor. Same here---a winter storm warning. Started snowing this evening and have about 1" so far and freezing temp to -2F degrees. Will snow all night. Heard 3" to 6" when all said and done. That is ok by me. It will do my seeded perennials in my coldframe good with the flunctuating temperatue to stratify them. They were sown Oct 2008. Germination will occur when spring brings warmer weather and suitable condition for the varities I sowed. I left them in Mother Nature's hands.

In my coldframe are seeds of:
Echenacea 'White Swan'
E. 'Magnus' (commercial seeds)
E. paradoxa (commercial seeds)
Dianthus open pollinated
Oenothera
Asclepias tuberosa (commercial seeds)
A. incarnata (commercial and open pollinated)
Iris and Daylilies from my plants for the fun of it
Rhus typhina (tree)
Xanthoceras sorbifolia (tree) seeds hard as a rock

Tried fall of 2007 with Aster alpinus, Oenothera, and E. paradoxa as a trial and they germinated spring of 2008. The Aster even bloomed some. I expect the E. paradoxa to bloom this year.

My simple coldframe before sowing. Made from culled lumber purchased cheap from Home Depot. Hinged cover has a shade cloth attached.



This message was edited Mar 9, 2009 10:26 PM

Oops! forgot the photo

Way to go everyone. I have signs of spring here too. That means my seeds should show signs of waking up soon!

Been warm for several days, daffs have buds, notice mums are popping up, tree peony has swollen leaf buds and now down to 19 tonight...dang I hate that. Oh well, maybe won't stay below freezing for long.

Hi blomma!
Its nice to know someone else is experiencing this storm! We already got a foot of snow since yesterday and they are predicting lots more today. The temps right now are 0 and expected to fall. It is white out at the moment and expected to get worse around noon and last till tomorrow morning!
Anyway, the kids and I are getting a late start on WS today. We slept in and are getting our daily chores done.
I like the cold frame idea! My DH confiscated some old garage door panels and some of them have glass in them. I think they would be perfect. I think I know how to put the frames together, but not sure on what to do with the soil in them. Did you dig the soil out and replace it or what? Let me know, cuz this is something I will probably do next year for cold weather veggies, like cabbage and broccoli.
Keep warm!
Helene

Hi Helene
Well darn it all! We got cheated out of lot of snow. Only received about 3" of it. Believe it or not, the sun is shining. Typical of WY. Haven't heard the weather report so don't know if that is the end of it. It is cold though.

As far as the coldframe, the top/cover is an old window frame minus the glass. Didn't want glass due to breakage. The frame is just plain pine boards are 12" wide. The short sides are 3ft long, and the other two are 6ft long side. I made it the size of the window frame. The corners of the boards are butted together with L-shaped metal plates that have screw holes on both sides. I placed the coldframe on an angle so that it is higher in the back, slanting towards the front. Since it is up against my back fence, I use the fence to hold the cover open. A large eye hook is in the center of the frame to hold the cover open at any height with a chain.

I only dug enough soil out to allow for 6" of good top soil. That is all you need since seedlings and young plants don't root any deeper. The leftover soil I store in a large plastic garbage can and mix with store bougth soil, peatmoss, sand, and manure (my daughter has horses). Whenever you plant, there is alway settling of the soil so I use it to fill low spots in my garden. Also, since this is good soil, I use it in the hole when planting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is another idea for a coldframe that was my first one. During the 80's I owned and operated a small commercial greenhouse in Nebraska. I started all my perennial plants in July and August for sale the following spring. When large enough, I planted them in this coldframe. Made out of are railroad ties placed on the ground and butted together. They were free when they replace tracks through my town. The cover is a lath screen for shade. I can't remember the size of the coldframe, but the ties were 3 ft and 6 ft long.

The photo was taken in April from a July sowing the previous year. Now husky plants.

SO here is the total list so far (115) the stars are ones that have germinated already.

Organic Spinach **
Alyssum: Sweet Alyssum **
Erysimum hieraciifolium: Siberian Wallflower **
Celosia argentea v. spicata Flamingo Feather, Wheat Straw Celosia
Monarda Fistulosa:Wild Bergamot
Malva moschata:Musk Mallow
Liatrus Spicata:Florestan White
Campanula medium:Canterbury Bells
Monarda Didyma:Bee Balm, scarlet Bee Balm
Dietes Iridioides:White Wild Iris
Lupine Polyphyllus:Lupine **
Agastache rupestris:Licorice Mint
Asclepias Curassavica:Scarlet Milkweed
Amaranthus: Purple
Cleome hassleriana:Cleome Pink Queen
Echinaccea purpurea:Eastern Purple Coneflower
Agastache Cana:Hummingbird Mint
Cleome hasslerana:Cleome White
Antirrhinum majus Ribbon Lavender **
Papaver :Poppy Pink
Achillea ptarmica: The Pearl **
Achillea millefolium :Paprika
Papaver Rhoes:Shirley Poppy **
Papaver Rhoes:Red Corn Poppy **
Linum Grandiflorum:Scarlet Flax **
Papaver:Poppy Red
Linum Perenne: Blue Flax **
Aquilegia: Giant Columbine Mix
CA Poppy "White Linen" **
Delphinium ajacis mixed
Nemophila Menziesii: Baby Blue Eyes **
Delphinium : Delphinium Black and White
Papaver :Poppy Mixed **
Papaver Rhoeas "Cedric Morris" Poppy **
Consoilida chinensis: Larkspur Gentian Blue
Aquilegia Vulgaries : Nora Barlow Mixed
Aquilegia Vulgaris :Columbine "magpie"
Aquilegia: Black Barlow
Mixed Poppies **
Ungnadia speciosa:Mexican Buckeye
Dolichos lablab:Hyacinth Bean Vine
Tall Canna: Coral
Passiflora Incarnata: Passionflower Maypop
rose campion - corn cockle
Pavonia lasiopetala: Rock Rosemallow
Ipomoea Quamoclit: white Cypress Vine
moon vine white
Clematis mixed
moon vine lavender
Nemophila Menziesee "Pennie Black":Baby blue eyes, Pennie Black
Amaranthus caudatus: Love Lies Bleeding
Nepeta Stewartiana: Catmint
Impomoea Quamoclit: Red Cypress Vine
Dolichos lablab: Hyacinth Bean Vine2
Ipomoea purpurea: Morning Glory "Split Personality"
Impomoea tricolor : Morning Glory "Heavenly Blue"
Impomoea purpurea: Morning Glory "Grandpa Ott's"
Impomoea purpurea: Morning Glory "Star of Yelta"
Trachymene caerulea or Didiscus caeruleus: Blue Lace Flower
Coreopsis Grandiflora: Bigflower Coreopsis
Coreopsis: Coreopsis "Early Sunrise"
Thumbergia Alata:Black Eyed Susan Vine
Scabiosa columbaria: Pincushion Flower "Blanca"
Coreopsis tinctoria:Tickseed
Limnanthes douglasii: Fried Egg Plant
Nigella: Love in a Mist
Antirrhinum majus: Snapdragon "Fordhook Tall Mix"
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae: New England Aster Purple Dome
Ratibida columnifera: Mexican Hats
Centratherm Intermedium: Brazilian bachelor's Buttons
Salvia Coccinea: Hummingbird Dwarf Red
Chasmanthium latifolium: Northern Sea Oats
Gaillardia x Grandiflora:Blanket Flower
salvia splendens: red salvia
Asclepias tuberosa: Butterfly weed
Gaillardia aristata: "Goblin" Blanket Flower
liliaceae lillium: Formosa Lily
Garlic Chives
Calendula officinalis: Pot Marigold
ecthinops ruthenicus: Globe Thistle
Rudbeckia hirta: Black-eyed Susan "Indian Summer"
gypsophila elegans: baby's breath covent garden
Platycodon Grandiflora: Baloon Flower
Centaurea: Cornflower **
Liatrus Spicata: Gayfeather
Salvia reptans 'west texas': Cobalt sage
Datura Double Yellow
Datura Inoxia Datura
Datura white datura
Calylophus hartwegii 'fenderlii': Fernderli's Sundrops
Hibiscus : Hibiscus "Chablis"
Ipomoea purpurea: Morning Glory Milky Way
Amorpha canescens: lead plant
Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium: "Sweet Pea Currant" Tomato
Scrophularia macrantha: RedBirds in a tree
Salvia greggii: purple
Mimulus cardinalis: Scarlet Monkey flower
Anisacanthus quadrifidus 'wirghtii': Hummingbird bush Orange
Catananche Caerulea: Cupid's Dart
Ipomoea purpurea: Hot Pink Morning Glory
Lavatera trimestris: Silver Cup
Centranthus Ruber: Jupiter's Beard
orlaya grandiflora: white lace flower
Salvia Argentea: 'Artemis' white
Ceratotneca triloba: South African Folxglove
Tomato Supersweet 100 cherry
Callirhoe involucrata: Purple Poppy Mallow, Wine cups
Euphorbia Marginata: Snow on the Mountain
lavendula angustifolia: lavendar mustead
gypsophila elegans: baby's breath covent garden
Penstemon mexicali: red rocks'
Tithonia Rotundifolia: Mexican Sunflower
Salvia greggii: pink
echinaccea paradoxa: Ozark Coneflower

These are in the order they were sown, and not any scientific order. What am I going to do with all of these plants! It is amazing how generous people around here are. I started last fall with two bags of hollyhock seeds. I have bought more than I needed to as well, but...... oh well. LOL. I am saving the Hollyhocks, Zinnias, Marigolds and other tender annuals for a few more weeks. I still think we will get a few good freezing nights but also I just ran out of containers! : )

LissaD That is quite a list. I noticed you have several perennial that needs stratification (cold treatment) first to germinate. I hope you did that so they will sprout for you.

Wow, Lissa, what a list! Makes my own 40 jugs look puny by comparison. I see your delphs and campanula haven't sprouted yet and neither have mine, so I'm relieved. I was beginning to wonder if my seeds were viable, but some of them were brand new.

Angie

Great list Lissa! We have a lot of seeds in common! Many have sprouted and quite a few of those are already in the ground for me. We are finally supposed to get rain today! All my little babies will be so happy and I love to watch the growth spurts in plants after a rain, especially when you've been in a drought. There's nothing quite like the water straight from God!

Tonya

Blomma, yes some of them have been out there in the dirt since January, freezing and thawing out there in their milk jugs. We are supposed to have our last freeze by April 15, so I wanted to get the rest of the containers out there to catch a few of those last freezes, LOL, but it is not looking like I have much winter left. It is 51 degrees this morning at 8:00! What is up with that?

Angie, I was kind of worried about those too, I was expecting them to be early risers as well. I guess we will see. The other thing to remember about my list is I have an acre of landscaped property that had weeds 6ft high. I am gutting everything and desperately need to fill up those areas so the weeds don't consume our whole house. LOL. I tell people that I will plant anything right now and sort out the details later. Hahahaha.

We got a good rain on Monday. I was just about ready to go soak my containers 'cause I was a little worried about them, but then I woke up to the sound of a gentle soaking rain. It actually rained for a few hours. We needed it.

Question on this comment "I noticed you have several perennial that needs stratification (cold treatment) first to germinate. I hope you did that so they will sprout for you. " Does that mean all perennials or just some? I thought you could start perennials for planting in the fall? Thanks for your answers.

Newbie

Some, but not all, perennials do require a period of cold, moist treatment to break dormancy. For specific information, google germination requirement for that particular species. Also, Tom Clothier's site is a good source for that information.

Karen

Here is another seed data base for informantion on sowing both trees and perennial. Check out the links on the left.

http://grow.ars-informatica.ca/index.php

LissaD Penstemons are hard to sprout Tom C. has a whole page on germinating these seeds. I also have them sown. Bought the variety 'Esprit Mix' from Parks this year. Stuck the seeding flat in the frig. Also have another flat of them in my unheated garage. I have grown them from seeds a few years ago with no problem. However, those were a different variety. Strangely, not all varieties require the same technique.

happgarden Not all perennials require stratification but many do. This is the reason why I sown larger seeds in my coldframe for the flunctuating temperature, which is required by some.

This season I decide to test some old seeds I have had, using the Deno method. I have had more germination that way, than sowing straight in seeding mix.

Others that are difficult to sprout are:

Salvia argentea. I sprouted 2 so far. with cold treatment
Asclepias tuberosa. I have 6.
Aquilegia I don't bother with anymore since they tend to be shortlived and revert back from seed.
Callirhoe involucrata, another that is difficult. I'm still waiting on that.
Daturas can be difficult as they are sprout with stragglers. I have 12 inoxias growing and 6 double yellow (Yellow Ballarina) from Parks. They can take up to 30 days and need to be soaked before sowing.

Caption:
Old Hibiscus seeds sprouting in moist kitchen paper towel placed in a baggie after nicking and soaking in hand hot water over night. They sprouted in 2 days. I have had problems sowing them when I tried 3 years ago in soil flats. Only got one to sprout then.

I've had wonderful results wintersowing columbine. I just stuck them in a milk jug and tossed them outside in winter. They self-sow like crazy.

Karen

This one's my favorite

Karen

Some cute little Origami columbine

Karen

Karen
Oh yes they selfsow readily. This one especially. It is not a hybrid so come true from seeds. It is a native to the canyons of the southwest, Aquilegia chrysantha (Golden Spur Columbine) is one of the most widely adapted of all columbines, and the easiest to grow. It is actually weedy, but pretty. I deadhead it for additional bloom. Blooms later in the season than the hybrids.

Now this one A. 'Red Star' is a hybrid and tend to revert. Sometimes the seedling from this one set different bi-colored flowers. Will see what comes up this year.

I have tried others such as A. 'William Guiness' . It bloomed one year then disappeared.
Also started the Barlow mix with the double flowers. They too disappeared.

A few years ago I bought many different varieties of Columbines. They were commercial seeds. Always came up, though slow to germinate, and bloomed as they should. The plants died out and self sowed which were different from what I sowed. When I researched this genus of plants, it was stated that many hybrids in this family revert, and are short lived although they self sow freely.

I have on the north side of my garage a border of the yellow one shown above. It is the only one that comes up the same every year. The plants seems to be more long lived than the hybrids. I have had them growing there for 4 years without a change.

Caption: A. 'Red Star'

I should have mentioned that the yellow Columbine that is shown behind the Red Star is a self sown seedling. It is not the same as those planted along side my garage. Much paler in yellow. It is not one I sowed.

Sometimes the surprise, open polinated flowers are the best. This rudbeckia, for instance, looked nothing like her mom, but I like this baby much better.

I have posted this photo many times before, many of you are undoubtedly tired of it. But I loved this flower!

Karen

I agree with you Karen. It is striking. Do you perhaps have seed to spare?

Sorry, Kathy, I don't. I only collected seeds from double blooms, not all were double as you can see in the picture. I gave some away, saved some for myself.

Karen

Thank you, though. I know you would have share if you had them and I had to ask! LOL They are beautiful.

Karen Let us know if those bloom double from the seed you collected and sowed this year. They are very beautiful. What is the parentage or should I ask what were the original seed ?

Those were seeds I harvested from Prarie Sun.

I also had some Irish Eyes that year, another green-eyed one. My next door neighbor had some brown-eyed doubles.

I also had evey possible color of "Beckys"

More Becky colors.

Who knows what the parentage of my mutant was!

Karen

kqcrna
I love your last photo. And, you are right. Sometimes you get something unique from open pollinated seeds. I collected seeds form Delosperma cooperi and it will be fun to see what I get since I have 4 different varieties. Likewise with hardy gernainum 'Vision'. I also several varieties of those. Both have sprouted. The Delosperma seedling is no larger than a pin head at the moment.

The photo shows the varieties of the Delospermans (iceplants) that I have growing

Correction, I have 5 different varieties

This message was edited Mar 11, 2009 7:20 PM

The Columbine are so cute! I ws some and just planted them. Hope they come up.

Karen I love that last picture. You're right I have seen them before but love them still. I am just this year getting into rudbeckias. Last year I tried no luck. This year I have one 'Prairie Sun' plant that is growing in a S window. I did start it on a heat mat and that is the only plant I have. The others "sob sob as in cry cry" lol did not make it. I sure hope it matures and grows as I want seeds. I have 4 Cherry Brandy plants and I have hopes for them too. I will not plant them too close together so they won't mix. If I had more PS maybe I would. Just to see what would happen. Wish me luck.

Good luck, Indynanny. I love ruds, too (obviously). I have only wintersown them and they do very well that way. I have 3 jugs of them ouside and all are sprouting now.

Karen

Well, after my 10 day trip to Gatesville, Texas I have returned to find one of my WS pots have sprouted. Hooray!!!!!!! I was hoping for more, but I guess the rest aren't ready yet. The one that sprouted is the Tidy Tips, a California native wildflower. In fact I had seed left over, and I'm giving some to some friends here, and I also gave some to my sister in TX. Here is a picture of the sprouts.

Karen

Another....

And one more of the pot amongst its neighbors that have yet to sprout.

Congrats on your babies, Karen. I got my first sprouts in our warm spell this week, too, though our temp is cold now- 27 degrees.

Karen

Hi All,
I finally got my seeds going, I hope not too late. Our last frost is Memorial day weekend so I hope this will work. Here is my list, it isn't too big since this is my first try.......

Alyssum, Carpet of Snow
Aquilegia vulgaris, Columbine Mix
Calendula, Candyman Orange
Calendula, Pink Surprise
Centratherum, Intermedium Button Beauty
Coreopsis lancinata, Tickseed
Delphinium, Tall Black Knight
Eschscholzia californica, California Poppy
Foxglove, Candy Mountain
Lobelia, Fountain Blue
Pansy, Swiss Giants
Ratabida columnifera, Mexican Hat
Rudbeckia hirta, Black Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia, Cherry Brandy

I pray for success!

blomma~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for the info on cold frame. My DH just told me the other day that he knows where to get some free RR ties. Im concerned about the creosote in them though. I already have 4 large raised beds for my veggie garden and it worked well. I was thinking of expanding to make a cut flower garden as well since I am a floral designer and lack a floral wholesaler up here.
By the way, we ended up with a foot of snow! Want some? Last night it got down to
-20! It is 'supposed' to be the last of the extreme cold! We will see!