Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #34

Here's a new thread for Seed Chatter ....

we came from here.... #33 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/963935/

^_^

just holding my place ^_^

Seandor, you have had a time this year :) I'm going to do that to try and get my marigolds, I have the same germination rate as you do and I still have those lemon ones from last years swap :)

Are you done planting yet lol

I planted so many curly parsleys last year around my host garden and around one of my butterfly bushes last year and none are back around the host garden and only two around that butterfly bush grrrrr! I should have scads of parsley for this year and not have to plant any!

I find that if I use the heat and humidity I have to pick the seedlings as soon as they come up and put them in other pots or they get to leggy and thin germinated most of mine the old fashion way as soon as one seed come up I take away the dome and let them do there thing on there own without the humidity I seem to loose less of them that way

Lea -- my parsleys have come back already. I have Curly and just plain regular parsley.
never thought about planting around the Bfly bushes though. Maybe i'll put some Bronze Fennel there too.

Seandor -- i too may try that with some seeds. I have a terrible time getting marigolds to grow.. unless i just direct sow them. very weird.

It looks like my regular parsley is still alive. It's weird -I thought they weren't hardy here for some reason.
Seandor you are probably stillplanting away but the half full glass side, of all your seedlings is, it's better you have too much germination than not enough. ; )

Well, right now I am at work - so I can't get back to potting up the germinated seeds until after 6 this evening.

And do more tomorrow morning, and more tomorrow evening, and hope they don't rot in the meantime.

And make lots and lots of paper pots in the meantime!

Ok, in trying to come up with a plan... I think I may have made it even more complicated. I made a colored box for each seedling I have, entered name, height, sun pref. and made the box the color of the flower. Sounds like a good plan. I can then print them, cut them out and arrange, or do it on the computer.... Photo below is of the 3, 11x17 sheets with these little labels on them.... I'm not sure this is any better than shuffling the pots around, except that some of the pots are attached and cant shuffle...

Anyone have a system that works?

have fun doing that hahahhahaha lost some of my tags but I know what they are but not the colors of well doesnt matter since I am just going to plant them in my garden anyway

I need some advice on the vincas. I have babied these things for weeks and now they are turning yellow. Yikes..... I think I remember Neal saying a while back his were turning yellow. Neal what did you do and how are yours doing? I am looking for new growth and on some it is green but boy the yellow is disgusting. Ieft them in the care of DH when I went to FL last week and he only watered them once. He may have soaked them too long as he was following orders and watering from below. Right now they are back under lights and I'm withholding water until they really need it. Any ideas....Please

My Vincas are still hanging in there, but the bottom leaves are still yellow. The new growth at the tops looks ok, so I'm just being extra careful not to over water them. The odd thing is there are about a dozen of them that still needed to be transplanted after I'd filled a flat, and I spaced them out and transplanted back into a 6" pot. Those are all deep green without a trace of yellowing. They've had the exact same treatment, so I can't imagine what's up with them. I don't think the yellowing came from too much water, not only because I've been careful with them, but the potting mix they're in is very free draining too.

oh well as long as the new growth is good it really doesnt matter since I have morning glories and daturas and the what are they called caleton the first baby leaves are all yellow and falling off

klstuart, that is sure colorful and an interesting idea. I never would have thought of that. I would think you would have to repeat colors and it could get confusing. I just make a new list in Microsoft Word every season for the seedlings planted and germination info, usually with one photo if it came from a swap and I'm not sure what it looks like. Overall, I keep plant photos and growing details in a home computer garden journal, also using Word.

Many people use the DG garden journal, too, with success. At one point, I considered a spreadsheet, but it is too hard for me to deal with and print it. Many people prefer that method too. Good luck with yours.

in january before I start I organize the packs of seeds I want to plant by the number of weeks before last frost putting first the longest time frame and I do that for the annuals and also the perennials in two seperate sections so the 12 weeks then 10 then 8 and so on down to the 2 weeks before last frost, I set up flats no peat pods or pots just the soil in the flat then I go by the number of days to germinations one flat of annuals and one of perennials, as they come up I pick out the seedlings and pot them when the flat is done I add more soil to it and start again so I started with two flats and then I use an empty bottom flat and put three inch pots in it and transplant the healthy seedling into them I now have 22 flats with the 3 inch pots and 8 flats with 6inch pots and six flats with 2.5 inch pots now the trick is to use the right size pot so the plant does not need to be transplanted again till it goes outside
this way I get to chose the best seedlings to pot and only have to do it one time

wow -- where do you put all those plants?? meaning, in your house waiting til spring.

I think I got the early stuff handled pretty well. What I'm concerned about is when April 15th hits, and I'm dying to get everything planted. It's going to be chaos! In the past, with much less on my shelves, I've ended up just plopping things in the ground every which way!

Kelly I think you're a lot like me. Organizing and reorganizing and usually rethinking it all along the way. I think I once posted a pic of my spread sheet but will post it again if anyone wants to see it.

Ella I have a feeling that my Kiwis may be gonners too. I transplanted all of them quite a bit deeper and for a few days I thought I was really on to something as they seemed to be much happier. However I noticed yesterday that they seem to be losing interest in life again. It was so cold here today that I didn't even open the GH door so I can't be sure, but judging by yesterday's performance I'd bet by tomorrow they'll be ready for compost. Let me know how your next batch does. I'll probably not try them again if your 2nd crop fails too.

I never thought about germinating marigolds in a damp paper towel. I only get about 50% germination with them so I always over plant. Next time I'm going to give that a try!

I am lucky to have many large south facing windows I used my sofa table and put eight flats on it and the bay window has seven flats in it and then the formal dinning room which has two huge windows one southeast and one more south has shelving in both windows and the table that sits ten is now in the action with five flats on it and by planting time it will be completely full hahhahaha so if you come to dinner we are eating in the kitchen lol I am not thinking of moving all the sunshine perennials down to the basement since the windows all are south facing so just have to figure out which ones will not need water everyday since I dont like to do the stairs

I will figure it out, soon the perennials can go out during the day and the garage at night just two more weeks and that means eight of the flats will be out of the house

Indy.. soudn s liek yours are not gettign enough light. What growing media do you have them in and what if any fertilizer are you givign them?

Lala. I thougt back to what I did with all th eothe rones I have grown and realized. That one othe rthan a quick rinse in hydrogen peroxid e I did not soak them. Also starte d them out in four in pot s right from the beginign and just covere d them with plastic on the top til they cam eup and kep them on the cooler side lower temps of between 68- 72 until they got bigger.

Soon as I find my seed again gona do it that way instea d of tryignt o transplant small seedlings again and los ethem.

I can't remember who sent the white cucumber seeds, but I have 100% germination on those. I'll be giving a few of those plants away. One friend asked if it was the minature white cucumber ... is it? I would actually preferr it to be regular size.

LeBug, I didn't know canterbury bells do well in partial shade, hummm.....I'll keep that in mind for next year.

kl - I'm totally unorganized ... enough said.

seandor - I guess I will have to start my morning glories, I've been hesitating to start them too early. I dont want the vines everywhere. You are too funny with all your plants, my husband would have a FIT!

I'm home today cause Ahi (ah he) the cat was missing for 2 days and showed up at the door with a hurt leg this morning. Maybe broke, sprained, infected? We will be visiting the Vets today. Meanwhile, house cleaning or repotting?????

Repotting, definitely... what good is housecleaning with all this soil and plants all over the place anyway? :)

didnt you know that dusting stops when planting starts and it doesnt get done everything is planted, then the first day that it rains well then its time to dust again hahhahahaha

Naw, it's raining here... still no dusting going on... lots of other stuff to catch up on instead!

oh you got that wrong that is the first rain when everything has been planted in the garden and flowerbeds hahahahha are you done planting everything for this year???
I would leave just one plant in a pot till you are ready and really want to dust hahahah

Dusting.... What's that? *wink*

isnt it what gets done at the last minute when important company is on its way up the drive way hahahahhaha

Uggh, my company always comes the second week of April, right when it's time to plant everything! Every year! Some Bridge tournament up in Gatlinburg, and they visit us the same week.... gonna have to see about getting that tournament changed!

I would just I am so sorry but we have some contagious desease so you cant come during planting time its called gardenitist hahahahhahahah and you dont want to catch it because it never goes away and the meds are very expensive

I think 'dusting' is when you use seven dust? ;-) Couldn't find 'dusting' in the plantfiles lol

I've got two types of marigolds, I'm going to try your way of doing them Seandor, never would have thought about soaking those, going to do that here shortly today.

I'm doing my milkweeds, hibiscus, salvias and marigolds then I think that will be it for this year except for my veggies and morning glories after I start the first three, I just don't have it in me for 1,000 plants this year maybe next year :) Just doesn't sound like a lot does it but you know how many transplanting days come out of those seeds and how many plants to go into the gardens :) Of course I'll have to WS a few more, well maybe I'm going to plant a few more than what I said LOL

My mentor Bill helped me clean the two garages out and I found all kinds of poles to put my morning glories on for this year, I saw a thing on tv where they had an antique rake that was wooden with a MG on it and liked it and found two of those in the garage.

I think I had a brain fart when I put my red and lime nicotiana in six packs lol I don't know what I was thinking do any of you transplant them into six packs instead of four packs? My four packs are getting scarce guess that's why I did that. I know I don't usually, I love those nicotianas but oh I dread them sticking together like they usually do lol

I remember last year I put a couple of petunias out in the ground just to see if they would grow or die, kept a pepsi bottle over them when it got too cold and they made it so I have some extra ones of the white/purple ruffled and I'm going to plant a few today of course they won't do anything until it warms up.

It's going to be another beautiful day before it rains tonite so I'm getting ready to go outside and play in the dirt/mud lol

lol milkweeds I have a full field of them in the back part of it I mowe dont to keep them under control its mostly the large pinkie flowers the butterflies love it full of them in july and august I take the girls with me and we go walking with hundreds sometimes thousands of butterflies all around its amazing there must be 40 acres of the stuff growing back there

Ooh, I'm going to have to try to plant out the petunias too LeBug! Anything I can get done early is a bonus! These shelves are getting packed, and I think they're getting shorter too ;-)

I've not had any luck with the milkweed yet. Tried WS, and tried inside. Any words of wisdom?

I started a "flat" on a heat mat ... did it late Sunday night and I already have 5 out of 10 Zinnias germinate.
the first one poked up within 48 hrs.

mmmm my wisdom says cold for the seeds since here they come up in the spring I would say that they need cold to germinate so I would put the seeds in the freezer for a couple of weeks then try and see what happens and if you have them planted just put it in the freezer or fridge for a couple of weeks

>>I've not had any luck with the milkweed yet. Tried WS, and tried inside. Any words of wisdom?

KL -- I dont know if there is a difference in variety ... But i currently have 2 Butterfly Weeds, 2 others died -- out of 5 seeds

and I have ONE purple MW. The Pinks have not germinated yet. And it's possible i have yet to start my Scarlets ... though i need to get going on them. I

I've never had problems with the Scarlet, all the other milkweeds are new to me this year.

Have you tried them on a heat mat? I'm sure they need warmth to germinate.

please be a responsible gardener and pic the dead heads only allow one head to go for seed and pick it as soon as it cracks open and let it dry inside this stuff is called week for a reason and it can destroy natural habitat by choaking out other native plants so be carefull growing this stuff

Lea I hope Ahi is okay!
KL, What works for me is using a spread sheet and listing all the same info you did. I will save as many duplicates of it as I need lists. Ex. I like to have a list that is in order of height so I know which ones go in the back, middle or front of the garden. That is usually my first priority then you could save one for listing by color, soil needs and light needs. Then on the tools tab there is the option 'Sort' you need to select the option to sort using 'the selected cells and the cells to the left and right' Next select the column you wish to sort by - using the letter at the top of the column. it will change the order of everything so the tallest to shortest - or shortest to tallest.(you can select ascending or descending whichever you prefer). I then save it as a new document called ex. Plants by Height. I do the same thing for the soil needs I make a column that says whether the plant needs dry, average, moist or wet. Then you can sort another one by that so you can make sure you have plants that need the same amount of watering. I usually end up cutting and pasting them to new spreadsheets to get everything listed just right. Does that make any sense? :) I could take a picture of some of my lists if you want. The trick is to make sure you keep the descriptions simple so it sorts them right. If you say average in one spot use that repeatedly rather than also using good soil on some. :)
Mona I hope you didn't chop up any Monarch caterpillars up with that mower!

I went ahead and took a picture of last years list. This is the last page listed by height. Can you see what I mean?

My milkweed says its pink, Asclepias incarnata, and I do have it on the heat. I'll take note of your warning Scicciarella, if I ever get a plant! Oh, but the Foxglove Penstemon I was having trouble with outside is coming up nicely inside on the heat mat!

Meridith, thanks for the info! I've got the spreadsheet well set up and can sort by whatever I need. I think my problem is that I want a visual of what is going together ahead of time, so that I don't get halfway through planting and realize that I've got a dozen more plants that would be best in a particular spot, and am out of room, or I used up all of a particular color, when I wanted it to go with something else also... I guess I'll finish what I've started with the colored tabs... since I have the time this year. Good thing to do on a rainy day anyway!

Transplanted some of my wintersowed poppies yesterday, then we got a nice rain overnight and this morning. I went out to check on them and they look so happy!

Having a hard time making sure I explain it right. You can see this list wasn't completely finished. I was still in the process of making sure I used consistent descriptions. I lost my computers hard drive last year so I don't have the files anymore. Just what I printed and this was the first one I found. But next I would copy all the plants that are listed as 3' height -paste them to a new spreadsheet then sort them by the next thing I need. I would do soil needs next. Then copy and paste that and do sun needs. Bloom times then color last. The reason for me, being the color doesn't really matter unless they bloom at the same time. In the end you should have a list of all plants that are the same height, need the same amount of water and sun and bloom at the same time. : ) It seems like it takes a long time, but once you get the initial list done the sorting and copying and pasting are pretty quick. : )