First Time WS#8: Still sowing? Growing?

I think purple coneflower (echinacea) has low germination for a lot of folks- myself included. They can be slow too, so don't be too quick to dump them and, when you do, use the "strategic dump" and you might be surprised. I had that happen with coneflowers.

It's one of those where, even if I only get a few plants from a pack of seeds, I figure I am ahead since it's still cheaper than buying mature plants, and more fun and rewarding to grow them from seeds. "My babies", a Mom's pride.

Karen

Will the Sunrise and other colors of coneflowers come true from seed? Just wondering.

I don't think so. I think the Sunrise seed is sterile, but you might check plant files to see if it mentions anything about that under the propagation information.

on the 11pm news, they were still saying it would be 28 degrees so i covered my jugs with a think blanket and then took it off this morning. everything looked fine...nothing wilted down.

and now its snowing again.

2 nights of bitter cold temps and everything is still looking good. I have carnation and valeriana that are big enough to plant into larger pots but I want to hold off until the weather warms up a bit. They are doing so good in their little homes that I hate to disturb anything.

OK, I'll give a chocolate cigar to everyone who come to visit my babies, how's that?
Still waiting on the Rudbeckia, both inside and outside, Karen!
But, I have baby Cosmos (2 varieties) and another new dalylily cross!

Wow! I now have a place to stay in France when I stow away aboard a ship. I see a European vacation coming up. Who all is coming with me to Jim's? Chocolate cigars for everyone!

Keeping in mind that the Sunrise is a cross-species cross (purpurea x paradoxa), if the seeds do germinate, they probably are going to be nothing like the parent.
I'd suggest you try Echinacea "Paradiso". These yield a wide variety of bright colors and the seed is germinating quite well for me.

See you soon, Kathy and friends!

That sounds like an invitation to me. Thank you. I love meeting new friends! Don't make up the guest room just yet. I will let you know when. Just keep those chocolate cigars handy.
How much ramen noodles do I have to eat to save enough money to go visit Jim?

It all depends on what you are eating INSTEAD of Tpo Ramen! Best RT airfares I find St Louis - Geneva - St Louis are between $600 and $700. Of course, once you're here, you'll have to cover room and board with work in the gardens, on the ponds, etc!!! But no Top Ramen!!! With Ramen Noodle packages running 1 Euro each, I can make a similar but tastier dish with various noodles, bouillon cubes, and stuff from the garden for about 35 centimes (Euro 0.35)!

Garden work is not a problem! Ramen is less than 20 cents U.S. I do not know anymore how that compares. During the 4 years that my daughter was in Germany I kept up but she is home now so I do not pay much attention. Too many numbers!
That is not bad for airfare. You may get many takers on garden work for room and board LOL. I hope you have those cigars ready.

That's the same price we paid for ramen when I was in University!!
Well, the price of one pack here would buy about 7 oe 7.5 packs there!
I'm not really sure that chocolate cigars exist here, so it may have to be handmade chocolate truffles.

BTW, I just seeded Blue Sage (Farinacea victoria) and Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum)

Now you are just bragging! Keep it up and I will get on that plane, yet.

"Just the facts, Ma'm."

ROFL

Hand-made chocolate truffles will get me on a slow boat to France...yum!

Hey...be careful. My uncle made an offer like that when he lived in Wimbledon and I visited for 2 weeks. Well, there and Paris for a few days. We found a flight for like $360 roundtrip. on British Airways no less. I love International flights....free booze ;)

has anyone tried the noodles called "Mama's" that you find in the oriental food markets? they have 3 pks of seasoning inside ..herbs, an oil/flavorings and then a small pk of ground chile hot peppers. yumo. we usually get them by the case when we make it to a shop. I think they're vietnamese.

Nannie, the "Mama's" noodles sound very yummy!!!!

Karen

Bluegrassmom I have Black-eyed Susan vine and Allysum, I will send you a D-mail.

I am hoping to pick up some coleus somewhere too. I do have a few areas that are almost 100% shade, and I am trying to figure out what will grow under there.....

I pulled all my containers out into the sun today. I wouldn't be surprised if we have passed our last frost for the year. Nothing is predicted through the 17th and our nights are consistently in the 40s now. I also watered everything well, hoping that April showers will bring May flowers? Right? Even if I have to bring the showers myself. : ) I have a few more seedlings already and warmer temps are on tap for the next week. YAY!

I had some WS babies still in their container, but I'd already transplanted some. It was left open, under the carport, and it got down to 33º last night. They didn't look any worse for the wear. Yippee!

Free booze on non-US-carrier international flights.
The US airlines still make you pay!
I think they even charge for the movies these days!

Some of my containers are so full that I either need to transplant or start thinking about where I'm going to put HOS!

Mine too, Jim. their lids have been partially open..they made it thru 2 freezes. I think I'm ready.

My Cosmos (which I didn't list anywhere on my list) are my tallest ones.

Mine have made it thru several freezes and still keep gorwing. You would think they got the hint by now to stop growing til it gets warmer. I do not think they are going to wait til it is warm enough to put them in the ground. I may have to up pot in a week or so.

I really want to get a few of mine in the ground. The only thing I've planted so far is a few poppies. I haven't really checked anything in a few days. Something must be big enough to be planted out.

And I know I still have a few annuals I wanted to sow. Haven't sown any zinnias yet.

Karen

I think Cosmos exist to overtake the world! LOL I love Cosmos, but I planted some a couple of years ago and they LOVE to reseed...with a vengeance!

I transplanted some salvias and blanket flowers last week for the RU. So far, they're doing great! Here are the ones I took with me to the RU. They're in little 4" containers. The plastic forks are markers so people will know what they are.

Nice little plants, Stephanie!

Today, I actually have some seedlings from Karen's Green-Eyed Double Rudbeckias!

We had a week of good weather (60° - 66°) and NOW I believe in WS. These ones sprouted:
Agastache foeniculum Licorice mint
Allium afflatuense Purple sensation
Alyssum Wandering rose
Arctium lappa
Centaurea midget
Centaurea montana Amethyst in snow
Cerinthe major purpurascens
Cichorium intybus
Codonopsis clematidea
Coreopsis tinctoria
Cortus matthioli pekinensis
Cytisus Boskoop ruby
Dianthus barbatus
Dianthus carthusianorum
Dianthus deltoides albiflorus
Dianthus knappii
Dianthus Spooky mix
Digitalis ferruginea
Dracocephalum grandiflorum
Escholzia californica Buttermilk
Echinops sphaerocephalus
Edraianthus graminifolius
Gaillardia pulchella Sundance bicolor
Gazania
Geranium pyrenaicum
Gypsophila muralis
Helianthus annuus Moulin rouge
Hieracium pilosella
Impatiens balsamina
Ipomopsis rubra
Kirengeshoma palmata
Lathyrus sativus azureus
Leonurus sibericus
Linaria enchantment
Linaria purpurea Canon J. Went
Lobelia x gerardi vedrariensis
Lupinus arboreus
Matthiola flavida integrifolia
Mentzelia lindleyi
Micromeria fruticosa
Mimilus cardinalis
Monarda dydima Snow white
Nemesia mello
Nepeta subsellis
Papaver somniferum Persian white
Penstemon hirsitus Pygmaeus
Penstemon palmeri
Penstemon tubaeflorus
Penstemon whippleanus Chocolate
Polemonium pauciflorum
Primulia eliator
Primula waltonii
Ratibida Red midget
Reseda alba
Rudbeckia hirta Cherokee sunset
Rudbeckia hirta Indian summer
Rudbeckia triloba
Salvia apiana
Salvia argentea
Salvia sclarea turkestanica
Salvia viridis
Salvia viscosa
Seseli gummiferum
Silene caroliana
Silene keiskei alba
Trifolium pratense
Veronica teucrium Crate lake blue
Viola papilionacea
Viola wittrockiana Schweizer Riesen
Zaluzianskya carpensis

It is a lot, but I have about another 150 containers with no sprouts at all. I don't blame the WS, these seeds might take some more time or are just bad seeds.
I'm happy with what came up. I never could have done so much indoors.

Holy Cow Jonna... where are you going to put all those plants? set up a plant sale in your yard?

must be so exciting to have all those babies.

Wow, Jonna, that's quite a list. It is awe-inspiring in your first year to peek in there and see your first sprouts.

Jim, glad some of those ruds are germinating for you. Are they the wintersown or indoor ones?

Mine are finally showing a little growth. Wish I could be outside planting out but I really do have to clean this house a little for the Easter weekend. Working tomorrow.

Karen

Well, I'm going to plant these in my garden. There are still a lot of open places there. And what I have left over I wil sell. People are getting to know I have a lot of special plants. Where I live there is just one nursery in the neigbourhood with just common plants and they are very expensive.

Karen,
I have 1 sprout in the 40-cell tray I put in the unheated greenhouse (doesn't an unheated greenhouse count as WS?) and about 7 seedlings in the water bottle I seeded later and just left outside.

OK, no smart remarks, here! I'm just learning! I was trying to be "scientific" with your seeds!

Jim

Some would consider using a greenhouse the same as wintersowing I guess, but I don't. I think there is a lot to be said for snow and ice and rain doing their magic on the seeds. More natural, as it would be in the natural world. The container just protects them from washing away, being eaten or carried away be critters, and whatever else might happen out in a garden bed. I generally get good germination and survival of wintersown ruds, they're probably about the most reliable for me. Anyway, I'm glad you are getting some sprouts.

Karen

Well, while others don't seem to be doing as well with them, I'm finding that the Echinaceas and Rudbeckias are my best ones. All of those I have seeded are up. I'm still wondering about seeds of other genera!

I always get low germination on echinacea, get tired of waiting and dump the jug. I do get some sprouts, just not nearly all the seeds. Some people hold onto those jugs for years; I don't have the patience for that.

Karen

I have a lot of Echinacea purpurea sprouts in my garden every year. Really have to thin them out. I got some seeds of other Echinacea species, WS them, but no sprouts at all yet. Maybe it's important to harvest the seeds at the right time. If you're too early they might not be viable, if you wait too long, they are gone (fall on the ground and sprout). It might be the same as the Dicentra spectabilis. I really have to watch them every day when they are setting seed.

Alot of my seeds came from a trade LAST spring, so I was really worried about mine, but I only have a few so far that did not sprout.

I really appreciate the support and encouraging help from this group.
I would have just fiddled around thru another spring without it!

yay wintersowing.

I went out and planted about 5 of my WS containers in my garden today. Decided it was time to "kick them out of the nest!"

Wow!!!! Jonna, what a list! Wonderful!

Karen

look!! look!!!! look!!

Another DGer, KD2000, told me that she preferred using gallon bags for WS and since incoming milk jugs from friends and family was so slow, I decided to give it a shot. The draw back I saw was keeping the top of the bag up up/open. I did a few where I cut the bottom of a plastic water bottle like a 16 oz size, and it seemed like that took up too much room in the bag, and since I have been the toilet paper (and paper towel rolls Hoarding Queen since I saw the tip in GardenGate Magazine...I thought I'd use a paper towel holder instead.

well.....Houston....we have lift off!!! look at what I found today =)

(i think this is Virgina Stock, from a group trade)