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| I have a few perennials that I would like to start from seed, but one thing after another, and we are near July now and I haven't started them. What is the best thing I can do now?
1. Start them directly outside now. Will it temperature be too hot to start from seeds now? 2. Start them now in containers, and plant the seedlings out in August. Will the small seedlings survive winter? 3. Start them now in containers and overwinter the seedlings. Transplant them outdoor next year. Will they overwinter well indoor? 4. Just start indoor early next year. I have started annuals from seed but this will be the first time I do perennials. Any input would be greatly appreciated! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Dave, we'd need to know which perennials. The conditions needed by the seeds before germination is achieved varies greatly. Depending on which plants, they could need no conditioning other than warmth and water, an extended period of moist chill, or even a period of warm moist conditions followed by a chill then a return to warm to break dormancy. |
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- Posted by davemichigan zone 6a SE Michig (My Page) on Thu, Jun 30, 11 at 15:22
| Hi Morz. Thanks for your reply. I am familiar with germination and stratification and related stuffs. Some that I have to wait I have to wait. My question is on those that I can germinate, like perennial dianthus, or rudbeckia, for example. I have tried germinating indoor and they are pretty easy/fast to germinate. My main question is if I start them now and plant them in the garden in the fall, will the little seedlings survive winter? |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 30, 11 at 16:10
| hey dave ... an established plant.. will drop seed in summer.. or fall.. and the seeds will germinate in the appropriate season ... why would your seed do anything different ???? seed sprouts .. usually in early spring.. because there are warm days.. cool nights.. and near constant moisture in the soil ... i will yell from down here in adrian MI ...THAT IS NOT JULY AND AUGUST IN MICHIGAN ... lol .. after 6 inches of rain in may.. i am in week 4 of drought... arent you???? in that scenario.. how will seedlings make it ??? .. they wont w/o extraordinary care.. and since you never got around to them last winter.. perhaps.. you wont be able to apply the TLC .... i say you are so out of phase.. that you either drop them when the plant does... or hold the seed in the basement.. [cool and dark vs the 200 degree garage] ... and try in winter ... or winter sow them ... otherwise.. its a grand experiment.. knock yourself out ... you only have a couple bucks in seed to waste ... maybe you can prove me wrong.. lol ... ken ps: now dont tell me.. you have a state of the art greenhouse at your disposal??? ,,, lol |
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| Dave, if you have plenty of seed, you can scatter some where you want seedlings. Otherwise, I would start the seeds in small pots, cups, or 6 packs. Then grow them on in a "nursery" during the hot months, pampering them with regular water and dilute fertilizer. This is easier than trying to run around watering seedlings (although I am still doing a lot of that). Around early fall they can go in the ground. Some may not make it but I bet that most will because they will have at least a couple months root growth before winter. Last year I planted out a bunch of WS seedlings in the fall (better late than never?), and they were crowded and small in the containers, yet almost all are thriving this year (although not necessarily blooming). |
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| Hi Dave, I always aim for June-July for perrenial and biennial seed starting. Maybe I didn't get the memo, but this time of year gives good growth with plenty of time to establish before winter. Obviously you'll want to keep up with the watering, pick a part shade spot to help with this. If you really push it and end up procrastinating until September (heh heh) I've found the small seedlings are just as hardy as their parents. Just mulch them in the fall so they don't freeze and thaw repeatedly. The expanding ice in the soil will rip their tiny roots apart and kill the plant if it happens again and again. Also you might want to wait till July/August if it's something like rudbeckia or dianthus, I've had them rot out in the heat and humidity if they are too big and leafy and not putting their energy into blooming. My to-do list for late July has foxgloves, achillea, coneflowers, rudbeckias, sweet william, and lupines. The lupines will go in the ground, the rest get a head start in pots. |
Here is a link that might be useful: growing perennials from seed
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jul 2, 11 at 12:59
| so.. in other words.. kato... YOU ARE SOWING THEM WHEN THEY WOULD BE DROPPING OFF MATURE PLANTS??? YES??? but then .. they do NOT sprout until september.. most likely .. as no seed sprouts when it hits the soil ... i though you were being contrary to my post.. but then i realized.. you were basically agreeing.. just coming at it from the other end ... whatever that means ... ken |
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| I would winter sow them, but then that's how I do all my seed-starting anyway. Other than trying the route of the seed trays in the window sill in March (and failing miserably) I've never done anything else but wintersow. I've done dianthus and rudbeckia successfully. Good luck! |
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| What I was saying for the OP question was choose option 3... start them now in containers (in a part shade spot or indoors)and then plant them out in August. It's a perfectly fine way to start perennials and not a "grand experiment"... not that there is a single thing wrong with grand experiments in gardening! Winter sowing is also a good choice but you'll lose almost three months of growth if you wait till winter, so it will put off your bloom for likely another year.... but it is an easy method...
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a 5b/6a N CT (My Page) on Mon, Jul 4, 11 at 16:40
| I'll jump in and recommend winter sowing as well even if blooming gets delayed a season. Unlike plants started in garden soil, winter sown perennials are incredibly healthy & robust so when they do bloom, back off and enjoy the show. If they don't bloom the first year from seed, it's because they're growing incredible root systems that will sustain the blooms the following year. I just planted out winter sown gaillardia/blanket flower and the roots in the container were three- to five-times the height of the plant foliage above the soil. Nursery-grown perennials are puny beside their winter sown counterparts. Here are a few of my winter sown, second year bloomers:
Aquilegia vulgaris/Barlow columbine Trollius ledebouri/Chinese globeflower Dianthus barbatus/sweet William 'Sooty' Lychnis chalcedonica/Maltese cross Penstemon/Beardtongue 'Mystica' with Gaillardia/blanket flower |
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- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Tue, Jul 5, 11 at 4:35
| You could wait and winter sow them. It is a very reliable method and if you enjoy starting from seed and you've never tried it, you owe it to yourself at some point to give it a try. I do agree that if you were to start them now, assuming they are varieties that don't require a period of cold to germinate, you gain a jump on next season. That is if the heat doesn't bother you, and you have the time to really baby them and keep them well watered, I would tend to agree with what kato's post suggested. I have never been happy with the results of trying to overwinter indoors and it's also a lot of work. |
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