They might not flower this year, depends on the variety. They have a taproot that they don't like to be disturbed, so they might resent transplanting when you put them out. I direct sow them. I soaked and nicked mine a week or so ago and put them out.

I wintersowed these last year & planted them out in the spring. Almost all of them made it but you do have to be very careful during the move. They grew all summer last year, but were no where near big enough to bloom. I am hopeful they will bloom this spring. These were Russell Hybrids.

This was my first time growing them so I am by no means an expert, but hopefully this helps you some.

When you do transplant them, and I would give it some time just to be safe, be sure to dig the hole extra big to allow the root to grow easy and handle them carefully...they won't resent the move as much this way. I usually have good luck with the Russell Hybrids. But last year I tried a different type called 'Sunrise', which is an annual type and it did poorly for me...but it was a rough growing year around my area and that may have had something to do with it. Direct sowing really is the safe way to go in the future, they reseed a lot in my gardens too. I start them early inside only when I want them in a different garden or to give away.

Thanks for the replies. I think I will go ahead and put them in the ground today. They are Thompson & Morgan seeds, tutti frutti, and it says transplant seedlings after risk of frost...then it says alternatively to sow seeds outdoors when soil is cool and light frost is still possible. Anyways it also states to sow indoors jan.-march for first year flowering, but I dont believe them on that...........we will see!

WAITÂÂ

If you start them inside you need to wait till after your last frost date to plant them outside.

The frost will kill them, because of the shock factorÂ. They are used to growing in above freezing temps.

If you direct sow them outside, they are conditioned to take frosts and below freezing temps.

Regardless, you need to harden off ANY seedling before setting them out for good.

I hope that helps

Keriann~

Totally agree with Keriann. Hopefully she caught you in time!

I have the same Lupin seeds from T&M. I started them indoors several weeks ago. The seedlings seem to be doing well, but this is my first year really doing any seed starting so only time will tell!

Hey Sleepy!

How are your guys doing?

You should start a new 'Seedlings Picts' post and make us all jealous! : )

Keriann~

Hey yourself! I should snap some pics. My poor, struggling little begonias are taking off, finally! I am so happy at least some of them will survive; blooms may be another story, but we'll see. Speaking of, the alyssum for my friend's wedding is BLOOMING! Right in the dixie cups under the fluorescents in the basement. So at least I know those will work. Other than that, everything is just chilling out, waiting for spring. After we get done with this freak SNOWSTORM, I should be ready for some serious hardening off, and not a minute too soon, I am out of lights, out of cups, out of dirt and out of patience with all these seedlings! This weather, I tell ya, it was 65 and sunny today, and right now there's 2 inches of snow on the ground. How's everything growing up there? No more dog-tastrophes, I hope. :)

LOL we are in the same boat.

I just keep adding and adding and adding.

I am thankful I have the room, but what the heck will I do with 20 shoplights this summer: )??

Yeah, for your alyssum! Blooms must be a huge sigh of relief. And i am glad your begonias are finally taking off. I just started some tubers, so I wonder how long they will take to show life.... I am out of patience myself.

I hear ya about the weather, we must live close becuase we have a lot of the same weather. I am on the WI/IL border, so you must live pretty far East in KS??

Well after transplanting all night I need to get some rest, another business trip next week overseas.

I hope we stay clear of 'your' snow : )

Ta Ta

Keriann~

Dogs have learned their lesson and most of my seedlings have made it past their abrupt uprooting. lol

I got a pack of begonia tubers at Home Depot the other day; it will be fun to see how those do compared to the seed started ones. I am about as far East in Kansas as you can get, in Lawrence, which is about a half hour West of Kansas City. Where there is now about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Oy...

I started Burpee Tutti Frutti at the end of Feb. Many germinated but appeared to damp off. Now I'm not sure....a few that came up without cotyledons or dropped them appear to have true leaves growing from the stems.

The couple that grew normally have just been transplanted to 4" pots. The tap root is pretty long even with the first set of leaves. I know because I totally screwed up the transplant letting all the mix fall away so that I ended up just jamming the roots into the new pot. No shock, though. Three days later and both plants are well on their way to putting up a second set of leaves.

We'll see what happens with a May 15 transplant date, though. Like I said, that taproot was already down to the bottom of the cell. Good luck.

I put the lupines in a Jiffy Pack seed-starter, the ones where they are enclosed with a top, on a shelf outside on the back porch, just a week ago. So no heat or inside temp to harden off, but not exactly W/S'ing either. I did not soak them first as the peat plugs were damp enough, hopefully not too much. I am wondering if I should take the tops off so they don't damp off, or just wait until I see green like I do with other things inside.

Wow lots of replies! I did harden them off in the greenhouse first but it got warm, I got antsy I planted a batch that day and they are good so far. It will be chilly tonight so we will see, I also stuck a zinnia in the ground it was already 5 inches tall. I have lots more in the greenhouse and inside still, plus others commelina, nicandra, marigolds, canterbury bells, nasturshims, cosmos, and more. Can't seem to sprout coleus or poppies or cleome to save my life.

You have to be careful when hardening them off, they shouldn't be placed out in full sun right away, you need to gradually expose them to the conditions outdoors (wind, sun, temps, etc...). They can easily go downhill if you don't "ween" them off the cozy conditions of being grown inside! I start by setting them out in the shade in a protected location out of the wind for a couple days, and gradually move them into the sun...then they are good to be planted in their new homes! But you should wait until you have no more frost, which is probably soon in your zone or you will have to cover them at night when frost is expected.