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pvick_gw

I just don't get it ...

PVick
16 years ago

I am not having a good WS year at all! I know it's been an odd year, weather-wise, but gee whiz, almost nothing I sowed in January, February or March has sprouted. SOOO depressing!

The few petunias that caame up, while now getting true leaves, are so teeny they're almost invisible. I have three echinacea seedlings that sprouted back on 3/30 and still only have seed leaves and are so tiny. One gomphrena seedling that bit the dust in 6 days.

A few things that I sowed in the last couple of weeks are up - zinnias, balsam, melampodium - so all is not lost. But I'm used to tons of decent-sized seedlings by this time. Guess I got spoiled.

It's not the end of the world, my previous years' efforts are growing well, but I'm so disheartened. No columbines, no penstemon, no candy lily, no tomatoes!!!

Looks like I'll be doing a lot of re-sowing this weekend.

PV

Comments (7)

  • laurelin
    16 years ago

    I'm sorry to hear that your germination is down. Mine seems to be a bit slower this year than my last two years; I'm at about 50-60% sprouted now. I don't know what to think - must be the weather, because I used the same brand of soil, seeds from the same companies, and the same containers (milk jugs) as in my previous two years. Hmmmm. Some things did better than I expected (daylilies) and some haven't even sprouted yet (a long list!).

    On an encouraging note, my echinacea from my first year of WSing (in '05) were small in their first year, bloomed in '06, and are nice robust plants now. They were pretty small their first year, so there's hope.

    Laurel

  • pitimpinai
    16 years ago

    I don't have good germination this year either, pvick. To add insult to injury, I have killed a lot of my seedlings from neglect because I have been so busy with my Dahlia tubers for weeks on end. I also used Promix after exhausting my MG. The results are very unsatisfactory with Promix.

  • littleonefb
    16 years ago

    My columbines just germinated in the past 2 days here in zone 5 MA. Usually up no later than 4/25.

    No tomatoes or Pestemon yet either and they are combos of saved seeds and commercial packs. Last years had been up for 2 weeks by this time.

    My records show that just about everything is about 2 weeks later than the past 3 years. Don't give up yet.
    Crazy weather results in crazy germination. We are supposed to go down to frost temps tonight and then warm up to the 80's all this coming week. Bet I see tons of seedlings come up now.

    Fran

  • PVick
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    You're all right, I know. I was checking my records/pics from last year too, Fran, and everything is about 2 weeks behind - the lilac is blooming now, where last year it was almost done blooming by April 30. My poor fig tree isn't even showing any leaf buds yet; sure hope it's not dead.

    I purposely did not sow very many seeds this year, 'cause I really have no more room up here. But I do like to try a few new-to-me plants every year. Oh, well.

    I resowed the Yvonne's Salvia seeds, just in case. And I cheated and bought a small "container" tomato plant - maybe it'll make those 'kosovo' seeds jealous enough to get popping. LOL!

    It's only 58°F here today, and it is really cool! Like fall weather. I've not done much summer and fall sowing in previous years, but this year it looks like I will.

    But I'm still hanging in there with the non-sprouters; time will tell. And I did plant out my first-ever sunflowers yesterday!

    PV

  • littleonefb
    16 years ago

    PV,
    It's 54 degrees here today and it feels so cold after yesterday's nice weather. Warmth is coming and I bet we get a week or 2 of nice warmth and then it's in to the sauna after that.

    Anyway here's what I found germinating today 5/5/07

    zinnia swizzle
    balsam impatiens
    nicandra
    viola yesterday,today and tomorrow
    alyssum carpet of snow
    alyssum rosie o'day
    purple petunia
    cosmos bright lights
    5 different kinds of morning glory

    1 tomato jubilee out of 10
    1 tomato warren's yellow cherry out of 10

    things will really explode this coming week.

    My japanese cherry tree usually blooms exactly 6 weeks after they are blooming in DC. this year for the first time in 25 years, it's 9 weeks.

    The lilacs have a long way to go before they bloom and they are usually on mother's day and I'd give my mother a huge bouquet of them on mother's day since the plants are from my grandmother's gardens and are over 30 years old.

    It's going to be an interesting growing season this year. After such a late start in long established perennials coming through the ground, which means a late start for blooms and seeds germinating later than in past years, wonder what the blooms will be like and the length of time it will take for them to bloom.

    You know that old saying, "you can't fool mother nature?" Well looks like we can't fool her, but she can sure have a great time fooling us.

    Fran

  • lblack61
    16 years ago

    PV
    Is it getting better yet?
    It has been really cool here. Today was 79 (a first this season), but it's going back down into the 30s tomorrow night. Yuuchhh.

    Linda

  • PVick
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Linda - Nope, no better. It's been relatively warm here for a couple of weeks now - days between uppers 50's and upper 70's, nights between upper 40's and mid 60's. But it's been an autumn kind of warmth, not spring warmth at all.

    Did get one (!) tomato seedling that came up about a week ago; it's doing well. Couple of coneflower seedlings that came up at the end of March are still sitting there with only seed leaves. Couple of petunia seedlings that came up around the same time are on their second set of true leaves, but are less than 1/2" tall; those I planted out and they'll have to do or die. Other than that, nothing sown in January or February has germinated. Nada.

    I did resow a couple of things - like Yvonne's salvia - so we'll see.

    Good news is that most of the annuals that I sowed in early April are up and doing fine. I've got balsam and melampodium, so that's a big plus.

    I'm still not giving up (although I did dump the oakleaf hydrangea; I wasn't sure about those seeds from the very beginning), but I do think it'll be a bust.

    Mother Nature sure as heck fooled me this year! Oh well, there's always next ....

    WS STILL rocks!

    PV

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