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vera_eastern_wa

Yeah...New Sprouts!

vera_eastern_wa
10 years ago

Brrrrr....... down right cold!!. It was 3:30am and 35F when I peaked outside to check. We've been averaging about 45F for at least 2 weeks, but I'm still afraid to transplant any of my tender seedlings. I truly love living in these mountains, but DANG!!
OK so this a.m. I have new seedlings that were not up last evening at last check:
Morning Glory 'Star of Yelta'
Impatiens balsmina
Four O'clock
Nicotiana alata (common white)
Cosmo 'Picotee'
Red Trailing Carnation
Celosia 'Pink Candle'
Maltese X

The morning I also sowed some Zinnia 'Purple Prince' and Southern Belle Hibiscus. I nicked the Hibiscus seeds and sent them outside to do their thing. Just not sure if I nicked in the right place or too deep? When I wintersowed them in 2009, I didn't have to do anything special. BTW I read of lots of people who get blooms 1st year from spring sowed seed, but I didn't even see blooms the 2nd year. Wonder what I did wrong there?

Comments (6)

  • vera_eastern_wa
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    ....oh and Verbena bonariensis is sprouting too :)

  • caryltoo Z7/SE PA
    10 years ago

    Congrats. You reminded me that I meant to direct sow some cosmos, too.

  • ellenrr
    10 years ago

    congratulations Vera,
    that is some list, you have been busy. :)

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    I haven't transplanted any of the tender stuff yet either. It's not likely we'd get another frost, but it's been a weird Spring. I've got Sunflowers that are over a foot tall in their Solo cups and I've got to get them planted soon!

    Is Southern Belle a Hardy Hibiscus? I though they take a few years to mature and bloom.

  • ladyrose65
    10 years ago

    Congratulations Vera!

    You got some good stuff. The 'Star of Yelta' is kind of aggressive, but beautiful flowers!

  • vera_eastern_wa
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Since the first post, our weather got cool, rainy and and unpredictable overnight/early morning temps at 30-32F....UGH these mountains!!
    Hardy Hibiscus is sprouted, but brought them back in too do so....took about 4 days to begin germination!! So far a total of 6 seedlings....yeah!!! Yes, terrene, these are Hardy Hibiscus. Don't know how long they take to bloom, but if anything like the "Disco Bell" I had wintersowed and planted at old place, I still was waiting for bloom the following year. However, I've read some get bloom 1st year from seed....I imagine they must have nice long season though?
    Also brought Zinnia in to sprout....a few up so far. Our season is just too short to be waiting on late sprouting annuals!

    Also terrene......I've never had issues with frost or cold killing off planted Sunflower seedlings.....ever! One year my seedlings withstood temps as low as 17F! I plant out at first true-leaf stage. My sunflowers here now are chugging right along having had several nights of 30F :)

    Ladyrose65.....Have grown 'Star of Yelta' several years and haven't had much in the way of re-seeders. However, I was usually on top of gathering seeds before they popped out :)

    Lost my Cosmos to too cold temps...even under plastic cover. So far no new seedlings, but temps are to warm up again into the 70's starting Friday with warmer overnights....so tired of these barely 50F days....and the damp rainy ick!! All the other sprouted annuals were unfazed and of course my Sunflower were already planted out.

    My latest new sprouts have been Datura inoxia (white).

    Bought some new seeds while in town last week Tuesday for Butterfly Weed, Heuchera....didn't say any specifics....but red blooming, and Alyssum 'Basket of Gold'. My Butterfly weed was pretty old seed and I feared not viable so that got re-sowed.....I see some seed swelling now :)

    Last years wintersown Blue Flax has been blooming now for the last 2 weeks or so and German Catchfly and Chives are just about ready to start blooming :)

    That's it for now!

    Happy planting,

    Vera

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