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agkistrodon

Winter sowing (Castilleja coccinea) ?

agkistrodon
10 years ago

Hi,

Has anyone done this w/success? I was going to direct sow but these seeds are REALLY tiny and I don't have that many. They are hemi-parasitic and require host plants such as sedges, grasses etc to germinate. If you were successful could you give me some tips?

Thank-you!

P.S. I meant to write Indian Paintbrush in addition to C. coccinea but it won't let me edit the title!

This post was edited by adidas on Sun, Dec 1, 13 at 18:12

Comments (6)

  • molanic
    10 years ago

    I tried sowing it in the same container as little bluestem seeds and I think I had one or two seedlings of it come up with the grass. The foliage looked about right anyways. I didn't get it planted until quite late in the season when the container was rootbound, so I don't know if it will survive or not though. On the prairie moon site (link below) they say you can sow them together, or damage the roots of an existing host grass and sow the seeds there. I probably sowed them sometime between January and mid-February.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.prairiemoon.com/seeds/wildflowers-forbs/castilleja-coccinea-indian-paintbrush.html

  • agkistrodon
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for your input! I bought some sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) seeds from Etsy and planted the paintbrush seeds w/these and I also dug up a couple of small plugs of native grass (clueless as to what species), cut the roots a bit (no idea what I was doing) and dropped paintbrush seeds here too. Then I dumped some seeds w/some Liatris seeds in a bare patch outside...gets full sun...think I've covered all the bases :) Keeping fingers crossed! Good luck w/your seedlings...where did you plant them?

  • molanic
    10 years ago

    If I recall I just planted them in some bare spots near the back of full sun flower beds. It was late October and I will never wait that long again with the grasses. I wanted to wait until I have some good top growth so they wouldn't get covered up by faster growing things. Well those grasses have quite a big root system to top growth ratio apparently. There was about a one inch thick solid tough root ball mass at the bottom of the container that I chopped the heck out of before planting. A quart sized container is not enough to hold them over in until fall. Lesson learned.

  • cogardener2675
    10 years ago

    I planted them with Artesimia (fringed sage).. and got about 8 plants last year. They didn't bloom, but I heard it could take a few years to bloom. I started them late (March-ish). Doing more this year!

  • agkistrodon
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    CO: Did you start them as seeds in containers? Or did you sow them (direct sow) on the sage OR did you direct sow both artemesia seeds and paintbrush seeds??

    Mol: Curious to hear whether your paintbrushes reappear this year...I don't have flower beds....just woods and open areas where the forest was converted to scrub/grass during the building of the house....keeping fingers crossed :)

  • cogardener2675
    10 years ago

    I wintersowed them in a milk jug. I put both seeds in the same jug in late March last year. This year, I did a lazagna pan and again, just mixed the seeds together and winter sowed in early Jan. They are out in the snow right now!

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