6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

Which island, Lora?

Flora--

It's Catalina Island (technically Santa Catalina Island)--off southern coast of California. Kind of high dessert/ semi-tropical. Good for growing things grown in Spain, Italy--like figs, olives, etc. I thought lavender would be perfect here but haven't had much luck keeping them going. May be my fault--or too dry. We only get about 13" of rain a year, if lucky, all in Nov-Feb.

Where are you in SW UK?

Lora

Hmm, my seed starting mix contains 50% potting soil, 25% Coconut Coir, and 25% Vermiculite. Will that retain too much water and drown my plants?

Depends on exactly what you mean by "potting soil". If it actually contains soil then it is definitely to water retentive. Only soil-less potting mixes are recommended for use in containers.

If it is actually a soil-less potting mix, which is a very different thing from potting soil, then it should work fine. But I can't tell what the effects of adding the other ingredients to it will be. You'll have to do some experimenting with your set-up to see.

Seeds, while germinating, and young seedlings need to be kept lightly damp/moist, not soaking wet. Soaking wet or standing in water rots seeds and drowns young roots.

Dave

Remove the box for better air circulation, and lower the light fixture or raise the plants so the plants are 1" from the lights. They're too far and will be leggy. Any light is good for germination if you just sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil.
Good luck. Seed starting doesn't have to be complicated unless you're into that sort of thing.

susanzone5, thanks for the tip, but I'm only using the germination station for germinating. As soon as the seeds germinate they'll go under lights before they have a chance to become leggy. The covers on my trays prevent the light from being lowered (see my first pic ) ...... Yeah I know, those are covers for grafts or cuttings, not seedlings......

Yuuup, I'd say my operation is about as simple as it gets.... :)

This post was edited by Handsome54 on Thu, Jan 17, 13 at 19:21

Oh if you are already stratifying them - I thought you hadn't started them yet - then there really isn't anything you can do but to let them be and hope for the best. Or you can go ahead and plant them indoors, in pots, under supplemental lights to keep them from getting leggy, and plan to transplant them up to larger containers a couple of times until they can safely go outside.

Dave

Alright! Thanks for the advice. Thankfully I have a lot of room and pots, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Part of it is the difference between an official "frost" (low temp of 32 at a reporting station) and ground frost.

Here where I am now, the numbers match rather well, being that I am on highish ground not far from the airport where our temps are recorded. Typically, as long as the official temp is over 32, I rarely lose any plants.

However, when I lived in Akron, OH - I ROUTINELY had killing ground frost that would wipe out bean plants, etc in mid to late May when the "official" low was 37 or 38 degrees. It's not that Akron is different per se in that regard (other than colder overall), just that there, I lived in a valley where cold air collected, so I got later spring and earlier fall frosts.

Which is why the "Memorial Day" adage existed there - most old timers never planted annuals until Memorial Day - although the average LFD at Akron-Canton airport is Apr. 29, ground frosts into mid-May are typical.

Great info! Thank you so much. Now I get it.

I am looking for seeds or cuttings from a red butterfly bush. Can you taking cuttings or and seeds off the butterfly bush in the winter thanks for all your help

Cuttings are done in the early fall right after the bush goes dormant. Depending on where you live - you didn't indicate your zone - and the recent weather it is probably too late for cuttings. IF there still happens to be seeds and IF they haven't frozen then you 'might' be able to get them to germinate. Otherwise you will need to buy nursery stock.

Dave

You did the right thing squeezing the tray. But not on pulling the baby plant. You need to get under it and ease it out - a table fork, pencil or any other small scoop like thing will help. (I'm assuming you have all your seedlings in one tray?) I use modules and then you can put your hand over the soil with the plant between your fingers and invert. As other have said, it doesn't matter too much if some of the mix falls off the roots.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pricking out

Pricking tool can equal a blind slat, sure. They also sell tools specific for the task but I have seen folks use the handle of a dinnerware teaspoon, a wood chopstick, the blade of an old table knife/butterknife, a piece of a wood shim, etc. etc. anything that fits in the space.

And as Flora said do NOT pull on the seedling, especially the stem. Leaves will be replaced but damage the stem and the plant will never recover.

As to wetness - seedlings always need to be well watered before transplanting. It helps prevent transplant shock. So if your mix, even when wet, is falling apart then it wasn't firmly enough packed to begin with.

You still didn't tell us what brand mix you are using. That info would help.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: U-Tube videos on pricking seedlings

just a matter of economising on the electricity. Am I right digdirt?

Basically yes, that and convenience based on set-up used. Usually all germination is done is some sort of confined area/container, enclosed so that soil temps can be maintained. An insulated 'hot box' propagator full of germination trays is common in commercial greenhouses - kind of like a big insulated cold frame full of heat cables.

It's heated to germination temps so that the entire enclosure (GH, basement, room, whatever) doesn't have to be heated. But it has no space for lights of any kind and the natural light even in the GH at this time of year isn't sufficient. So once germination begins the trays are moved to the lighted areas where the cooler temps benefit slow growth.

The exception of course is those few flowers and things that require both heat AND light for germination. They get a special set-up.

So depending on the set-up used for propagation, if it is convenient to have lights there as well, great. If not then the containers need to be moved to the light ASAP.

Dave

Thanks for that, digdirt. I have a small heated propagator which I use in my glass porch/greenhouse. Light setups in domestic situations are very unusual here.