6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I am sure it is too late to help your particular problem, but for the future, I will comment. When you transplant seedlings the plant will often need to be tented to be able to maintain close to 100% humidity to prevent wilting for a week or two. It is best to also keep them out of direct sun for a few days. This of course will vary depending on the species. Al
Mutations in sunflowers are not uncommon. But sometimes, mutations can be caused by a virus-like disease called Asters Yellows. The occasional mutation can be interesting. But when all of the sunflowers you've planted become disfigured, you won't be happy about it.
Just keep an eye on all of the plants in your garden. If you notice a trend of mutations in many species, then it would be easy to conclude that Asters Yellows has been introduced. It affects many different kinds of plants and is passed from one to another by leaf hoppers.
However, if you only find the occasional anomoly.....enjoy!
The seeds don't just drop when ripe, they are dispersed by the opening pod - flung...sometimes quite a ways. You haven't found any sweeping your patio, black and sized of BBs?
You might try bagging (squares of nylon stocking and a twist tie) some of the flower heads. My own are not ripe yet but this is a cool Z8 and we haven't had much in the way of summer ripening weather here on the coast..
Here is a link that might be useful: 
I don't soak peas or beans just in case something comes between starting to soak them and getting them into the ground - bad weather, sudden other commitments etc. I can't guarantee to be able to get out to the garden at the right time. But I do water the bottom of the drill when I sow.
That's how Mama Nature does it.
I've done it that way by being lazy when deadheading. I'll just pinch off the spent flowers and drop them next to the plant or into a pile nearby. Some seeds will stay there all winter(did I say lazy?)and sprout the following season and some will sprout weeks after being tossed. Marigolds I found will do both.
That is a chronic problem with capillary matting - it gets and stays too wet. The only solution I have found, only way to adjust it, is to reduce the size of the pot holes so they don't absorb so much water from it. That is how those automatic watering set ups work - small holes. Or transplanting the plants into much bigger pots so they don't get so soaked.
In the past I tried wringing it out well, running it through the washer and dryer, cutting it into smaller strips so there was just a small strip right under the pots rather than a whole sheet of it (that helped some), and cutting the part that sits in the water down to a narrow strip so it can take up water more slowly (that helps a bit too).
Either way it isn't ideal and I have lost whole trays of seedlings to it in the past so finally pitched it.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Dave
Scarification and stratification both are ways to break dormancy of seed. A hard seed coat will often require scarification to allow moisture through the coat to the seed. In most cases this allows the seed to swell. Many seeds from temperate regions will have biochemical control of embryo development that needs to be overcome by chilling. A seed may require one or the other, but usually not both. If the seed supplier suggests stratification with no suggested time, I would probably try up to 30 days. Al
I think it is your mix that is not appropriate for what you are growing. When you buy a bag of potting soil look at the list of ingredients. For what you are growing you do not really need a seed starting mix, just a well made potting soil,preferable based on bark as your organic ingredient. Starting in the smaller cups is also a good idea. Don't worry about fertilizer until you have grown a few roots and two or three sets of true leaves. Make sure the sun from your windows is not too much for the cool season crops you are growing. Al
Hello, its been a while and I have some updates with my third trials. Firstly, one of the Tatsoi that were started in the 6" pot from the first batch pulled through! And is now starting to grow a bit. This is the only one that made it through, all the other ones died.
I started many more in the third trial; I have used plastic and paper cups, potting soil and soiless mix. Since the previous ones didn't work, I don't know if its because the cups were too deep; so I cut down on the amount of medium this time.
These are the ones in my bedroom. Temperature is around 80F. On a nice day, they receive approximately 5 hours of sun; supplementing with metal halides as the window is actually north facing.
Another batch are growing under T5HO in my living room shelf. Temperature is 89F, and they get 13 hours of light per day.
So far, the ones in the bedroom aren't doing well, they are starting to look like the previous batches that failed. On the other hand, the ones grown under the T5HO at a much higher temperature seem OK so far. As you can see in the last picture, a couple of them is growing big enough that I think I can transplant them into 10" pots soon (in fact, I'm thinking of transplanting them tomorrow). I'm still getting the inconsistent green color on the leaves, I have increased the FP to 2 times the specified amount; maybe that is still not enough?
Racking my brain more from when I lived in OH... Those primroses with the puckery leaves that are everywhere in stores in the early spring would be another good one, but hard to find in the fall.
Bergenia might be a candidate for you in a little more shade. They only flower in the spring, but the foliage is tough, turning dark red and staying "on" all winter.
The next-best things are the extremely early and late bloomers, and plants with interesting structures that remain above-ground through winter, like grasses and small shrubs with berries.
Have you checked out the winter forum? What about some flowers inside? Do you have a sunny windowsill for some wax Begonias?
Sorry, straying pretty far from seeds...
Lilacs (syringa) may have slightly different germination requirements depending on which one, but in general, most need to have the seeds exposed to a period of moist cold before they will germinate. Moist cold ( about 35-40F) of anywhere from 1 - 3 months, followed by additional 2 - 8 weeks at approx 70F for germination.
Seeds are surface sown, some light may be beneficial to germination.
Most lilacs we are growing are hybrids and/or grafted - propagating from seed may not produce plants similar to the parent. You could have something lovely, or something not worth the space in your garden :)
This is the Lilac.
I have a hillside that I'm letting grow back in.
Really like the way this one is growing and would be nice out there.
When I collect the pods, I'll take half in to do what you suggest.
The other half I'll sow on the hill and let nature take it's course.
This will be an interesting experiment!
Thank you!
Maple seeds do not need a cold period before sprouting. We have sugar maples, silver maples, and a few other in our yard and our neighbors yard. Every single year, not even a week after the seeds fall, they start sprouting and we have to pull them by the hundreds out of our gardens. Stick it in some dirt, water it, and forget about it. it WILL grow!And fast at that! We have 8 trees that we have let go and in 3 years time, most are 15 feet tall.
thanks for the information but did they fall on the ground in the spring or they fall before the winter and start to grow a little under the snow ??