6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

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weedlady(Central OH 6)

Depends on wehat seeds you have--see chart at site linked below.
You can Google "seed viability chart" --add either flower or vegetable aas the first word if you want. There is a LOT of info out there.
You can always do a germination test, too, using damp paper towels-- if you have enough to spare of the seed you are testing.
Every few years or so I take all my old leftover flower seed to a back corner of the yard -- where I had had a compost pile, say, so there is bare ground -- and just scatter all the contents of the packets around to see what comes up!

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed viability chart

    Bookmark     November 19, 2011 at 10:46AM
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mccommas(z5CT)

Give the seeds a chance! What is the worst thing that could happen?

I have read that seeds that are really really really old still can produce sprouts. So give them a try. Three years is not very long.

    Bookmark     December 11, 2011 at 8:00PM
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compogardenermn(4- Twin Cities, MN)

They should be just fine. Just dont eat those seeds... ;-) Seriously, do NOT eat them!

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 10:13AM
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mccommas(z5CT)

I have not noticed the white on my seeds. What I REALLY don't like about these flowers is the thorns on the seed pods. Man are they sharp!

    Bookmark     December 11, 2011 at 7:27PM
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mersiepoo(6)

I grew guava seeds that you get from the store, as well as those black sesame seeds, they sprouted but died from my own hand. I also sprouted date seeds, they take years to get any appreciable size, fyi. I also sprouted kiwi seeds from the store, they are best sprouted fresh. I also grew ginger like you but I always seem to either neglect it or it dies when winter comes. Horseradish grows easily! Also, I got organic wild rice and that came up nicely.

BTW, I wouldn't harvest wild plants unless either you know they aren't rare/endangered or it's in a place that will be slated for 'development'. Also don't do it in a nature reserve or gamelands, they'll fine you bocu bucks if they catch you.

    Bookmark     July 2, 2007 at 4:14AM
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mccommas(z5CT)

Well that is a good run for a thread huh? I have tiny tiny delicate poppy seedlings growing in the window sill. The first bunch got dried out and died so I have a sandwich bag over the pot to keep these from drying out.
They are different from the poppies grown for their flowers. These look like tiny bean sprouts whereas the other kind looks like lettuce to me. I threw a whole bottle from the cupboard in the garden early last fall. Maybe something will grow in the spring.

I have grown dill but the flowers were more green than yellow. I got a very interesting caterpillar eating away at them. I have never seen one like that. A visit from him was worth the green flowers! I grew ginger and got lots more ginger but no flowers.

I have a lemon tree growing that came from a slice in my Vodka Tonic. I gave up the Vodka but the tree is now almost four feet tall (indoors of course).

The only thing I harvested from the wild was pretty weeds. One of which still comes back every year. I don't know what they are called but they are everywhere. It�s not like I was hauling away trees or something! LOL

    Bookmark     December 11, 2011 at 6:06PM
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art33(6)

jimigunne,

Mesh size is the number of openings per inch of the mesh; so #10 mesh would be very small openings. To come up with the actual size of the openings, you'd need to know the thickness of the wires that make up the mesh. There are about 25 mm in one inch, so for example if the wire thickness would take up about 5mm, you would need #4 mesh to get 5mm openings. You might be able to find galvanized hardware cloth that would be very close, but coming up with exact 5mm openings will probably not be easy :-)

Art

    Bookmark     December 5, 2011 at 1:02AM
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

For my seed starting mix I occasionally need a smaller size vermiculite and use a spice or coffee mill to break it into smaller pieces. Al

    Bookmark     December 8, 2011 at 9:01AM
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vegetarianwolf

Thanks again. I planted the seeds in a planter with a wide rim, and filled it with soil about an inch below the top of the pot, to avoid the seeds blowing away. I spread them on the soil, lightly pushed them in, and then watered with a spray bottle.

Trouble is, I can't even see them now. I have no idea whether they've blown away or not :P.

Anyway, should I continue to water using a spray bottle once or twice a day or is it acceptable to expose the seeds to rain?

Thanks again

    Bookmark     December 4, 2011 at 3:01PM
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morz8(Washington Coast Z8b)

Rain is perfectly acceptable - that's how the plant would plant them :)

I don't think I've ever had to water a pot placed outdoors in Fall or Winter here.

    Bookmark     December 4, 2011 at 7:28PM
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

Yes I think that is the problem. Why do you have so little mix in your pots? These germinate so fast I think I would start a new batch. Al

    Bookmark     November 30, 2011 at 1:30PM
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milocrab

I started another batch with soiless mix filled to the top. All of them (collards, bok choi, endive, escarole...etc) just started to develop the first true leaf, but one of the mustard green's cotyledon is still yellowish and dying. Its always the mustard greens looking very bad...?

I was going to plant fewer pots at first, but every one of the seeds germinated so I decided to plant them all but didn't made enough mix. So all the pots were half filled (2 inches deep)...I thought they would do OK until transplant.

    Bookmark     November 30, 2011 at 6:34PM
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

With care, you can grow citrus in your location. But citrus trees require fertilization and water.

You cannot grow grocery store coffee beans, rice, pepper corns, etc. (As asked by you in another forum).

    Bookmark     November 28, 2011 at 4:29PM
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    Bookmark     November 29, 2011 at 4:24PM
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angelina2600(5b)

I got seeds too for this season, luckily they germinated on me or these seeds are just easy to germinate no matter what?
I'm new to seed propagation, so i tried Coleus seeds indoors. The packet said, about 85% germinated. I got a seed flat of 72 cell packs, and I think I have about 100% of the seed germinated, some pack is so crowded. I am just amaze, it germinated in 10 days. I am just waiting if some of them will survive to become baby plant or die off on me. Most of them has just the first 2 green leafs.

    Bookmark     November 15, 2011 at 9:28PM
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railroadrabbit(7b - Atlanta)

If you think about ordering, but don't finish the order at Summer Hill Seeds, use coupon code: 1b8059ead7
This coupon offers 10% off for people that come back to finish their order. Good thru: 02/25/2011

Here is a link that might be useful: Test validity of their coupons here: http://summerhillseeds.com/discount_coupon.html

    Bookmark     November 28, 2011 at 3:25PM
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morz8(Washington Coast Z8b)

Surface sow (some light may be beneficial to germination), takes 2 - 3 weeks to germinate at 65F.

These are dwarf, you'll want them near the front with their short height, in sun. As with many alpine plants, they could be short lived perennials or could behave as annuals or biennials in your warmer humid climate but should self sow if you don't deadhead.

You could direct sow, I generally do with poppies - if you have a place prepared for the plants you could sow some now, or wait and put all of the seeds out in late winter/early Spring.....Fall or Spring is the suggested time for direct sowing - doing both may give you a longer succession of blooms.

    Bookmark     November 26, 2011 at 11:00AM
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yiorges-z5il

Go Ahead & winter sow the seed. true Poppies require a 4 week cold period & california poppies do not like to be transplanted and are helped by a cold period.

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 6:39PM
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botanicalboi(Zone 7 Georgia)

Thank you! I also have a post in regard to Alpine Poppies. Are you familiar with these?

    Bookmark     November 25, 2011 at 3:04PM
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yiorges-z5il

Sounds like a plan

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 6:42PM
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tamtrible(9)

Actually, "moist" we've got, it's the winter rainy season. I haven't had to water my back yard in weeks. But "chill", not so much, I think we're still running in the 70s.

Do you think water crystals would work as my sterile medium?

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 5:03AM
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morz8(Washington Coast Z8b)

I don't know, really - no experience there. I've only seen them used as a soil additive for plants with roots.

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 10:19AM
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yiorges-z5il

INDEN... SOAK SEED IN ACID FOR 10-15 MIN THEN IN WATER FOR 1-2 DAYS THEN STORE AT 40f FOR 3 MONTHS..... LIGHTLY COVER THE SEED SOIL TEMP 57-78f TAKES 14 TO 35 DAYS TO GERMINATE MAY TAKE LONGER
kct ... SOAK IN ACID 2-4 HOURS THEN LIGHTLY COVER SEED SOIL TEMP 65-70f TAKING 30-90 DAYS TO GERMINATE
i USE BATTERY ACID

    Bookmark     October 25, 2011 at 3:08PM
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compogardenermn(4- Twin Cities, MN)

I've had success with Kentucky Coffee Tree germination by scarifying the seed coat with a Dremel. I planted 3 non-scarified and 3 Dremel scarified seeds and the 3 scarified seeds all germinated while none of the non-scarified ones did. This will be the first winter they go through, so we shall see if they make it!

    Bookmark     November 23, 2011 at 10:11AM
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morz8(Washington Coast Z8b)

Yes, the seed is fine and surface sown, covering the seed pots with plastic wrap and removing that at the first sign of germination is one way of keeping them moist until they can germinate.

A. chinensis comes up like lettuce and just about as fast for me, other types could take as long as 60 days or more to sprout.

I don't think you'd have trouble with the seed, but if you do or if you are looking for a specific variety and cannot find seed for it, buying about 1/3 the number of plants you need, dividing those when you get them home to plant them is another possibility.

    Bookmark     November 19, 2011 at 11:07AM
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phlowerpower(5)

You could try some foxglove and columbine seeds.

I'd also put some spring bulbs in there, for sure. :)

    Bookmark     July 1, 2010 at 4:23PM
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weedlady(Central OH 6)

Just came across your old post when searching for info on growing astilbe from seed... I am curious as to what you decided to do and what the area looks like now,a year and a half later.

I must say your honeysuckle seems to be the alien invasive Amur honeysuckle, an insidious shrub that unfortunately bordered the rear flowerbeds in my backyard when we moved here 3 years ago. This year I finally persuaded my neighbor to cut them all down, so I only should have to do battle (in my vegetable AND flower beds AND the lawn) for another few years with the germinating seeds pooped out by the birds from thousands of "yummy" red berries all over my 1.3 acres.
In addition to the 5-6 full-grown honeysuckles along the property line, there were about a dozen of these monsters on our property that the previous occupants had kept pruned back into low (4-6') bushes. I cut every single one to the ground and carefully painted each remaining stump-end with a good, strong shrub-killer (the only time in my 40+ years as an organic gardener I ever have resorted to an herbicide--just shows you how much I detest honeysuckle). I laboriously dug out half of them a month or so later, but found by waiting another year, the other roots gave me less of a battle as they had partially rotted.
I think you would have a much nicer little garden spot if you were to remove the honeysuckle and instead plant a nice little native tree such as a redbud or dogwood. This would still provide some dappled shade and any bulbs or perennials (or part-shade-tolerant annuals) would thrive as opposed to a few plants merely surviving, which is, I am certain, all you would have as things are.

Please post a new photo if you have one!

    Bookmark     November 19, 2011 at 10:26AM
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