6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Once they sprout you need to get them off the heat and under lights. Of your selection, peppers will take the longest to germinate, next the toms. Cucurbits sprout quickly and grow fast which is why most growers wait until their soil is warm and direct sow them.
This is the problem with mixing varieties under the dome. I would carefully pot up your cucurbits to individual pots or cups. That way you could keep the heat and the dome on for the others. If you still have seed for your cucurbits you'll have back up to direct sow if you can't pot up or things don't go well.
an update and a thank you. got the other lights set up and got the sprouted guys out of the dome. things look to be moving along nicely. I'll plant these when they are ready and direct seed some of the same variety. I am curious to see if I get early harvest or the direct seeds catch up anyway....
I use the 18 oz Solo plastic cups for my tomato and pepper seedlings. Aside from the fact that 18 don't quite fit in a standard nusery flat (crowded), they work great. They'll last for more than a season if you care to wash them out and save them.
I don't know what your weather is doing temperature wise - you'll have to pay attention to water (I know you said raining now) sowing this late so be prepared for that
Columbine (aquilegia hybrida) - I'm not sure. There are so many columbine, I don't know what to make of 'hybrida'. Most germinate (with just a couple of exceptions) at lower temperatures or need an extended moist chill and many can be slow to germinate (slow meaning 'months')
Gloriosa daisy (rudbeckia hirta)Sow at 68F, if no germination in 3-4 weeks, move to 39F for 2-4 weeks, *see hollyhock
Malva (malva sylvestris zebrina) Sow at 68F in light (surface, do not cover), germinates in less than two weeks
Nigella (nigella damascena) Should germinate in a week or two at 70ish F
Balloon flower (platycodon grandiflorus) Sow at 68F, germination slow
Oriental poppy (papaver orientale)Sow at 68F, germinates in less than two weeks - do not cover seed
Foxglove (digitalis pupurea) Surface sow at 68F, germinates in less than two weeks
Hollyhock (alcea rosea ficofolia) Sow at 68F, if no germination in 3-4 weeks, move to 39F for 2-4 weeks then back to warm (sometimes with these it's best to save time and just assume they will benefit from a moist chill to begin with)
Diluted by how much? From your description, your seedlings do sound burned. Seedlings, especially those grown inside without the benefit of wind, fluctuating temps, to 'toughen' them up are especially sensitive - much more so than those growing in your garden.
The usual recommendation is to apply products sparingly, beginning at 1/4 the normal strength.
Hey Christine, the canna lily seeds need to be nicked or filed to expose just a bit of the white or green inside. then you can plant them in pots, cups or the ground about an inch deep and water good the first time and then when the soil feels dry to the touch. I always put mine in a vice grip wrench and file on one spot until the black is worn away and the white or green is exposed. It only has to be a tiny spot. I hope this works out for you. Joel
I can't come up with an online label for your product - often there is a way to find a copy but I haven't with this one.
There is an email contact page for the manufacturer if that helps you at all. Place for a question.
Here is a link that might be useful: Green Earth Products CA contact page
Thanks for the input.... my market is about 50 acres of open field that I want to slowly fill with trees for wildlife and privacy purposes... I have no intention of selling anything... just don't want to keep paying $66/100 seedlings every spring when I can break even in 4 years or less.
Just wondering, but if you have adult trees, don't you get a fair number of volunteers that could be transplanted? I have two hickories and an oak on my small urban property, and I'm forever yanking out seedlings. That would seem an easier way to go to me.
Linda, what kind of light do you have them in? The better the light, outdoors ideal of course when your weather allows, the sturdier the seedlings will be.
Wisteria has a long juvenille stage from seed. Just giving them time is the best you can do. That stem will become woody as it matures - and I don't mean to discourage you but you need to be prepared to be more than patient if flowers are your goal.
Here is a link to a germination database. It seems that they are best planted fresh. This particular company sends them when they already have signs of germination. Apparently, the seeds have a reputation for being difficult to germinate. I see this company pretreats them for germination.
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Your Own Miracle Fruit from seed
Melody,
I assume you've grown those kinds of seeds before, and know what they normally look like.
Is there any chance that they've been exposed to a low dose of herbicide of some kind? I occasionally hear stories of deformed plants due to a bad batch of municipal compost or even a bad batch of commercial potting soil tainted with some kind of persistent herbicide. No way to really confirm those stories, but a low dose of some herbicides (2,4-D overspray for example) can cause curly growth, and it's easy to believe that some species would be more sensitive than others.
If the potting mix is tainted, the only thing you could do is wash all the old medium off the seedlings and transplant them into some new mix.
Alex
Fast for a bulb - One to three years, one being when grown under ideal conditions. (rich moist soil high in organic content). Short viable seed, sow - seed barely covered - soon after harvest. (Pacific Bulb Society)