6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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
If they are under the soil then they are in darkness. Seeds that need light to germinate are not buried, they are placed on top of the soil. Mine germinated just fine sitting on the light shelves, not directly under the light, but they weren't in a closet.
After the new batch sprouted, I kept them about 4 feet from my 2x 23w CFLs for most of the day. Maybe 5 days later, I put them in a place where they get very filtered sunlight and they're doing fine so far. Gradually moving closer to the window each day. Hopefully they'll stay alive!
Thanks for the help everyone.
If they have been properly hardened off, they should be fine at those temps. They prefer it warmer, but I doubt production would suffer from the temps dropping slightly for a short time. For a longer period, their growth would slow, but should return once it warms up. They won't be 'injured' unless there is frost, a fierce wind, hail during a storm, etc.
Here's some more info...
Here is a link that might be useful: pepper faq's
I've grown seeds from that very same packet "Bring Home the Butterflies" (from Botanical Interests), and I live in San Francisco too. It's a great mix packet! Comes with so many different types, and lots of them too. I still have a bunch. Since those seeds come from all different climate zones, you don't need to worry about planting them too early or too late. In San Francisco, you can plant them pretty much any time of the year.
I would recommend though, if you want to only plant a few types from that mix, that you look up information on those plants so you can give them the most suitable environment, because they are all different. (For instance, some plants might need darkness to germinate, some might need light, etc, some might need part shade, etc.) I know the packet is designed for the gardener to just toss a bunch of seeds on the ground and let nature do the rest, but I've planted mine separately just because I wanted to have individual plants, not a big crowded pot.
Two years ago I first planted my butterfly seeds in the middle of summer and I had flowers all the way up until Christmas time. There will always be late-season bugs happy to find a home in your plants.
Take a look at this one.
Sarah
Here is a link that might be useful: Hollyhock The Bride
Last November (2010) I bought 500 Japanese red maple seeds
I followed the instructions: I kept in the warm water for 48 hours and set up in a plastic bag with mixed pit moss + sand + perlite for 65 days.
I sowed the seeds outside on a semi-shade in the mixture of pit moss, sand and perlite on February, 28 2011.
I am in May 14, 2011 and I did not get any sprouts.
What did I do wrong?
Here my observation. I will start the seeds in cells, could be moss cells or plastic cells. This makes transplanting them to 4 inches pots simple and easy. These seedlings are so fragile and if you are not careful during the transplanting you lost them.
Thank you morz8 for the link. An area of my garden has been growing Columbine continuously for over 10 years with no help from me. I enjoyed reading the link and have seedlings now about a foot high in another garden, and will be disappointed if they do not flower this year. Al
Putting your seeds dry in the refrigerator didn't count towards conditioning them...they need the chill and the chill must be moist, dry is only storage.
There is no need to nick. Sowing in Fall when seeds are immediately ripe is best - seed pots left outdoors exposed to fluctuating late Fall and Winter temps will often germinate the first Spring. If you haven't had them in time to sow right after harvest, pour hot water over seeds and leave them 24-48 hours. Then provide a moist chill of approx 40F, 2 - 4 months. You can accomplish that by putting the seeds in a bit of moist sterile vermiculite or moist sterile sand and placing them in a dated zip lock bag in the refrigerator.
foolishpleasure: photosynthesis requires carbon DIoxide, water, and light. ;-) It produces oxygen and glucose.
it looks like too much water to me..