6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

I love to grow from seed just to see if I can accomplish the task and also learn as everywhere I have lived it seems to be a little different. I also learn what does well in my area plus all the joy of watching them when they do well. I even enjoy finding those 10 cent seeds from time to time just for the pleasure of finding out if they are worth the trouble, and end up with many surprises. My soil plus my cat makes growing some plants a large task to get them to survive so I have to plant something in my little space quite often in the hopes I will win against my cat and the soil.

Mike,
Have you looked into plugs. Commerical growers around here use them. They speed the growing time. I put a random link below. They might me more expensive but you could do multiple seasons of plants.
Also, would the new Tecoma stans Mayan Gold or hardy Hibiscus grow in your zone. When you move into shrubs from seed you might get more per plant with the same effort. Of course, you know what you are doing; I haven't ever attempted what you do, but your efforts are intriguing.
Wally,
I can relate. My issues are soil, whether my bugs will like or dislike a new plant, whether I know how to water and fertilize a particular plant correctly, and my garden cats. These are various neighbors cats who like to come by and visit because they know we're home and there is food for them. Plus my special cat who I keep indoors except when I go outside.

Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: one plug producer

I sprinkle a layer of fine dry material around the seedlings. Sift some peat works pretty well.

Cinnamon - sprinkle it over the surface of the growing medium. It kills the spores but won't hurt your seedlings. I grew hosta, daylily & false indigo indoors & used the cinnamon to retard the damping off fungus. A fan on low to circulate the air will also help.

I got some balsa seeds to sprout in a mix of 50% peat 25% sand 25% perlite. I put them in the pot watered them every morning and set them on the porch that gets sun about half the day.

Once on the forest floor, seeds will apparently not germinate unless soil temperatures are high enough to indicate that direct sunlight is available. Allen (1956) indicates that fire also aids in stimulating germination. Otherwise, the seeds will remain dormant in cool soil, waiting for a tree-fall, landslide, or even road-cut to provide them with an opportunity to sprout.

Try a heat lamp to simulate open sunny area. Some seeds need a scratch on the shell to allow water to penetrate the shell.
I set my seeds out side to start them this wasn't enough. What I am suggesting I tried on other seeds and it worked for them.

Hi Mary, I found seeds on mine and they were germinating right on the plant. I did some research and found this....Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 8 - 12 weeks warm followed by 8 - 16 weeks cold stratification and can then be sown in a cold frame[78, 98]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm long taken at a node or with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[200].

heres a link where the article was posted.....http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Euonymus+alatus+apterus

hope that helps.

YES - pink_petunia is right. What I did was planted the seeds 1/16" in peat moss in a milk jug that I cut in half, indoors in November. I misted the top of the peat each day. In February, I taped the top of the milk jug onto the bottom and placed it outside. Once the weather got a little warmer, I could see the seedlings.

Thanks for the replys!!

Randi

Winter Sowing iris is the way to go for success.

I picked some off a wild vine in the woods and want to plant them. Do I take the seeds out of the pulp or let them dry first. Also after they germinate when what season do I plant them

I'm living in Italy Z9,
there is someone that has the possibility to send me few muscadine seeds of known quality? I'm able to send in change of european V. vinifera, or other you likes (e.g. disease resistant hybrid).
Bye, Sergnic

I have just purchased some Primula Auricula seeds from ebay, ive always wanted to grow them but they are VERY hard to find in Canada.

My question is,, do you have to start them at a cretin time of year? Its September right now, can I start em now? If so what do I have to do?

Thanks a bunch
Mattyj

I found this site which should help you with your auriculas:
http://www.auriculaandprimula.org.uk/
I saw a program on tv in which these beautiful flowers are grown inside or in heated greenhouses or in the hot season, in the garden in some sheltered place where no direct sun ray will plunge on them. They are usually showed on a black background so that their colors will burst out and also, it is said to put mirrors at both ends of the showing shelves so that they will seem to be multiplied indefinitely. Eventually, I would love to get myself some seeds of those. Good luck with your seeds and send some pictures of them when in full bloom!

What you need to germinate your seeds are a very warm soil. So I would use the heated starter trays. Either than or use a room that you can keep the temperature at 80F. And don't forget you will need lighting that is no more than 12 inches from the plants so they don't get leggy. And you might want to use a hydrogen peroxide solution to water with if your not sure where the seeds came from to ward off damp off disease.

There is a hot pepper forum here on Garden Web. The people there TRADE pepper seeds. So if you have seeds to trade, it is a good way to get unusual varieties.

It's not a bad place to hang out and learn about peppers. There are plenty of nice people there.

I have good luck using the baggie method to germinate pepper seeds. I set the baggie on top of my water heater and that seems to be just right as I get excellent germination rates.

Also, if you intend to sell plants there is a very good Market forum where farmer's market selling is discussed.

Thank you so much for posting the link. These were cited extensively in propagation classes I've taken the last two summers, so I'm thrilled to be able to download the entire references.

I just found another reference, this one for germinating tree and shrub seeds. It is the US Forest Service's Woody Plant Seed Manual. You can find it at www.nsl.fs.fed.us/wpsm/
This appears to have a good deal of information about harvesting, pretreatment of seeds, etc.

Bruce