6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

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

T's gives info on how to start on her website and when she sends you the packs they have detail instructions on the packs also. Color bloom height width how to germinate. She tells you up front the important things!!

Some seeds in the catalog do not have seed instructions till you get the seeds. So really if you need to stratify or a cold frame you really do not know until you already got the seeds.

I like a lot of perennials and bulbs-- love those bulbs. Taller with interesting foliage or twigs in the back. Then have patches to fill in with annuals. Enough space to get a variety of flowers in there, but not enough empty area that it is a monumental task.

I did a monochromatic bed that really looked super. Different shades of pink with a couple of reds for accents and a few whites to help blend the colors. Silver birch trees at the very back so the silver and black trunks formed a nice background for the colors.

I like mums and fall asters because they come back every year and are a nice size. (plus they grow well here, which can't be said for a lot of things)

Sow the small seed thinly, and barely cover, some light may be beneficial to germination. You can cover with a bit of grit or coarse sand - will help the seed to stay in contact with the moist medium while still letting some light through. Otherwise use a light layer of your same potting medium. Prepare nursery pots using a moisture retentive yet well draining potting medium.....many are good, stay away from Hyponex brand. Scatter the seed, mist with water, cover lightly with grit and mist again. I like roots of trees, shrubs, to have room immediately to grow down - I sow in pots with 5" depth. If you are very attentive and not likely to forget to check, you can cover tops with saran wrap - removing it immediately at the first seed germinating so circulation of air is increased.

Thank you so much! You have really been a real help to me :)
As you know I love this tree and just can't wait to grow it. Hopefully I'll post some pictures of them growing when they do. THANKS :)

When my Datura seed pods get large and I think they are about ready I put an old knee high stocking around it to collect the seeds. That way they can stay on the bush until they are really ready to open.

Collect as above and then do some seed swapping. Make a post over in the Brugmansia forums, many people there collect the 'Devil's trumpet' (Datura) along with Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) You could get some lovely brugmansia and other seeds from the trades. :)

They are very easy to take cuttings from. Make sure you have 4 or 5 nodes with all but top leaves removed and place in a see-through disposable drinking cup filled to the top with perlite. Dip end in rooting hormone, wrap in damp unmilled sphagnum and push into perlite, leaving only the top node above. Place in shallow tray, water well and keep perlite moist. You'll have to bring yours inside this time of year. Place in sunny window, and within a few weeks you'll see it perk up and begin to grow. :)

Thanks for the tips and growing from cuttings. Is it possible(and if so how) to grow and collect seeds from this plant to share with others via mail? Thank You

If the plant survived the frost then the seed will continue to ripen..... This means the seed will continue to store nutrients & hormones that will enable it to germinate in the spring..... If the plant is frozen then no more sugars/oils & hormones so the seed will not ripen.

Thank you!! I guess I was lucky to get one nice ripe zinnia head from zowie before they froze, but not so lucky with Oklahoma cherry, I dont think I got a single ripe head from it, which is a shame because I havent seen it offered as a single color for years!

Thanks again,
Wendey

Remember you always want to hold a plant by a leaf rather than the stem since a plant can recover from a lost leaf but not always from a broken stem. Good luck separating them. Transplanting little tiny plants has always been beyond me.

It seems that if you end up losing your plants there is a good chance that some of those seeds won't sprout until next year. Be sure to keep them away from any plants you don't want choked to death as they can pull down a very large plant. They are very pretty and produce lots of flowers. I know they can live though our summers even on the coast without weeding or watering and re-seed themselves without any help. They don't like shade but love the sun. They love to climb but will run across the ground to anywhere and climb up any plant it can find. Once they get going they are very hard to weed out if needed, it could take years to stop them once they spread so I find locations where they won't cause any problems with other plants. I love their blooms and foliage so I keep them away from my other plants and enjoy their beauty.