6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Plants CANNOT use blood meal etc.... directly they must first be broken down and converted to a nitrate by bacterial action..... in order for the bacteria to multiply they must have nitrates & phosphates which they get from the soil SOOOOOOOOO there is a shortage of nuitrants for a period of weeks or months then later you get a pay back in nitrates. its no wonder your plants are stunted........
Most of us will eventually come across a season where things just don't work out....Life happens. I hope you won't take seed failures as a sign you must go without color in your garden this year, because if there was a year where you need it, it sounds like this could be that one. Treat yourself to some annuals/snapdragons, 6-packs at the nursery if your own have failed...and don't feel guilty about it. Do not go without a garden this year. No one here is going to blacklist you if all in your garden is not started from seed by you...you can go back to your usual sowing next season when under better circumstances.
And congratulations on that baby!
Just a note, about the morning sickness. Just after my sister had her baby, she heard a news story that made her feel a tiny bit better about her (8 months of) morning sickness. Apparently it's associated with a higher IQ in the baby. What they said on the news (although it's not too scientific) is that there was a 1 point increase in average IQ for every time the mother threw up. So you can look forward to a smart baby. A little off-topic, but you need something to make the morning sickness seem a little more worth it, I would bet. Incidentally, I can't speak to the general truth of the association, but my niece is very, very smart. Not that I'm biased.
As long as they are under the ground they should be Ok. It would have to freeze the ground down to the seeds and I don't think in your area that would happen. They will sprout when the weather warms. Just water them when the weather warms.
The kolirabi and peas will like the cooler weather better than hot.
Don't panic it will be fine
Agree with all of the above info although I don't find that germination rates of properly stored seed declines by more than 5-6% per year. With few exceptions, 2007 seed, properly stored, should still be quite viable. It definitely wouldn't be considered old seed.
But when we have poor results it is so much easier for us to blame the seeds or blame the potting mix when in truth, most of the problem causes are us - the growers. We insist on too much water or not enough soil heat or failing to scarify or stratify or most commonly, insisting on indoor germination when direct seeding is best. ;)
The germination needs of so many seeds are very diverse so it is best to research the needs of each variety for the best results.
The many FAQs here on this forum (front page in blue link) cover hundreds of varieties and if you Google 'seed germination database' you'll find lots of help.
Dave
The information on this database is reliable, a good one to keep bookmarked. Most of the suggestions are for dried stored (i.e. commercial) seed - in some instances seed sown freshly harvested may have different requirements.
Here is a link that might be useful: Clothiers database
The peppers - pinch off the blooms and they will do fine. The cukes however will most likely stunt. I would start new ones of them or better yet plan to just direct seed them - that works best anyway.
Members of that family if transplanted with more than just 1 true leaf produce poorly throughout the season.
Dave
A plant is programmed to grow and produce seeds. The leader--top--is boss and the good goes to it to produce seeds. What's left over goes to the branches. If you remove the top leaves and a bit of the stem the plant goes into survival mode and produces lots of stems so it can do what it is programmed to do and produce seeds. These stems unlike the leader are all equal and the good is divided equally to them all, so you get a bushy plant.
Sometimes when we deadhead we do this naturally. Like with Marigolds. Remove the top flower after it dies and you are pinching it back and it produces more branches and as a consequence more flowers.
Your azaleas are beautiful, I've seen the photos :)
Here's the directions for your talented DH, he might just get some interesting crosses. It looks a little wordy but is fairly straightforward, just some warmth and moisture, along with a little patience for these slow growing shrubs needed. Don't cover the seeds, just wet them down to make good contact with the sowing medium. And I'm glad to see you able to turn your thoughts back to gardening, dear friend!
Azalea Society of America -
Azaleas grow readily from seed. The seed pods are plainly visible soon after the flowers drop, and become larger over the summer, eventually turning dark brown, splitting open, and dropping the seed on the ground. Only very rarely will the conditions be right for the seed to germinate and grow in the garden. Instead, collect the seed pods before they open, and grow the seed under controlled conditions. Collect the seed pods as they begin to turn brown, usually around the time of the first frost in the fall.
Put the pods of one variety into one container, such as an envelope or a small paper muffin cup, and mark it with the variety. After a few weeks, the pods will split and begin to spill out their seed, as many as 500 seeds per pod (My note: they are almost like dust!). Clean the seed by separating it from the pod and other debris.
Prepare some flats by putting a mixture of sand and peat or leaf mold or perlite to within about an inch of the top, and covering it with a half inch or so of milled sphagnum moss. Soak it until it is thoroughly wet, and let it drain out the excess water. It may be convenient to soak it separately in a tub of water, and fill the flat with handfuls of the mixture squeezed free of excess water. The plastic containers used by supermarkets for pastry and salads, about three inches high and various widths and lengths, are ideal for small quantities of seedlings.
Sow the seed in the winter, indoors, to give the seedlings as much time as possible before being subjected to outdoor winter temperatures. Broadcast it over the flat and mist it lightly to settle the seeds. Cover the flat tightly with plastic, and put it under artificial lights or on a north window sill. The seed will germinate in two to six weeks, depending on the variety.
When the seedlings have developed two sets of leaves, carefully transplant them into other flats filled with a similar mixture of sand and peat or leaf mold or perlite. Use a toothpick or similar fine instrument to remove a seedling, and to plant it into the new flat. Use a two or three inch spacing, as they will probably stay in this flat for a year or more. When the flat is filled, water the seedlings with a fine spray to settle the soil around the roots. Cover it with plastic, and place it under lights or on a north facing window sill, or outdoors in the shade if the weather is reliably above freezing. After a few days, the seedlings should be established and the plastic can be removed. Fertilize with very weak solutions of liquid fertilizer to maintain active growth.
After they have grown a year, the seedlings are ready to be potted up or planted out. The soil should be almost a solid mass of fine roots, and the soil can be cut into squares rather than trying to find out which roots go with which plant. They are quite tender, and should be given ample water and ample shade.
You guys are great, thanks for the advice. And thanks for pointing out the FAQ's, for some reason I hadn't even noticed that. There is a lot of info that will help.
As a professor, I know that answering the same questions over and over from beginners can get tedious.
I want to chime in and say how great it is that he is learning through this about the plants so that in the future he'll most likely be such a helper you'll wonder what you ever did without him. Kudos to him for being teachable and willing to admit his helping wasn't quite up to snuff, and kudos to you for nicely teaching him via experience how he can REALLY help! Sounds like ideal gardening partners.
Update. We went out to put the babies to bed last night. They had to go back in the hoop house because the low last night supposed to be 30. My 16-yo looks at the pathetic maters and asked "what is wrong with these?" Before I could speak hubby jumps in and says "sunburned".
By George, I think he's got it!!
I'd move them to 4" pots now, then to 6" pots if they outgrow those. Individual pots are better than putting them together in a big planter and then having to untangle their roots. But I like oilpainter's idea of asking the people who are selling you their house.
Keep them outdoors in at least 6 hours of sun daily. The plants will get leggy and be useless if they don't get plenty of sun and cool overnight temps ... but small pots can dry out easily. If you can't be home to water them on warm days, you can bury the pots in a garden bed up to the rim, and lift them every day or two to make sure the roots don't grow through the drainage holes.
I suppose the big question is whether or not the June 4th move will be to a place where they can go into the ground. What you really want to aim for is to reduce the number of times that you transplant but at the same time get them out of the pots they are in now. The current pots are far to small and will negatively impact future transplants if you leave them much longer. If you are unsure then go for the 6' pots. You can always leave them in there even after you move to a more permanent location until the plants are ready for another transplant. Try to keep them well watered in the meantime to discourage additional root development.
Here is a link that might be useful: Irrigation Equipment
Here is my update. My husband does NOT have cancer. It was chronic/acute kidney failure and he is now recovering at the Gainesville, FL VA hospital which is the best hospital we have ever been in! Thanks to God!.
I have not had any time to do anything. We have been traveling back and forth with a rental car (ugh! $$) and My seedlings have been hanging in there.
I've got the Tomato, Cheyenne Bush Squash, and Yellow Cucumber, Jenny Lind Melon , Malabar Spinach seeds, Summer Squash and some Milkweed seeds started.
I had to put them in small pots because I have not had time to get them into the ground. My garden area is not even prepared yet.
My husband should be out in a few days and I will just have to see what I can do.
I have read on some of the packages that some of them (don't remember which, I'm stressed still) do NOT like to be transplanted, but we will see what God will allow to happen when the time comes.
Thanks,
Halime
PS I have some Wax Myrtle shrubs that I planted last year and had to move during the month of November. They got very leggy and I took the advice of people on here to just "whack" them close to the ground. THEY ARE LOOKING BEAUTIFUL. Nice and bushy and green.
Yay! I'm glad!
I've actually had no experience with most of the plants you're growing (don't know what to do with squash and don't even know what a milkweed is! :)) but I hope everything works out ok with them. I, too, was running behind this year. Sheer ignorance on my part, but I am suprised how quickly my peas and spinach have caught up. Even bought some herbs yesterday.
Kim
A few answers for you...often fluctuating temperatures will help in germination, as in lower at night than daytime (exceptions might be tropicals). I will often place the pots of seeds that I know are going to take many months to germinate outside on my deck...tucked discreetly among pots containing plants so that I remember to water them.
You can top your seed pots with grit over those seeds that will take a few to many months to germinate, it will discourage moss and algae from forming. Chick grit, horticultural grit, or even fine aquarium gravel from the pet store.
Your seed pots don't need to be under lights until germination begins.
The advantage of the grit is it dries between watering at least on top which is where the algae grows. This greatly helps eliminate algae growth. The soil under the grit remains moist and in most cases those seeds that require months to germinate will survive. Al