6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

If you mean bulbettes that grow out of the original bulb, sure. You don't have to separate them the first year they appear though.

If you mean cutting the bulbs into like 8 or 16 sections, I know that can be done with hippeastrum, but I am not sure about amaryllis. You do do some search. If amaryllis belongs to onion family like hippeastrum does, then you can probably do it.

But depending on where you live, if might be easier to just leave them outside until they multiply, and then you can divide them.

a1chemyst,
There is also a Amaryllis/Hippeastrum Forum here if you'd like to check it out. They would, more than likely, be able to answer any questions you still might have.

Thanks! I'm new to gardening and it's great to get some help :0)

Larkspur is one of the plants that reseeds itself in the fall in my zone 6b PA garden. It did also in my zone 6 Cleveland garden. I suggest you try scattering some seed now where you want them to grow and let nature do it for you. I was out raking yesterday and see that some Larkspur is up and growing already. The frigid temps, snow, and ice to come won't hurt these seedlings. They'll hunker down and ride it out. If you want to use the belt and suspenders approach start some seed indoors as backup.

Just a note, if you have a heavy mulch down you won't get reseeding later this year. The mulch will keep the seed from coming into contact with the soil.

Good Luck.

Yeah, the cost of little extras can really mount up. I bought ten four foot fluorescent light fixtures for $3.99 each, but they didn't come with a cord. I went to home depot and they want $5.97 for a cord with a plug on it, which is more than I paid for the light fixtures. I spent quite some time searching for power cords on the internet and found a place that had some over-run cords for 95 cents each, but they wanted $11 to ship them. I finally decided to cut the cords off a bunch of old electric typewriters and other electronic equipment and use them.
And you are right, the cheapest fluorescent fixtures and bulbs are 4 footers. Strange pricing that a two foot bulb would cost more than a four footer.

Here's a pic and details on a small light set up I ran across on another discussion. Uses a white plastic bucket and one CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb). You can make the same sort of set up with a cardboard box lined with foil too.

Good for small numbers of plants but it is so cheap to make that several wouldn't cost much to put together.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Small seed starter set-up

Thanks. I'll try it and see what happens.
Julia

I have one that has been outdoors since last Fall & has weathered several frosts quite fine (still has a lot of green foliage). Is this a normal trait of the plant? When I received it at a plant swap, I didn't know much about it.

- Steve

I am trying to start plants from seeds for the first time this spring...Under lights in my small greenhouse. Please give me helpful hints on prevention of leggy seedlings and the damping off fungus. Thanks Lynda

I am trying to start plants from seeds for the first time this spring...Under lights in my small greenhouse. Please give me helpful hints on prevention of leggy seedlings and the damping off fungus. Thanks Lynda

Hi Lynda - all of this is covered in the FAQs here linked on the forum front page. I'll link it below to make it easier.

The main key to preventing leggy seedlings is enough light kept very close to the plants. If using fluorescents, that means no more than 1-2" above the plants. Avoid damp-off by avoiding over-watering, don't let it get too warm inside, and providing enough air circulation - most use a small fan of some type near the plants.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from Seed FAQs

Yeah, I agree...Don't think you should open/go to that link at all!

There is another link for that viral eruption thing on a post about grass seed....strange!!!

The average gardener usually does not have the space or light source required to grow the plants indoors for that long. It takes a lot of space, good light and good air circulation to bring healthy seedlings to the bud or bloom stage.

The seed company probably sets the guidelines to ensure the success of the largest number of gardeners.

That is true. I am lucky to have lots of space available, and an unheated greenhouse to move them into when the temperature rises enough to allow me too (sometime in early to mid March). It does take up a lot of space! Especially when they get transplanted from cell packs to 4 inch pots.

I use sterile seed starting mix, so I haven't any personal experience, but I would imagine so, yes. I can't think what the alternative would be. I've read something about heating soil in a microwave or some such, but can't remember the details. Seems like a lot of work when I can get a bag of seed starting mix for a couple of bucks.

I heat all my soil before starting seeds indoors. I use seed and cutting mix. It not only gets rid of any fungal spores that are in the soil but fungus gbnats too.

I do it in the fall with regular pro mix when I bring my plants inside. I never have those annoying black pests.

It's simple to do. I use a tin foil roaster, and fill it with soil. Then I cover it with tin foil to keep down the odor of cooking dirt. I set my oven at 200 and leave it for half an hour. Then remove it and moisten with cold water and you are ready to plant.

Seeds, by their very nature, have all they need to get a great start on life. I've found that using potting mixes, even those touted as "ideal germination" mixes that have any kind of ferts in them are worse.

FWIW, my fav mix is Ferti-lome, both to sow seedlings in and to use as a transplant mix. Not real cheap - $16 for a 50 quart bag, but IMO well worth it.

Mike

I buy peat by the bale from either Home Depot or Costco if they have it. It takes only one half a bale to fill a 33 gallon garbage can which is where I store it. It contains no fertilizer and is very cheap. Al

Morz8, indeed I did the same. I left the little pots outside throughout the winter, and they germinated outside. Then I thought I should have kept the seedlings under grow light and at warm temperature so they would have grown faster. Do you think they will grow well and hopefully bloom this year if I bring them outdoor now?

This is how they look like:

If you've moved them inside under lights with heat, you now need to treat them as though they have germinated inside and not been outdoors at all. Hardening them off will be required before they can stay outside again.

I've never had them bloom first year from seed.

Stevey I never use the dome. I plant lettuce right on top sprinkle a tad of fine vermiculite or perlite over the seeds Spray with a fine mist and you should be good to go. You can just bottom water after that Don't go over 80 F And most lettuce needs light to germinate. Do you have air circulation around the started plants? I use a small fan, but I don't blow it right on the plants just indirect air movement. OH one more thing If you have romaine lettuce it will not need light to germinate, but still should be started below 80 F.

Curt :-)

It's salad bowl loose leaf lettuce that i'm growing. The dome is only going to stay on this time until such time as the lettuce sprouts. The tomato and pepper, basil and dill are on their own after that... I think.

From this point on, I'm only going to bottom water all the plants, having learned (i hope) my lesson after making my last batch sick.