6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I have saved seed for a year and some do fine and others don't. The way they are stored has something to do with it but the variety has more.
I have had seed drop in my flower bed and sprout years later. Last year was a prime example. Close to 10 years ago I dug out all my Shasta daisies and last year a plant showed up in my flower bed.
If you want my opinion then save the seed and store it right. You will get most of them sprouting but there may be some that don't.
If they are heritage plants, then you can save seed from your plants and have them come true. I would plant some in pots just for the seed. That way you can be sure to have them all for another year.
The problem with sowing seeds in large planters is moisture control. In order to germinate the seed has to be moist--not wet-- for it's germination period. This is very hard to do in a large planter.A large planter will dry out on top but be very wet at the bottom. Too much water and the seed will rot or the seedling will damp off.That is why seed is planted in small containers and transplanted into larger pots.
Geranium and fuschia are tender perennials no matter where you live. In Canada they are sold annually, but are never called annuals. In answer to your question about other plants. Coleus and Impatiens are 2 more that can be wintered over. The problem with wintering these 2 over is spider mites. You have to treat the plants often for this little pest, which is why many can't be bothered doing it.
There are others too but it would be too much typing to list everything and why and how to keep or not keep them for another year.
thanks to oilpainter for clarifying the issue about moisture control problem with planters. Also for alerting me to the fact that my misuse of the term annual would make my post confusing. I do like the look of coleus, but spider mites sound pretty scary.
A little more.
They do sell heating cables that go right in the soil, but you'd have to start them in an open flat. I don't know how much they are. It seems to me your best option is the mat and a shallow container that only holds a couple of inches of soil. That way the heat will get to the seed. You can always transplant into bigger pots after they get their first true leaves. If you didn't know--the first leaves on a seedling are seed leaves. The true leaves are next.
There is a FAQ here on this forum on how to do avocado seeds. Just click the blue FAQ button and scan down the list.
How to grow a mango from seed from over on the Tropicals forum.
How to grow a tree from an acorn from over on the Trees Forum. Likely you can find how-tos on your other trees there too.
A forum search using the variety name is how I found those. Hope this helps.
Dave
Your link says the photo has been deleted so no luck seeing it. Best guess was some bacterial fermentation took place in the gel/slime coating on the seed and discolored the water. Happens now and then with many different seeds but no real harm.
Dave
All the basics are fairly well covered in the FAQs here - the blue FAQ button on the forum front page - but I linked them below for convenience. Why not browse through them (lights are covered too) and then post any further questions they don't answer for you, ok?
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from Seed FAQ
My use of the English language has never been beyond reproach and if my comment was not clear, I am sorry. The point is that the growing conditions in a container differ from those in the ground to such an extent that they should not be compared. Al
That's a great resource Jim! Thanks for posting it. I especially like the opening sentence:
Now hear this. Pinching and cutting cause more problems than they fix.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: PINCHING OF PERENNIALS THROUGH THE SEASONS
Indoor-grown seedlings also have to contend with limited air circulation, which together with soil that stays damp too long (because there are few roots to take it up) promotes damping off and other diseases.
The dangers of transplanting to too large a pot can be exaggerated (especially with fast-growing plants like peppers and tomatoes), but I wouldn't try starting them out in a 12" pot unless I used a very free-draining mix and had good light and air movement.
I second what lindalana said; check out the Winter Sowing FAQ. You can sow seeds without grow lights or any expensive set up. And it is so much easier, carefree and worry free.
Thank you,I wil try
winter sowing. Wish you
a great New Year in gardening.
caroline
Caroline, you should know that you will get a cherry tree by sowing seeds you saved of commercial fruit, but it isn't likely the fruit will resemble what you ate. Most cherries offered in grocery stores are from grafted or hybrid trees and the seedlings will vary.