6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Use 2/1 peat moss/perlite or vermiculite. They are cheap and for the most part sterile. I've had great germination rates with the peat/perlite mix. This year I added course sand to the mix and got even better germination and faster growth. I don't know if it was the sand or the seeds but most of the seeds were saved from last year. Mix the compost in after the first set of true leaves appear. Germination is better w/o the rich compost. Seed starting mix has no or very little nutrients.
gemfire, I've tried it, and they did OK, but not as well as in peat pellets. (My compost was fairly fresh, free of recognizable particles, but still pretty chunky, and I did not sterilize it). I think the jiffy pellets work better because they have small particles that the sprouts can easily push through. Not sure why, but they work better for me than regular peat.
Yiorges, excuse me, what? Your very rude response is not called for nor welcome on GW forums.
Kwyet1, I'm just now getting into seed harvesting myself, so I can't offer any expert, definitive answer to your question, but my thought would be to let the flower heads turn brown on the plant, then cut them and give them some time to completely dry out on a paper plate or paper towel - maybe a week? Then shake the seed heads over a sheet of paper or a small paper bag. The seeds should fall right out. Then sow them in the spring in a very fine seed-starting mix. There's a really great website that shows pictures of the seed pods, seeds and seedlings of thousands of plants that might be helpful to you. Also how and when to sow, days for germination, etc.:
http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, and as a member of GW, I apologize for the above poster's rudeness. Everyone else here is friendly and knowledgable, so hopefully someone else will respond to your question.
Pat
Yes! The'pod' at the base of the dry petal is the seed. However, Zinnia is notorious for produceng sterile seeds and as you must know, the plant produced from seed probably will not look like its parent. A quickie test last week on Zinnia seeds collected the last week in July showed only 16% viability. It's fun to germinate any seeds, tho...
I just sowed the last of my cilantro seeds this past weekend, and they've already sprouted. The first batch was started in April and was fully grown (and eaten!) by mid-May. They grow fast and bolt in the heat, so I decided to do 2 batches with the hot months in-between. I've had success transplanting basil and rosemary from indoor starts.
I'm in Zone 5/6, and started my tomato seedlings in mid April for late May transplant, and believe me, they were more than ready! For basil, started 6 weeks before planting out, and 10 weeks for the rosemary. I think I could've done 12 weeks for the rosemary, as it took longer for it to get established.
Hope this bit of anecdotal info was useful!
the division of these plants will be the same as any other plant...... gently seporate the plants .....retaing as much root mass (of each plant) as possible. repot, water well, LIGHTLY fertilize, place in shaded area at first then bring into full light.
Here is a link to a review of this company, from the Garden Watch Dog:
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/3178/
Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Watch Dog
I haven't tried that particular eryngium, but according to the Clothiers database they are slow to germinate and not all seedlings will appear at the same time. In my own Z8, putting the pots outdoors from about Nov into early March would make them independent of me having to watch them closely but there is very little chance of any pot drying out here over late Fall and Winter. My winter temps will often be a day/night average of 40F
Clothiers - Eryngium campestre , Sow at Max. 5ºC (41ºF), germination irregular, often several months
Hi Savannaht. I haven't tried campestre species in particular.
But with E. alpinum & giganteum cultivars, I have figured out that (unless seeds are not viable to begin with), if they aren't sown almost directly from the the bract, in which case some can germinate within weeks, they can otherwise be rather more difficult/slower, unless the outer seed coat is removed first.
Try using a new damp coffee filter in a plastic baggy, if you aren't already. Carefully use your fingernails to gently remove the outer seed coat & once hulled, quickly place each on the moist filter, as it is important to avoid allowing it to dry out.
The inner seed coat will appear much like a sunflower seed.
Expose these seeds to afternoon or morning light, indoors in a windowsill, but be sure it doesn't make them get too warm.
Then place back in the refrigerator, as the seeds should have started to swell & may turn pale green.
I've noticed they can actually rot more easily, if they aren't cooled down, while in the process of producing a root.
But, since you've pre-stratified them they may just germinate with ease, once the seed coat has been removed without requiring any more cooling & without rotting.
You'll have to keep watch...
If they don't start to germinate &/or rotting starts to occur- Chill again & be patient.
Once the rootlet appears you can pot those up & they should do fine with afternoon shade. After several true leaves have grown, you may carefully plant them out, while trying not to disturb the tap root too much, in the process.
hth
Solanum pseudocapsicum or "Jerusalem Cherry". The fruit may be poisonous. It is a tender perennial, can be moved indoors for the winter. Al
Thanks everyone! When I searched "Solanum pseudocapsicum" or "Jerusalem Cherry", it appears exactly what I have. Only one problem, it is poisonous and deadly to animals, so I guess it will have to go, since I have a dog running around the yard that likes pick its own tomatoes, strawberries, and raspberries. A unique plant, but I don't need problems! Paul