6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

Even though the seeds are tiny, will they sprout?

Go ahead and give them the float test. Not every seed that sinks to the bottom is viable and not every seed that floats is immature, but it is one cheap, easy method. I would think that choosing the largest, ripest store-bought limes could help as well.

Dirtbert. If you collect seeds from a hybrid plant and save them, you
should not list them as "open pollinated". Some people do not grow
hybrids, and op is not hybrids. I like to know what I'm growing, as boring
as that sounds. I have nothing against hybrids, in fact I have 2 Sungold's
in my garden now. Maybe you had no complaints, but they may not
trade with you again.

I have grow Tomatoes of every kind and color. There is no bad seeds(F2) or good (F1), It is all in the user. Some people do not collect seeds others love to. It all comes down to what you do and do not want. Heirlooms are wonderful but suffer from many problems, then again the hybrids do not. If you are a seeds saver go with the types that come true. If you like problem free no fuss plants then go with the hybrid types. Each of us to our own. I tell my trades that on some seeds I cannot say for sure they will come true. I have had seeds not sprout and seeds that grew great no one ever complained about not being ok with the trade. That is one of the chances we take in trading. If a persons list is to picky and demands a lot I avoid it, seems to takes the fun out of trading. Leave off the good or bad and do your own thing letting others do there's keeps gardening fun.

yeah, I have tiny ws seedlings of poppy mixed transplanted about 2 weeks ago. And now, they look similar to the pic above. :)

it does indeed look like a poppy of some sort, has it bloomed by now? :)

be patient and the color they provide when mature enough to flower will make up for their untidy habit.

hi morz8,

You are correct! :D Few flower buds opened today. I love the colors of the flower. Here are the pics for today.

congratulations on your calendula and look forward to it being in your garden for years go come :) no matter what i do i cant get rid of this lol. i discovered this beauty after a bird or wind draft left some in my garden one day; as many of my favorite flowers happened :) there are many varieties, i prefer the ones that don't grow so leggy like and lean and fall over. i prefer the ones that aren't as tall and have a more compact plant to them. but all in all they seed very well. you can save the seed if you wish to "control" where to plant them but they self seed Very very well and will pop up alot anywhere. the seed pods burst and release the seeds so some may get carried by the wind a bit.

we planted kale seed 3 weeks ago and began to transplant them this week.

I start swiss chard in 3oz solo cups (with holes poked in bottom) filled with dampened seed starting mix, vermiculite or a mix of both. I plant 6-8 (presoaked) seeds in a cup, push them lightly into the soil then cover lightly with more soil. Use a spray bottle to keep the top of soil damp until the germinate. I usually get around 12-20 plants. Once they germinate make sure they get lots of light. I then transplant them out after they get their first set of true leaves. I don''t thin them in the cup, just tranplant what I want out into the garden. When you plant mixes you can see what colors you have before you put them out. I have not had any luck starting swiss chard directly in the garden.

Good gardening, Mary