6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Check the height and width of the full grown plants (shown on back of seed packet usually).
Zinnias and Marigolds vary in height and width depending on the type.
The Zinnias I grow are quite tall - I grow them in the ground.
The Marigolds I grow are two types - the French and Dwarf.
I plant several (5 or so) marigold seeds in one hole. The French get quite wide - 3 feet perhaps. The Dwarf are cute little mounds that would look lovely in a pot.
Zinnias and Marigolds are very good choices - very easy to grow.
Here is a picture of the Zinnias and Dwarf Marigold in my yard:
I have less experience with zinnias, but I've seen marigolds grow and bloom even when very crowded. Ideal spacing may be more eficient use of your seed, but even planted at maybe four times that density, they can grow healthy, with adequate water and fertilizer. They can be pretty forgiving.
Mirabilis jalapa, aka Four O'Clocks. For future reference there is a forum on Garden Web called Name That Plant which is the best place to get ids. It is very active.
Here is a link that might be useful: Name That Plant Forum
Echinacea will normally take 10-20 days to germinate at 65-70F (18-21C) - cooler or warmer may take longer. I think your climate is approximately a Z8 and the plants may do better outside than inside over winter with low or inadequate light. You don't need to cut them back, let mother nature take care of the dormancy, give them some protection during a harsh winter storm if your pots would be in danger of freezing. I've moved very young plants in and out of my unheated garage when temperatures have been predicted to fall much below freezing.
I'm late to this, but I happen to have some hosta seedlings at various stages so I thought I'd post the pics.
These are some seeds I got off of ebay. I germinated them on a moist paper towel inside a zip lock (started June 3rd). June 16th there were quite a few that had germinated, so I placed them in potting soil. This is what some of the more advanced ones looked like this morning (June 19). Some of the others aren't as far along and haven't sent up a leaf yet.
they are still going to cross pollinate to some extent. knowing that, it probably doesn't matter. unless you care. you could try to stagger, but time to harvest is probably what, 100 days?
YMMV in your zone. call the extension service and ask them ...
dave
I've been reading that pollen determines the type of corn produced. I would try to avoid having flint corn pollinate sweet corn, as it would likely be harder and less sweet. There are also finer points like the gene(s) responsible for the sweetness of your particular corn. Two common ones being se and su. Bottom line: change pollen source, likely change the taste. Sweet corn, pollinated by a different sweet corn, is still sweet corn. It could be more or less sweet, though. I'd plant the sweet corns together, but I'm not too picky, and like to experiment.
Will you be saving any of the seed you produce? If so, know that your crop next year is likely to be very different if you grow them together. And variable. I don't care about purity, but most gardeners do, so you'll need to decide how you feel about it.
Being that I'm in Hampton Roads area, not all that far south of you, mine are in full flower right now. They are a cool season annual & as such, require they be sown in early autumn, or late winter, depending on the weather...
I also might add, that the previous post, appears to be from someone in zone 5 & I take it, growing them in Canada. Where summer there, is absolutely nothing like our hot steamy ones in mid-Atlantic region ... Therefore, as soon as they germinated in the heat we experience,( if they even did so) they would simply quickly die from it.
I usually sow them about 7 to 10 days prior to a full moon, in late September, up to about December & later again, (the next year) in late January if mild enough, or February, up to start of March & no later.
Otherwise, just be patient & wait until late September, at the soonest. (or earliest chance, to be successful.)
While I will agree that they germinate better in the cooler weather don't discount how warm our summers are. Our typical daytime temp in July is about 90F and not uncommon to be 100F, however we don't get the humidity you have. I remember a time when I was guiding fly fishing a couple of guys from Houston thought they would come to Canada to get out of the heat. It was 103F in Houston and 107F here lol.
I would sow them and see what happens. What do you have to lose? I did not sow poppies this year as I am having lots of sprouts from last years sowing :)
Good luck and get back to us on how they did for you.
SCG
This time of year, I would sow the seed, wrap the pot with saran wrap and secure with a rubber band or put the pot in a zip lock bag, and put it in the refrigerator. If space is at a premium, you can put the seed in a small amount of sterile moist sand or sterile moist vermiculite, just a couple of teaspoons is often enough, in a small zip lock and refrigerate that. Later in the year, I would put the pots outside rather than refrigerate, my winters will often average to about 40F.
And no, there is not a good way to shorten the period needed to stratify. If the periods provided that are needed to break dormancy are too brief, you may have to begin again and lose time.
Birds DO ravage flowers. They've eaten half my zinnias (flowers and foliage) and half of the early foliage of some sunflowers. "Sparrow" type little monsters ate these below as I watched. There was no rubble on the ground. They weren't building nests. They're just jerks.
BTW: nasturtiums are delicious. A little peppery, but good.
Birds eat seedlings and sprouts and even the new leaves of my cuttings.
I keep strawberry and geranium (pelargonium) seedlings covered with a birds net.
And one time when the plants where close to the net , they eaten my strawberry seedlings through the net.
so now i make sure to keep the net high enough .
although just a few days ago a geranium sprout vanished leaving only a small hole where it grew.
maybe some long beaked bird like a Hoopoe?
Suckers? It's growing more stems or "trunks"? I think most folks take those off to focus the plant's energy on the main stem and (usually) 2 ears. Most corn is planted too close together to let multi-stemmed corn grow very well.
I know one grower, though, who grows his corn farther apart and leaves the new stems. He says it's not unusual to get 12 ears on some of his plants. (This also probably varies by variety. I wouldn't expect more than 2-4 from commercial varieties.) Here's my favorite example.
That came up volunteer in one of his gardens. He says it had 16 ears. Called it a cornbush.
You'll have to decide how YOU want to plant your corn, and how you want it to grow. Consider how many plants you have, the space you want them to take up, and whether or not you'll have to hand pollinate. (A small grouping of corn won't self pollinat very well.)
Here is a link that might be useful: Image source
If bugs are eating you leaves, you'll probably need to use some sort of repellant or insecticide. There are of course many options. I'm only familiar with a few, but since you've gotten no other answers, I'll share them.
Sevin is effective, and easy to find. Works on most bugs. Be aware, it washes off in the rain. If the bugs come back, re-apply.
An organic alternative is to spray with water that has had tobacco soaked in it. Won't hurt most plants, but google it. I think it's bad for tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant. (The nightshades.) Any form of tobacco will probably work. I used non-filtered cigarette butts. Made the plants smell like an ashtray for a while. I'd use it outside or ventilate.
This post was edited by oldmobie on Mon, Jun 30, 14 at 11:53