6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Would you like to try Winter Sowing this winter?
You wonÂt have any problem with damping off at all and itÂs a lot of fun.
All my seeds are sown this way now. People over there are crazy about it. It sounds nuts, but it works perfectly. We have more seedlings than we can ever use.
No, I use all different batches of seeds. All different ages, kinds, methods, and from different sources. Some times they get damping off before they even barely emerge. I've tried all different amounts of light.
Thanks Pitimpinai. I did it this year.
thank you all for your suggestions. i did find the suggestion at the pfaf.org site to soak the seeds for 24 hours before sowing in a high pulp fruit juice such as passion fruit juice or orange juice. they say that the acid in the juices will soften the shell and speed up germination. another site forum suggested soaking in a 5% alcohol/water solution (also 24 hours) which is supposed to remove the chemical from the seed coat that inhibits germination and will speed the process. so gardenweb people, i'd say you are a bunch of winners for sure. first i'll find an orange, juice it up, soak the seeds and plant them. shall i let you know how many days before i discover a seedling or 2?
I am more than happy to share the recipe that finally worked! You can omit, change what I did I am only listing steps I took. Soak the seeds in water for 48 hours and place container with seeds on something that stays warm- I put mine on top of the DVR box. I figured the constant warmth would encourage growth. Find a clear plastic container with clear plastic lid- no holes and clean well. Once clean swish a bleach/H2O (1/4 tsp/gal) soln through it and let it dry. Put layer of activated charcoal in bottom of container, add miracle grow seedling mix (never used to use miracle grow- but now I do), add seeds once theyÂve soaked, top with little bit more seedling mix, water, put plastic top on- then wait and wait. Good luck! What variety are you trying to start?
For lemon balm soak overnight in water and cover lightly with soil. I don't know about crepe myrtle. I soak lantana seeds in water overnight, rub off the black "fruit" and plant the seed about 1/2 under the soil, keep warm. Transplant lantana and lemon balm to the garden when big enough to handle or they can be direct sown (lemon balm can be invasive). For bottlebrush just sprinkle on moist soil, put the pot in a baggie to retain moisture and put somewhere warm, out of direct sun. Once the seeds sprout open the baggie and slowly adjust the seedlings to less humidity. The seedlings are quite tiny. Once they are big enough to handle transplant to individual containers. Lantana and lemon balm seedlings are much bigger then bottlebrush seedlings.
It comes with instructions, and the booklet even has a list of different seeds, and which tip to use with which kind of seed (the tips are each a different color). I used it with my lobelia seeds, which are dust-like. It was great to be able to place each individual seed exactly where I wanted it so I wouldn't have clumps of seedlings all bunched together. I'm so glad I got it! I'll get years of use out of it.
Deanna
I use one similar to yours. On mine all i do is water them once, a good watering but not a drowning, and cover it with the clear plastic cover and leave in a non sunny area. perhaps your garage.. I have not grown what you are, but the seed package should say how long, maybe a week? You will see a lot of condensation on the inside of the lid, this is normal and helps germinate the seeds. I have never had to add anymore water after the first time on mine in the past. The lid keeps the moisture in and does not let it evaporate out. Becuase of the condensation on the inside of the lid, you will not be able to see well and might be tempted to pull the lid off to see if the seeds germinated. What you can do instead is leave the lid in place and just give it a tap, this will make the condensation fall and you will see. Once a decent percentage start to come up, tip the lid back a bit to vent. After they grow a little more take lid of completly. At this point I put mine in a sunny window sill and water as needed until hardening time. That is another story for later. I would not expect all of them to germinate and grow, so if you haven't actually planted them in the tray yet. I would put 2 to 3 seeds max in each pot in loosely packed soil and add just a bit more loosely packed soil. Loosely packed soil.. And put in a couple more pots of each then you need. This is a good idea and we can talk about that later too..
That is the way I do it at least with good success.
Anybody else? Am I mssing anything? After all I am typing this at midnight... :)
After a bit of research I found out that his seed is the Balsam Pear aka Balsam Apple aka Momordica balsamina. Three people on the Dave's Garden website have it for trade.
http://davesgarden.com/community/trading/search.php?search_text=PFPID:811
Here is a link that might be useful: Balsam Apple at Daves Garden
"Huh. That's a completely different experience than I had. Mine are a very deep burgundy -- the color of the Burgundy Giant coleus or darker."
Hmmm....maybe I should try again with some seeds from a different source. Mine were grown indoors in a sunny window for their whole "lifespan". Maybe that had something to do with it. One of my plants even stayed completely green.
Ania
oleander - nerium: Surface sow or barely cover, some light may be beneficial to germination. Keep moist, 70-75F, germination in approx 30-90 days.
Bottlebrush - callistemon: Surface sow 55-65F for germination in 14-60 days.
(Druse, Making More Plants)
I usually soak the seeds in water overnight and then nick the pointed ends with a nail clipper before planting. They pretty much all germinate the next day or so, as long as I keep the soil moist.
My brother-in-law lives in LA, and his morning glory has taken over his pergola and back wall, so if you really love 'em that much, I'd plant them. Otherwise, they are quite invasive in your zone. I recommend planting them in a big pot with a trellis and then cutting off the spent blooms before they get a chance to reseed themselves everywhere!
Have you considered convolvulus? They are dwarf morning glories that aren't as invasive or as large, maybe a couple of feet tall. Good luck with the plant and the rabbit!
I just soak them overnight. I don't bother nicking the seed coat. I plant them in seed trays and transplant after they get a couple sets of leaves which doesn't take long. Some seeds will sprout a day after planting and pretty much all are up within 4 days. If you need anymore MG seeds I have plenty.
Cayenne = heat
No. Peppers create no physical heat. The sensation of heat is due to the chemical capsaicin, which bonds to a receptor site in mammals called Vanilloid Recepter Subtype 1, or VR1. It's the same receptor that is activated by heat. Only mammals have the receptor VR1, so this effect doesn't occur in other animals (for example, my parrot loves devouring peppers that would make even the hardiest spicy food nut cringe), and there is never any physical heat created. It's just a sensory illusion.
Just make sure you sow them in a warm spot as pepper seeds need heat to germinate, about 80 degrees is good. Maybe use some type of hot cap or mini greenhouse until they sprout. Check out the FAQ's at the hot pepper forum for more info. I hope they grow well for you.
Half the flowers mentioned - the Cosmos,Bachelor buttons,Clarkia, Lupine and Nasturtiums - are ones I've grown in CA in unamended soil, but can be slow to start. I don't think more fertilizer is the answer, but tilth can be important. I just keep working more and more organic matter in over time. I do think that most lupines and clarkia have to get a quick start in spring and are best for winter sowing in place.
Here's an explanation from Park seed on squash sprouting upside down :
(I did have a couple of seeds from a tray full of noble fir sprout that way one year but never any others)
Here is a link that might be useful: Upside down squash sprouts