6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I use both lights in the house and greenhouse.
I start the seeds in the house under lights. Once they've sprouted and have 4-6 true leaves on them, then I transfer out to the greenhouse. But only once I know the greenhouse temp won't dip below about 45-50 degrees. I usually end up putting a heater in mine for a few weeks as a backup for extra cold nights.
I'm always nervous to put them out to the greenhouse so I usually pick a variety of the seedlings I have sprouted as sacrificial lambs to go out to the greenhouse first.
Once the greenhouse lows are warm enough, then I can continue to start seeds right out there and "close down" the light operation in the house.
I only use the lights in the house for two reasons:
1- to give me a little jump start on some slow growing things since my growing season is so short.
2- to passify my impulse to grow stuff! LOL
you can start them in the greenhouse, but you'll have to supply bottom heat for germination and you can't let the temp go below 50F. You'll still have to keep them moist and check on them every day, but you won't have to do the hardening off part. Growing in a greenhouse solves some issues, but it's trickier than inside under lights (unless it's like, really climate controlled). Until I got the hang of it I still did some things under lights.
Some pitfalls you might encounter: in direct sun, a little greenhouse can heat up really quickly and bake seedlings. A shade cloth can help this, or opening it up during warm, sunny days. flats can also dry out faster in these conditions than you'd experience inside, so be prepared to mist more often, or put a light row cover fabric over the flats. If your greenhouse doesn't have a heater be prepared to bring all the plants into your house on cold nights, then back out during the day.
Tomatoes will grow really fast when it's warm, so if you start your plants in early-mid April then you'll eliminate some of the issues with cold. If I had to choose, I'd go with transplanting smaller tomato plants into a garden than one that got stressed when it was young.
Snowdrift (Malus x Snowdrift) isn't going to come true from seed...you will get a crabapple but it could be very different than the one you sowed. If it's really an ornamental tree of a certain size and habit you are looking for, best to buy a sapling - and it will be grown on grafted rootstock to reduce the tendency to sucker.
The seeds should have been removed from the dried fruit. Will require approx 3 months moist chill; after chilling germination should take place in 1 - 2 months.
(1) The seed need a cold treatment at 40F for 2-3 months. this can be achieved by storing seed in refrigator or sowing them outside in the fall (1b) Depth of seed just lightly cover them (2) Normally not all the seed will be viable BUT what % varies from plant, season growing conditions, time left on plant etc etc... may test butif you just go ahead & plant ... and if you get to many plants give the extras to neighbors, friends
Bingo! I think I have two populneus seedlings (the larger one clearly shows a leaf shape of that variety of brachychiton and the smaller one I cannot see yet, but since that whole row of 6 seeds were brachychiton populneus, I have a fairly good idea that that is what it is). Curiously, these seeds were from a pod from a tree in Uruguay (where they are used as street/park trees. The seeds I bought from Pennsylvania have not yet germinated, but I'm determined to try. What sources did you get your seeds from Karyn1?
I bought the seeds from Rare Exotic Seeds in Canada. I've bought a number of seeds from them and have had decent germination rates.
Here is a link that might be useful: Rare Exotic Seeds
chemical,
I use tap water but I let it sit for a day or two so the chlorine (chloride) dissipates. Last year, I switched from tap water to rain water (bringing in nearly freezing water and letting it warm up to room temps) and the plants did much better. So far this year, I'm using tap water that sits and don't see any difference from the rain water.
Like you, though, I certainly would not use bottled water! What a waste of money.
Mike
The fruit that dubayew is speaking of is Synsepalum dulcificum, AKA Miracle Fruit or Miracle Plant.
I actually grew two of these a few years ago, but they unfortunately died off before they could bear fruit (at about 2-3 years). They are very, very challenging to grow from seed. They do germinate quite nicely if you treat them with some sort of hormone, I hear, but otherwise my germ. rate was about 15%.
The ones that did sprout were grown using a somewhat unorthodox method, and here it is:
I have a fish tank, with tropical fish, that stays consistently at around 80-82 degrees. Simply put, it was the baggie method, in a fry net, submersed in water.
They germinated in about a week and a half. The other plants I tried with this method, should you be interested, sprouted in a day. One. Day. It knocked my socks off. (the 'other' plants were Datura, Borage, and Basil).
If anyone has a fish tank I highly recommend trying this!
Cheers!
:)
The genetics of the apple is VERY VARIED SO>> each seed will produce a apple tree BUT most/all will be different from each other and the parent. For this reason the seed is used to produce trees for: (1) root stock for grafting (2) to produce trees to find the new cultivars that will be sold to home owners etc.....
Yes ive been turning the tray around, only thing is sometimes they dry out completely and some stay soaked. I have a fan on them now, so far i'll have to see how it goes. The ones with the problems are my Impatients and Zinnias. I do have alot of seeds though so if some dont make it i'll still have alot left, it's just annoying. Also I never have the clear tops for these. I bought roughly 100 trays and 2000+ jiffy pellets from a supply store out east. The one thing thats really annoying me is some of the same pellets continuosly dry out no matter how much water I add, which is bad because the excess water is only soaked up by the next pellet. Not an easy chore to watch over roughly 48 trays of pellets.
I've had t. speciosum in my garden for approx. 15 years now, but not from seed. When I bought it (Dan Hinkley, the former Heronswood not Heronswood as it is now), it came as a baggie of loose white roots that were about half the size of a pencil. No crown, not a plant - just roots (root cuttings). If you knew my climate, you would think it would have produced self sown seedlings from the Clothiers description of how to treat the seeds, but I've never found a seedling. It spreads around freely and comes up in some surprising places not of my choice, but by root not seed.
Clothiers: Tropaeolum ciliatum, and speciosum, Impervious seed coats. Shake in dry sharp sand or nick carefully with a file. Soak seeds 1-2 days or until swelling noticeable. Sow at 18-22ºC (64-71ºF) for 2-4 wks, move to -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 4-6 wks, move to 5-12ºC (41-53ºF) for germination. Short viable seed.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens attached to the University of West Indies. Contact them (linked below) for detailed info.
Dave
Heliconia Collection at Andromeda
Here is a link that might be useful: Andromeda Botanical Gardens
I am sure that the work to profit ratio is less than desirable AL...I personally would find a less labor intensive venture too ;) I once made a killing on snowcones as a kid. I remember making like $40 on one HOT saturday afternoon and that probably felt like a $1,000 to me at the time.
Here is my 2 cents.I live near St.louis Mo. I started Geraniums and Impatiens the day after Thanksgiving for the same reason except I am not selling mine. If you can provide quality light and take time to pinch them back occasionally you will be fine. I started some Ageratum(first time) and they are starting to bloom already. I'm cutting them back to promote new growth. Most Annuals will bloom all summer. some need more attention but not to worry.
Check out my blog
Here is a link that might be useful: gardening by the seat of my pants
I started my violas in December by putting the seeded "pots" on top of the steam radiator covers in my house. Perhaps you can start the seeds inside first, then move out to the hoophouse once they're germinated. I did the same thing last year for my impatiens (not NG): started on top of radiator covers in March, and they looked great by mid May. The impatiens were put on South facing windows while staying inside. I'm finding the violas need to be under a CPF lightbulb to flourish, but I give them some sunlight when available. Hope the picture shows up:
I start mine in the unheated basement area of my house. Then after germination I bring them my Germination room(my DW calls it). There they can receive ample light. I have a couple blooming now
Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening by the Seat of my Pants