6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I just read what my book (The Plant Propagators' Bible) says about growing these from seed. She (Miranda Smith) says:
"You can purchase seeds for some cultivars. Plant them early inside. They require light to germinate and respond best to daytime soil temperatures of 65 degrees and nighttime temperatures of 50 to 55. They will germinate in 1-3 months, so prick out seedlings as they germinate, but don't throw away the flat."
She mentions nothing about stratification. What do you guys/gals think?
Thanks for trying there plant lady in Colorado. I don't think bulk seed is available and the plant is so easily propagated from cuttings. We need so many and thought the seed way might be the way to go cost wise. So we'll probably end up buying plugs.
I have a cousin living in the Springs and is a nurse as well. I'm pretty sure she works at Ft. Carson. Name's Linda and she's been there a while.
Thanks again
Marshall
I've never worked at Ft Carson, so I'm sure I don't know your cousin.
As for the plumbago....
I have a huge patch of it, but I can't ever remember seeing any seed.
I'm sure it's there, but must be really small.
Maybe that's why we can't find it for sale.
Kathy
I agree with nckvilledudes - there are far too many variables involved. No way to justify a blanket statement that things do better in OR out of a container.
size of container (most use one too small)
type of container (self-watering, clay, plastic, etc.)
color of container
sun exposure
potting mix used (soil-less only in containers)
fertilization/watering regime
garden soil tilth
garden soil nutrient levels
type of plant
pests
etc.
If you are having consistently poor results with container plants then I'd suspect it is because a) the containers are too small and b) you are using a poor quality mix or worse, garden dirt, in the containers.
Dave
The simple answer is Yes... But you can protect them by 1) keeping the soil damp (throughout the winter) every time it warms up rewater the plants. 2) adding straw, leaves, mulch will reduce evaporation.
Roots freeze at about 28F IF the soil is damp/wet it will freeze at 32F AND STAY AT THAT TEMPERATURE. IF the soil is dry then it will reach the same as the air temp in your case -10F & the roots will freeze
Bernadette, typing the latin name, followed by 'sow' or 'propagate' will usually lead you to a good database that includes those hard-to-find toughies, I tend to stay away from suggestions from most personal websites.
I don't grow it, I suspect it's too wet here in winter to establish perennially or grow well.
Hardy Plants database, not even Clothiers had this one but warm, followed by moist chill if no germination occurs is standard for most silene...
Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy Plants
most annuals or veggies do have short lifetime- they are preprogrammed to grow fast produce flowers/fruits all season and die at the end of the cycle. Giving them good soil with plenty of moisture or whatever conditions they need will get you great results. Perennials have slightly different schedule- that old rule sleep, creep,leap works well to explain why first year perennials are usually puny and only by third year they achieve maturity. Of course, it is generalization, there are first year blooming perennials but they also need to be divided every second year as well to perform well. Plants that live 90 years or so like clematis are found to do much better rootbound in the small pots initially and it takes a few years before such clem will get into its own strength.
apple seed REQUIRE a cold treatment (40F) for 4 months. (2) It was probably self polinated (3) Yet the chances of getting a tree exactly like the parent. is slim to none. (4) The key is "exactly" several will be close & (5) you will only know which seedling is the best when it is 5-10 years old.
Hi Dirtdiggerky, If you have any more lupine seeds--then I would just scatter them around where you want them to grow. If you have any more plants, I would plant them outside now. Lupines like cool weather. Try it and let me how it works for you. Lucylou
i grow alot of lupine, i have 10 dogs and the pee them to death, just the right height i guess. i have had your problem many times, now i start them inside, i use lg pop bottles, chop the top so you can use as a dome. i plant about five, when the start to get leaves and kind of pop out of the soil seed and root, i burry them in aquarium sand, just so a little green is showing, i repeat this about 3x as they grow, when it looks safe i put a fan on them, to strengthen the stems. they are just so beautiful! cath
Tina, i bet if you start them early enough indoors you could get nice sized plants by the time winter comes along. I had some volunteer seedlings come up in May, and here are some pics taken last week. They are FAST growers.
Any chance it also goes by a different name? Google pulls up nothing by that name and even Heirloom Seeds doesn't list it in all their heirloom lettuce varieties. You might check out their site and see if any of the photos of heirloom lettuce ring a bell with you. What type is it - heal or leaf - and what color?
I do find several articles about a man named Ziegler who did a lot of research on lettuce back in the early 60's but nothing about a variety named after him.
Dave
Plants have to be sexually mature to reproduce; improved varieties are cloned via cuttings. Butterfly Bush seeds need stratification (cold treatment) before they germinate, usually 3-4 weeks in the fridge will do.
This link shows pictures of the seed pod and comments on seed collection and handling:
wintersown.org/wseo1/Butterfly_Bush_Seeds.html
Tommie
I seeded it in spring and it did not bloom the first year . I planted it in very rough soil ( rocky limestone rubble)and it did not get moisture here in central Texas, high on a limestone hill. It grows slow but comes back bigger every year, no special care taken to protect it from sun or winter. I am Zone 8b but almost 8a. I moved it from a somewhat shady spot where it wasn't growing much and shoved it out into the harsh rock garden and when it got its roots into the rock, it took off. I don't think it liked the process of being moved. Maybe you could just bag it where it grows, once it is planted outside. It grows very easily from cuttings.- mara
For starting plants in my basement I use a 4x2 folding table with 4 shop lights hanging over it. It can handle 4 trays which hold 21 newspaper pots each, so 81 plants. The table I picked up from the side of the road (someone was throwing it out, but I have seen them for about $20), the shop lights(4) were less than $20 each and I use the cheap bulbs (>$2 each). The lights are suspended using the S hooks that come with them, clothes line, and eye screws(8) and lanyards(4) in my floor joists, so I can raise and lower them individually.
I managed to get a shelf at Lowes. It was really supposed to be some sort of green house. A plastic cover came with it but I've put that aside for now. I have the shop lights ($9 each. Yay!) hanging on the shelves and it seems pretty good so far.
Thanks for all your help!