6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I had success with the folowing:
Caltha palustris Marsh Marigold-fresh seed-warm strat Oct 30 for approx 60 days then wintersowed on Jan 1. germination occured in May.
Gentiana andrewsii and flavida-wintersowed (cold strat) on surface (need light) bottom watered germination occured in late May.
Veronicastrum virginicum- wintersowed in Jan on surface (need light) bottom watered as needed germination occured in late May.
I sowed Cimifuga last winter-no germination yet-I read that it may need alternating warm cold warm cycles or 1 full year.
Rhonda
Dandy
there is one product you might want to try- GA-3/ read more on JL Hudson seedsman website.
If you are experienced, it is most likely seeds. Caltha requires fresh seeds and cold strat and just right amount of moisture, would not worry about this one and buy a plant instead. Aconitums require fresh seed and warm cold warm. If the seed is dry, you might or might not get lucky. I say that Gardens North have good variety of aconitums and they send them moist preserved, or try a personal trade with someone who grows them.
Aquilegia germinates like a charm with GA-3, otherwise you need cold strat, perfect for winter sowing/ check with winter sowing forum FAQ for details/
Clematis herbaceous like recta purpurea good for WS, will take several and I mean several months to germinate.
Genitana does like a charm with GA-3 otherwise winter sowing. Make sure do not water or drip from overhead as seed is tiny.
Astilboides/ rodersia, seed is tiny, warm germinator- see above- do not water from overhead. That is mostly depends on the seeds.
Have not done much cims but found babies in the garden so they need to be winter sown.
Thalictrums are notoriously hard to germinate, needlong cold strat or GA-3 will improve germination dramatically.
Stylophorum diphyllum reseeds like a weed in my garden, cold strat will do it any time.
This is all from my personal experience and I have done it multiple times. If you need more seeds to try I will be happy to send your way, check my trade list. I have cimic simplex? ramosa? seeds are ready and Jack Compton just finished bloom.
Aconitum - Lots of people have trouble with these from commercial seed, Clothier notes seeds are short viable. A warm moist period preceding cold moist seems to help.
Aquilegia vulgaris - can have erratic germination and may take several months at 40F
Rodgersia - don't cover seed, may take 14 - 60 days at 60F
Caltha - 'Marsh marigold' - I direct sow fresh seed in Fall
Gentiana asclepiadea and seems recommended for most - warm, cold, cool germinator, barely cover seed if at all
Stylophorum diphyllum - Sow 41F, germination irregular, often several months - which makes it an easy self sower here with our mild wet Fall and Winter into Spring
If you plant the seeds in cow pots, it would be better for the plant. The plant would not get "root-bound" like in peat pots, nor do you have to tear the peat pot as commenly done. I think Cow Pots is a much better pot all around. So much so, I started selling them and I agree with alot of people that they are pricey, but that are all around a better product than peat. These are my prices. I can deliver for free with in the Columbia & Hallsville Missouri surrounding area.
My prices:
(12) 3" pots $4.80 (tax & shipping not included)
(12) 4" pots $6.00 (tax & shipping not included)
(700)3" pots $252 (tax & shipping not included)
(300)4" pots $135 (tax & shipping not included)
Call for larger orders. I am the cheapest prices you will find. If not, Please let me know.
I've just been looking at them online and came here to see if anyone else already posted thread.
Cheapest price found is 12/$8.49 (plus shipping) for 4" which is expensive even when starting just a couple hundred seedlings...mostly flowers.
My goal is to avoid transplant shock but I'm winter sowing a number of things outdoors and wasn't sure if they'd hold up to winter weather even though placed in draining Sterlite containers (already have) with clear sheeting domed on top.
Also considered them for starting more select items under lights as needed to get some things to good size and bloom for late spring/early summer.
They are attractive option. Never used peat pots. Was wondering if newspaper pots achieved same avoidance of transplant shock but assumed they'd be gloppy mess in winter sown containers by Spring. Assume roots can penetrate thawed newspaper pots as well as Cow Pots but without built-in nutrient benefits.
Only my second year growing from seed and I still don't have a "system" set in my mind and plans. Takes time and experience to get this process down!
Looks like Cow Pots would be good option for reducing transplant shock if one can afford them in quantities larger than 12 but less than 300-700. Assume leftovers can be stored from one year to next but this time of year seeds and soilless starting mix as well as fall conditioning items have already added up cost wise. That, and my father is already threatening to trash all the supplies I already have spread around basement, garage, back deck/patio and piles of decomposing leaves/grass.
I still have to buy a better light set up for more coverage area/better control as seedlings got leggy using Dad's shop light last winter/early spring and didn't have enough room for all seedlings needing early start to bloom first year. Yes, I know I should build my own light set up but not mechanically or electrically inclinded in the least.
Cow Pot website says they're available at local Whole Foods markets but presume they're as comparatively expensive as most of their items.
Have you checked out the Herb seed trading forum here? I linked it below. Otherwise, some nurseries may still have some seed stock they didn't return. Most of the big box stores return their seed by mid-summer. Don't know who your usual sources are but many of the more common online suppliers still offer herb seeds. Check Johnnys Seeds not to mention Henry Fields, Totally Tomatoes, Thompson-Morgan, just to name a few.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Herb Seed trading forum
I just ordered seeds from
http://www.hazzardsgreenhouse.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Hazwho&Category_Code=HS
and value seeds
http://by101w.bay101.mail.live.com/mail/InboxLight.aspx?n=1875575160
Just got them in the mail a couple of days ago.
I also got a email about a sale from Park seeds
I think you'll find you have better germination with your columbine seeds if you do give them a period of moist cold first...Easy enough to do if you put them in a tiny zip lock with a tsp or so of moist sterile sand or moist sterile vermiculite and place that in your refrigerator (3-4 weeks) - then sow the entire contents of the bag if you wish and proceed indoors with lights as you had planned.
After a year, your seeds should still be viable but rough rule of thumb is - the older the seed the more likely they may benefit from stratifying, not the other way around. Exceptions of course, but as far as I know columbine/aquilegia isn't one of them.
Here is a link to the FAQ: How to grow tomatoes from seed from over on the Tomato forum. Also check out the many FAQ's here (linked below) on how to get started growing from seed.
They will provide all the basics. ;)
Then, if you want to grow it indoors you will need a special full spectrum light called halide and there is lots of info on them on the Growing Under Lights forum here at GW. You can grow the tomato plant but to get blooms and fruit, the special full-spectrum (like sunlight) is needed.
Your container sounds very small to me and will only work for the very tiny varieties of tomatoes like Micro-Tom etc. Regular cherry tomato plants are what are called "indeterminates" and grow 6-8 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide so stick with the small container varieties.
Good luck.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ: How to get started
i have a tiny space in my basement where i can start my seedlings. i'll try the flourescent lights, but i have a question on how to keep the seeds warm. do i start the seeds on top of the fridge and THEN move them under the lights? i wanted to try growing transplants in soil blocks (figured it was worth a shot), so i'm not sure how warm i;m supposed to make the soil.
Can't help but note that no one has linked you to the many FAQs here on how to grow from seed. I linked them below and they are well worth your review as they are filled with detailed info.
You will also find a step-by-step FAQ with photos on how to grow tomatoes from seed over on the Growing Tomatoes forum if you are interested.
Good luck.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: How to Grow from Seed FAQs
1) The most dependible way to sterilize would be to heat the soil in the oven/microwave/etc. reamber the leaf mold will be heated during the composting process.
2) I encourage all forms of experiments BUT please post the results so we can all benifit.....
3) the additional nutrients will not be a problem... Most of the excess will be lost with the watering.....
Actually you don't have to sterilize it. It is a stinky and time consuming process. Many of us have used compost and/or leaf mold for years as an additive to our potting mixes and seed starting mix and do so without sterilization.
Some have reported results in the past - with photos - of using mixes as well as straight compost/leaf mold over on the Soil & Compost forum here. The particle size seems to be the most important consideration - the smaller the better with sifted very fine performing best.
The main concern in seed starting is "damp-off" and it is caused by too much moisture/overwatering seedlings and is just as common with so-called sterile soil-less mixes as with anything else.
So if you wish to experiment I would suggest you add a 3rd approach for comparison - do a batch of seeds in a mix that you don't sterilize (and avoid over-watering all 3) and see which works best for you.
Good luck.
Dave
The potassium salt of gibberellic acid is water soluabe where gibberellic acid is soluabe in alcohol. stability would depend on... was it stored in a DARK bottle.... was it stored in a cool location ....& how long was it stored. simply testing its effect on seed would indicate if it is still "good"
yiorges,
The label does indeed say it's the potassium salt. What it does not say is what the "inactive ingredients" are. There is a strong smell of isopropanol; what percent this is of the solution is unclear. It's not in pure water.
So anyway, the quick question seems clear--it does not quickly decompose in such solutions. The company selling the product was not trying to scam people.
As to storage--it has been exposed to light (is that a known factor for decomposition or just a general precaution?), to pretty high temperatures and it's pretty old. So not good, although nothing proved yet.
Testing on seeds or plants--exactly, but what types? Which seeds with longer germination times are known to break their dormancy in response to Gibberellic acid? And are they likely to be something I have sitting around? There are plenty of seeds that respond to other things--smoke, for example, but not GA-3. Perhaps there are "normal" seeds that germinate in half the time--say 5 instead of 10 days? My point is that I can't take several of every seed I own and figure this out.
OK, I did a quick check--apparently lettuce is one of those things that's a classic example--lettuce, the Grand Rapids variety in particular, germinates much better in the dark with gibberellic acid. It's unclear to me whether this applies to all lettuce (and I'm not going to dig it up). I'll just get a mix of different lettuces and give it a shot. I'll use the seeds anyway.
The lettuce stuff was a short report in Science in 1957. It's a JSTOR article, so sorry, no link.
Title: EFFECT OF GIBBERELLIN ON GERMINATION OF LETTUCE SEED
Source: Science [0036-8075] KAHN yr:1957 vol:125 iss:3249 pg:645 -646
If I see no effect on germination I'll just add a ton and see if the seedlings start looking funky or anything.
yiorges and Medo,
I have 4 three-year old evodia daniellii trees that are perfectly winter hardy here (I am zone 4, close to zone 3). I have a gardening friend here in MN who grows it as well.
Medo, the first seed sprouted within about a month. When none of the others germinated, I put the container outside in the spring after frost danger was over and let the rain, sunlight, fluctuating temps do their thing. By about mid-summer, three more seeds germinated. I planted all of them out in a nursery bed, though I thought the smallest trees would winter-kill, but all have survived.
Kate
Thanks for the follow ups. I went ahead and planted some arugula and some dianthus. I know the dianthus is iffy but I started it inside. Seems like I planted some outside pretty late last year.
Thanks for the tips on the flowers. I have some daylily seed that I can plant. Any other specifics?
I am planning to "wintersow" some things too. I just can't wait and wanted to get started:) Nikki
Take dianthus outside, it is tough cookie and will do fine, put in unheated garage or make shift cold frame- box from few bags of leaves with clear plastic on top. Diascia and snaps will do great if started now. So are multiple primulas.
I hav started tons of plants already and will take them into sunroom porch in Feb- those I started perennials I want to have lrgish side but the spring. Of course, winterswing seeds are going separately, those I do not mind being tiny seedlings in the spring.