6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
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
Karen
I have started heucheras, bergenia, some indoor plants- calceolaria. I have also started several primulas which I love. Primulas will be under lights until late Feb and then go into sunroom. Sunroom is not heated so plants that can not tolerate occasional dip in temperature will not be moved there. Heuchera and bergenia are very slow growing so I will not have problems with them till spring. there are some rare plants that I am looking forward to growing I might start now, mostly because I have time now and won't have time in the spring. I do several columbines now, not the common ones but those that I really want and cost me $$$. For germination of columbines and primulas I use GA-3/ read more on JL Hudson, seedsman website/ so I do not use cold stratification.
I also started some cyclamen hederifolium, I like to start it early and feed bulbs till they nice and plump when they planted into spring.
If you have seeds of begonias, tuberous or other kind you can start them now. They are slow growing and take indoor light well. I brought mine in from last year sowing so am not planning to grow new ones this year.
I will start couple of trays of pansies in a couple of weeks, I usually get them to start blooming in April and have full containers until early summer when I replace them with other plants.
Thanks i found out these are also known as buttonbush or Cephalanthus occidentalis and this helped me find info reguarding the plant.
Heres are a couple of links you can check out:
It sounds like you are trying to harvest the seeds before they are ripe. The petals will all fall off and the center of the flower will turn brown and hard. The stem leading up to the flower will also turn brown. You need to wear gloves when harvesting these because the pods are pretty sharp. Once the seeds are ripe, you can either put the pods in a bag to dry completely or break the pods open to harvest the seeds. They look like the picture in the link morz8 provided.
Becky
ramazz
morz8 and ramazz,
I may very well need to offer you both an apology. Razz described something different than what I am calling mexican sunflower. I will take a picture of what I have and maybe one of you will be able to identify it if I am calling it by the wrong name. Thanks to both of you.
hank2230@yahoo.com
Check the soil you bought from Lowe's and read the label. Some of the so-called organic stuff is NOT to be used for potting soil and it says so right on the bag, it's intended for mixing into in-the-ground soil. My sister had the same problem.
To plant your seeds in potting soil, make SURE it says it's potting soil, and not just soil. If you have some homemade compost, mix some in with your potting soil for good nutrition. And make sure it gets adequate sunlight.
Sue
Store seed at 40F for 4 weeks then lightly cover soil temperature 65-70F & takes 14-21 days to germinate