6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
When the seeds begin to turn red, they are just about mature. DonÂt pick them too early or the embryo will not be developed. When the seeds are fully developed they will begin to fall from the tree, and at that time you can begin to pick them.
Ripe seeds can be removed easily. If they donÂt pop right off when you grab them, they are not quite ready, give them another week or two.
They need more light. I'd put them outside and transplant them when they get a set of true leaves. All but the basil do well in cooler temps. I'm not sure when your frost date is but the cool weather plants might be able to go in the ground. Swiss chard gets pretty big and isn't a good container plant but all the others will do fine in pots if that's what you are planning on doing. I'd definitely plant the basil in a pot(s). If you are going to grow them inside you'll likely need some sort of grow light. Congrats on your sprouts.
Karyn
In the future, sunlight is required as soon as the little seedlings poke their tiny heads above the surface of the soil. I germinate my seeds in the full sun (if they are supposed to be grown in the full sun, that is) and leave them there. I don't use plastic covers.
Aren't those take-out containers GREAT?? I think that I'd drill holes in the bottom so that you could water properly, however.
Suggestion, not sure if it's on target for you, I grow most of my plants from seed under a shop light in my basement. The seeds, in a peat mix, are kept about two inches from the light. After germinating and growing four real leaves, I transplant the seedlings into plastic cups filled with potting soil until they are large enough to harden-off and plant outside. It works for most seeds, and the resulting plants. As a lark, I grew lettuce under the shop light one winter. Good luck.
Paulallen...Thank you! I think I will start with that...shoplights. Most of the seedlings would be 2-3" high with 2-3 leaves by then. Would ordinary flourescent lights be good enough for them? They will stay inside only during the winter months and be brought outside in spring.
store seed at 65F for 3 months then store at 40F for 3 months. Then do not cover the seed soil temp 65-70F & takes 90 to 730 days to germinate. Cuttings will be faster but to late to start. There must be some place to order rooted cuttings or graftes starts but I do not know where
sewobsessed: I love that site, thanks so much! Sunita, I just use an excel sheet too. I also use cue cards. On each card, I put down the name I know it as, the Chinese name (for my parents) and the latin name. I record the numbre of days it took to sprout for me and the date I started them, and I paste the information about growing (if it's from a commercial packatge) on the back I organize them by using a cue card box and special dividers made for them
i was also curious about such a program, and found one on download.com called "my garden journal".
there is a free download to try, before you buy.
Here is a link that might be useful: my garden journal
paulallen, I'm glad you're having success, but freezing isn't necessary for most seeds. To stratify means to expose the seeds to a moist chill and I don't mean to be critical but I'd hate for your own experience to lead too many in the wrong direction with their freezers.
Druse (Making More Plants): "Research has demonstrated that freezing - which may occur outdoors and is still recommended by several sources - is rarely necessary. Seeds that are subjected to cold (rather than chill) may not always be damaged by temperatures below freezing point, but the conditioning process is put on hold at these low temperatures and resumes only when the seeds are not quite so cold. This is one reason that controlled stratification in the refrigerator can be a truncated version of the outdoor process.
It's now clear that the most important piece of technical equipment for performing the operations of stratification, the refrigerator, is already possessed by amateur gardeners."
In this damp zone of no extremes (cool summers, mild winters), I don't find fresh echinacea seeds need stratifying at all and will normally germinate in 10 - 21 days without it - summer to late summer in places where gardeners really experience 'summer' may be a bit warm for good germination.
I bought my variegated KMOTGG from Summerhill Seeds and had good results with winetr sowing them. The plants are huge, about 8'tall and have just started blooming. The variegated form is really pretty, the solid green one is just a weedy pain around here that I'm always pulling out of the garden.
Karyn
Here is a link that might be useful: Summerhill Seeds
Hi Gladys - congrats! ;) All the FAQ's here cover most of the basics and I have linked the one on "Now they're up!" below. Be sure to check out all the other FAQ's too for info you'll need later.
I find it best to remove the cover at least part of the time so excess moisture doesn't build up inside. It also allows them more light.
Once they have true leaves, remove it and leave it off. Lots and lots of light please. ;) Then get ready to transplant them to larger containers.
Good luck.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Seedlings FAQ
I suppose 10 seeds would be a reasonable 'test' amount which may guarantee at least ONE resulting in the parents' features. Easy to figure out the percentage anyway! If I can get just a couple to do that, then I can just do plant divisions and cuttings from there. I am working on a trade for some echinacea magnus and some monarda.
fgilles02420, don't know if you still are around, but did they end up as you had expected? I was wondering because I just found a garden with them and asked the owner if she would let me have some of the seeds once they finished blooming. I am hoping that you did get 25% success.
Have used the material for rooting cuttings but not seed. The cost was probibitative for me..... Even if the peat pots absorbe water they will reach a saturation point & each plant will receive water.... the same would be true for "bio-sponges" By the way they are also harder to keep the fertilization level in the "ideal" range.