6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
in my humble experience, every single one of those peat-pod mini-green house thingies are infested with either trichoderma (green mold) or "cobweb" mold.
Technically the cobweb mold that you see is parasitic to other types of molds and mushrooms but it's such a fast colonizer it'll end up killing (drowning) off your seedlings anyways.
I've had pretty good results by creating a 20% mixture of hydrogen-peroxide in water and spraying it on the cobweb mold, directly and increasing the airflow significantly.
Try to only make as much mix as you plan on using because hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2) quickly turns into water (H2O) + Oxygen (O) when exposed to light.
This is a very good question and I'd like to see if somebody more knowledgeable can help us both out.
My assumptions are ...
1) That you can sow tropical seeds any time of the year as the equatorial sun shines at about the same brilliance all year round. However, I have reservations that overall, there are changes due to changes in trade winds caused by more temperate zone temp shifts caused by seasonality that might even affect tropicals.
2) That you might be able to fake seeds out by growing them indoors at spring-like temps and having perhaps kick-started them with Giberellic Acid.
What do I know for sure? Well there are some seeds like Gingko Biloba that need to experience a successive temperature shift, from cold and gradually to warm. If you plant them in warm, forget it; they are not going to germinate. But you can still fake them out by using your refrigerator to keep them cold for 3 to 4 weeks. That's what they say. I tried it and my Gingko seeds still haven't germinated. Stratification? I'm not sure how important layering the seeds between deposits of mulch which replicate fallen leaves can be. I think it's more to do with the temp cycle.
But anyway, if your seeds aren't tropical and germinate at any time of the year, there appear to be ways to fake any seed out and coax them into germination. What happens after that, depends on how good your indoor environment provides for what they need which I suspect doesn't have to be much more than room temps and appropriate soil and water requirements.
Finally, some seeds, even in their native soil and locale, can be sleepers, taking months or years to germinate. I suppose even the experts don't have a clue how to motivate these.
But yes, if someone wants to chime in with some suggestions beyond my assumptions, please do. I'm sure Missti would be as grateful as I.
Try the FAQ in the link below.
also try this link: http://images.parkseed01.com/parksgardens/pem000082/pem000082.html
I sowed the following seed outside June 1st and they all garminated already. I used 2L plastic pop bottles and located them in a very shady area (under shrubs):
- Echinacea white swan
- Echinacea "sunset"
- Echinacea pallida
- ballon flower
- Lychnis sp. Cross
- Coreopsis (4 varieties)
- Trumpet vine
- Yucca
Good luck!
Here is a link that might be useful: Is there Spring and Summer Sowing?
This should be the same as for all conifers. Wait for the cones, which for Arborvitae and Platycladus, may be odd shapped, to brown and dry out. This time of year, they are probably still green and could easily be mistaken for seed, but are cones.
After they brown and dry out, sometime around October to February, pick them and then break them apart to find the white pine nuts inside. This is your harvest and what you will plant.
I saw the image of your poor little seedlings on another forum, so we know FOR SURE that lack of light is the problem. So, it's a normal response under those conditions but not the kind of growth that you want to encourage. Unless it's just for fun, that is. ;-)
True sunlight is required, but you will have to introduce the plants slowly or they'll fry.
Take seed & pods to extension service or locan nursery NOT THE BIG BOX STORE!!!!!
It really sounds like you have a Gymnocladus dioicus - Kentucky Coffeetree. I know because I have one in my backyard. Could that be it? If so, then it's definitely a deciduous tree and the seeds need to be stratified first before it'll grow.