6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed

And yet another cold start captured by the bad guys not yet controlled by a warming soil. You may replant but I would use some potting medium in the hole when you do. By the time you are ready your soil biology will have ballanced itself and will very likely take care of the problem. I have a lot of early start friends in the same boat. They are starting over just like you. Cold soil very often presents this problem. Not much good goes on until the ground temperature is at fifty degrees. It gets better from there on as your soil warms.

Remember the only consistancy in gardening is the very inconsistancy of it all. Being a late starter this year may not be all that bad.

Thanks---I was hoping you'd say that :-)

I thought wisteria was a vine or am I misunderstanding here with the difference in spelling. Are you searching for wysteria spelled WY as opposed to WI for wisteria? mmmmm this could be interesting, please tell me more so I can learn.

Cindi

I have wisteria seeds that came from the pods on the VINE. I'm not sure what you mean? Wisteria is a vine but with constant pruning of the vines it can be trained as a tree. It will still produce vines that will have to be pruned to maintain that tree shape. But it is still a vine. Or are you thinking of another plant? I haven't come across a vine spelled wYsteria instead of wIsteria. If there is another type of plant/vine w/that name Id be curious to know.

Maybe for some, others should be ok. I started a lot indoors earlier but couldn't do them all. What I am doing now for some is planting them in covered things outside and watching them like a hawk. When they germinate, I take the covers off and either mist or bottom water because I cut slits in the bottom of the containers (McDonals's covered salad dishes). Then I will only have to transplant on cloudy days and not have to worry about hardening them off at least.

Many I wanted to just sow where they are to bloom, I started a thread about that. I can't start and transplant everything like I said above. Despite 3 days of heavy rain last week, the sun has baked the surface of the soil.

The ones I am starting in containers outside, I put in a shady spot until they germinate, then move into a sheltered spot where they will get a lot of sun but not cook in it all day. Later they can go in full sun. I will transplant the seedlings into little plastic cups with a slit cut in the bottom, put in some pans I got at the dollar store, you could use dishpans but I couldn't find any cheap enough.

Then I will put them where I want them. I feel I have a little better control that way rather than planting directly in the ground for some things.

I am just kind of winging it. I got some shop lights for other things like propagating cuttings later and some seeds. But there is a limited amount of things you can grow that way unless you have shop lights all over the place.

I found out the hard way, they get leggy if you use an east window. The ones I started in south windows are doing a little better, but I have to keep turning them.

In certain plants, what we think of as seeds are really fruits with several seeds inside. When these are small and hard, it's impractical to get the seperate seeds apart before planting. The common garden beet is a fine example. When you plant beets, you should really thin them after germination even if you have spaced the seed, because you mostly get multiple plants from each "seed".

George

There are plants that produce polyembrionic seeds with more than one seedling per seed - citrus commonly do this. It may happen more often than you would guess, often the dominant seedling takes over and the weaker dies off. But I couldn't begin to guess the frequency in which cerinthe seeds are polyembrionic, my education doesn't extend nearly that far :)

Some time back, someone posted very clear photographs of a polyembrionic hellebore seed with more than one surviving seedling, very interesting.

You are doing right a bit late. Your problem seeds like to be wrapped in wet paper toweling and soaked for about four hours. From this point forward they like to be dry. My guess is that your potting soil was to wet. Ideally they like to be planted in just damp seedling potting medium. Dry damp is another way to say it. They will do best germinating in about 80 degree temperature. I use a camping cooler sitting on a house type heating pad to achieve 80 degrees. When germinated this way they should emerge in three to five days. Within four more days you will have the first true leaf. Set them under lights for another four days after which they are ready to depot and plant in your garden. If your soil is cold and wet damping off may still happen. To avoid this in a cold spring start use a temporary plastic cold frame to help them get going.

I have observed that fifty degree soil temperature is about the minimum required for a good start in a temporary cold frame. Timing is important. They do not like to be pot bound. The roots should just be touching the bottom of your planting pot. If I feel I may need a couple more days I would plant the seedling in a gallon sized paper ice cream container. Your problem kids are very vigerous. They do not like to be slowed down or stopped by the seedling pot or cold weather.

Key phrases are: Soak them four hours, pot them in damp dry soil, germinate in 80 degree temperature, do not water the pot, place under lighting and move to the garden in no more than five or six days following the emergence of the first true leaf.

With your two problem childs I would start over to be assured of healthy seedlings. You have time to do this and may even be going into the soil when it is in better condition to grow your plants.

The mold is caused by your soil - it is a common problem when mixes containing soil are used to germinate. I suggest you use instead a so-called sterile soiless mix - Jiffy Mix is a common brand and readily available. If you can't find it any other soiless mix will work. Some make their own from equal parts of peat and vermiculite or perlite but home sterilization can be difficult.

Oh. Okay. Thank you for the reply! I need to double check if it's safe for guinea pigs. I've done a preliminary search that claims perlite is non-toxic? Do you happen to know if these things are non-toxic or note? The problem I've had with potting soils, is they all contain plant food. So, I've been leery of them.

Do you happen to know how to sterilize dirt?

Thanks!

My marigolds started blooming at the same stage this year. I just left them be, figured that if nature was telling them to bloom who was I to object :-) They're now still small plants with maybe 3 sets of leaves but 3 blooms per plant, seem to be quite healthy, you could try pinching half and see which do better.

Monarda Raspberry Wine is a hybrid - your plants grown from seed may or may not resemble their parent.

Seeds are small -approx 1/32" across and tan colored. Gather the mature seed heads (dried flowers) and place on a plate to dry for a few days. Use a fine meshed kitchen sieve to filter out the seeds, if you can't get all the chaff removed, sow it along with the seed - doesn't hurt anything.

They should germinate in approx 2 weeks @70F, barely cover seed if at all, some light may be beneficial to germination.

I collected seed heads from some nice bright red monarda last fall and kept them in the fridge. When I went to sow them this spring I couldn't tell the seeds from the chaff but just sowed it all. They germinated about %200 in 10 days.

alyssum can be direct sown, lobelia I read needs to be 10-12 weeks before last frost date sown indoors.
I mix small seeds with either sawdust or contactors sand, 3 parts inert to 1 part seed. After the inert and seed are mixed divide this in 1/2. Sow the area once then go back again for a second sowing with the other half for full coverage.
Either distribute with a salt shaker for the sand or for the larger areas I use a broadcast spreader.

Heirloom seeds should not pose any special problems. I started mainly heirloom seeds 5 weeks ago in my greenhouse using propagation trays and heating mats and had a 90-95% success rate; most seedlings came up in 3-7 days. What method do you use to start your seeds?