6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
My main thought on this idea is that you have no guarantee of getting raspberry plants with worthwhile fruit if you grow from seed. Not to mention the time you'll need to grow the plants to fruiting size. It is good practice to weed out any seedlings from a raspberry patch for this very reason. If you leave them you run the risk of ending up with a stand of very inferior small, bobbly berries. It is much better to buy a named variety of known quality, even if only a small number of canes to start with. They will soon increase and you can propagate more from them and be sure to have fruit worth eating. Would the people at the farmers' market sell you some canes? Or at least tell you the name of the variety they're selling so you can buy some elsewhere?
I love lantana for a sunburned west side planter that the squirrels play in and break stems and kill more fragile plants.
I was going to try collecting seeds, etc., but after reading your experiences, I will stick to my own method for saving time, energy and a bit of money. Toward spring's end, I bought two approx. 10-12" hanging pots on sale at the greenhouse. They were planted full with a mix of lantana colors that like: yellow, pink, orange, red bi and single colors. I took it home, broke it apart, put some long acting fert. in the soil below the small plants with good roots. They filled my west side 4' planter where nothing does well and are now overflowing. The squirrels are not interested in fighting in a llantana forest, like they seem to in every other plant I have put there and the plants easily tolerate the strong sun. They are beautiful as long as their thirst is quenched every other day. Who could ask for more? The perfect plant for a most troublesome spot.
Very interesting. So the same bag gave you 100% germination and zero germination? I would think it wasn't the mix....seems to be an outside influence. This may sound funny, but did a cat pee in one flat :) ??? Did one flat get the medium that was on top of the bag? Maybe something dropped into the bag....could the bag have received any chemical spray over it?
bugbite,
Just had to comment on your beautiful home and yard. The plants all look so healthy and well kept. It's obvious that you love plants and have learned to grow and care for them in a way that keeps them happy and looking so beautiful! They may not be able to speak, but I know they love you too :-)
Art
Japanese maple is fairly easy to grow from seeds provided you remember 2 things. One: you must have fresh seed. It does not keep. So if you have seed from the tree you must plant it now, not in the spring. That's right - in the fall. The seed will not germinate until it has passed through several months of very cold weather (stratification) which reflect its natural Japanese climate.Sow in pots in ordinary garden soil and cover with gravel. Don't forget to label them as you have a long wait ahead and might forget about them! One final small observation. If you have one of those fancy cultivars with purple leaves, the seed will not come true ie. not be like the parent, though you make get some interesting variations. Good luck. Ian.
Why bother growing them on cotton? It's unnecessary. Start them in soil...a bag of potting mix put into plastic containers. Then you can pop them out and plant them.
Make sure your little seedlings are in full sun or one inch from indoor lights or they will stretch and get too "leggy".
Florauk is correct, that is morning glory. The HBWR seeds take a bit of time to germinate so its likely going to be late to sprout. Got free sample at thriftyhut going now in styrofoam cup. Slow at first but takes off after that. Within two years it will start covering a fence line.
first two are the little sprout that has stayed itty bitty. Third are the plants that tottally took off and are loving life.
Fourth is another batch of sprouts that stayed small.
There are many more like that. The fifth has stayed the same as well. They grew a little more than the others in the seed starting mix and since the transplant, they haven't grown.
All the plants have gotten the same water and the same fertilizer. The little one though got a a little less fertilizer. I didn't really know what to do so i fertilized it anyway. All the plants are in the same vicinity and receive the same light.
Hey guys,
Most of you say that it's better to start the seed in soil,
But I find that many of my seeds on soil rot because of fungus or any other factor I don't understand, maybe bitten by bugs.
It's a dilemma for me.
I also germinate them on paper towel method , the seedlings are okay but "leggy"
I've been using the winter sowing method for more years than I care to count. I've never had damping off and I get great germination rates. It's much less expensive than electric lights and doesn't take up the space inside. I strongly recommend reading the wintersowing FAQ.
Martha