I have been busy with life the past couple of weeks, haven't ,made much progress on the seed starting front. I still have a bit of dirt left, but haven't gotten out to the stores because of the snow storms. this last one is a wet, mess, at least I didn't have to go out in it, other than walk Tiffany. Poor Tiff, the snow is higher than she is, so she has difficulty finding a place to go...
I am glad that people are getting sprouts. I am not sure if I have any or not under all of this snow, time will tell. An icicle landed in my containers, but didn't tip anything over.
I have to tidy up my shelves (and my place) a bit before starting anything inside. I have books and bolts of fabric piled on my "seed starting" shelf. I started everything too early last year and got tired of hauling plants in and out every day.
Still fighting a war on fungus gnats. So far, surface coating with sand, soaking in soap and lysol, spraying with neems, watering with dilute peroxide, sprinkling with cinnamon and sprinkling with red pepper haven't worked. Yes, I still have the bug zapper in the downstairs bathroom. It is working, I have to sweep up bug dust. Blech. I have another one that I may have to hang near the seed shelf, once I find a place for all of these books. Not really my idea of home decor, but I keep telling myself that it is a temporary solution.
I tried putting a small glass of cider vinegar near the plants. It got a couple of gnats, about 4. I have smashed ten times as many on my computer screen.
The above combo seems to be keeping surface mold at bay, at least.
Elsewhere on Dave's, people recommended "systemic indoor insecticide" available at Lowe's and Walmart and diatomaceous earth. I'd love to hear any other suggestions. The bf recommended napalm, do they sell that at Walmart?
Seed Swap Chat #53 (sowing the seeds!)
The yellow sticky sheets are really working for me. You have to place them low, near the soil surface. Haven't tried homemade ones yet, but probably will get to that soon!
GardenQuilts - I finally went with mosquito dunks. Since it needs to sit overnight before using it, I keep a container of it ready at all times. Using only water with the dunks in it, I finally saw a decrease in gnats after a couple weeks and they are now finally under control. I still see one once in a while, but mine were bad.....driving me crazy.
GQ, I find that as long as I don't use any soil or organic products that I don't have have gnats. Soiless mix for everything in the house. Add nutrients etc but when starting seeds etc. just soiless. Soil etc. is just like having fruit in the house.
When you transplant outside, put them in anything you want.
The knats stil come even when ya us e the soilless mix. I been zapping a few of them myself in front of the compute r screen. Don't knwo why they seem attracte d to there. Even had a coupel land in my coffee cup and drank. Ack.. ack...
Hey Wind! hey TwoFew! Glad to see ya both around.
Seandor, do ya need some seed to start?
Lebug, You can start them cannas now. I am, they take time , some maybe a month before breaking the surface of the ground.
I have so much transplanting to catch up on of seedlings in the trailer. Shelves of them and soem of the gh babies need transplanted too.
I so tired. Covers on..covers off. check the temps, lights on,lights off , heater on heater off. Heck that chart may say Match 15th but I knwo the last safe Frost date down here is not til after April 21 and we have had frost and hail as last as April 28th
Some of my babie scomign along. Show yours now!
Way to go Ella , hanging my head in shame with only 3 trays lol. But sure glad you got it going on. I can sit and smile at yours for a few!!
Got alot to catch up on.
Carolyn
oh my gosh Ella....you have so many seedlings! Nice job; are they in a greenhouse? Wow, now I'm inspired.
LeBug, I'll look up in my journal how long it took my cannas to sprout and post back tomorrow. I'm pretty certain I didn't start them until St. Patty's Day. I remember that they did grow fairly quick and didn't fit on the light shelves at a certain point.
HI ALL...I cant wait to get home to see my ws containers..I had a bunch ready to put my seeds in the night my son got burned..so they are still scattered over the table waiting for our return..I hadseveral with sprouts that I sowed in January..I hope it wont be to late to plant my others when we get home...I've been collecting some nice containers while we are here to sow when we get back home...I am hoping that we get to leave here next week. They have to put my son back to sleep one more time to remove the staples and the check the grafts on Monday then I hope they give a date to be discharged..
Ella that is a very nice bunch of plants you have going on there.. I wish I had a green house..Maybe I can talk my husband into helping build one ths summer..
wow and i just winter sowed a few . wow Ella. i am trying to start a few more as money is so tight and cant afford to buy plants this year.
when does everyone usually start theirs?
Honeybunch_2000 and imzadi you can get all going Ella's way cause she is rocking on them and she did start in house in her little cells and gallon baggie's and of course she may have 2 green thumbs .
Honeybunch_2000 hope your son is doing better and you probaly be special blessed with your seedling.
Carolyn
imzadi, I wintersowed starting 2 or 3 weeks ago and added some each week. But, I am zone 5.
I certainly hope your son is better Honeybunch, and that he can get a release date. Poor kid. Must be terribly painful. However, we all heal much better at home.
This message was edited Feb 26, 2010 8:53 PM
This message was edited Feb 26, 2010 8:55 PM
Wow Ella! Gorgeous! Do you plant all your babies in your yard, or sell some!? That's a lot of planting coming up!
I got a few more WS sprouts yesterday! Linum Perenne, More Alyssum, and Foxglove Candy Mountain! Still lots more just sitting and taunting me though :) Have to go check the office and the ones under lights now... maybe I'll have something new up!
Huneybunch, I hope your son goes home soon!
Thanks Wind, Ella you are in a different zone and I’m sure if I started those cannas now they would be way past my lights by the time I can get them outside thank you though, I am going to scratch them on a nail file and from what I remember from the last time they came up pretty soon after soaking and planting them just can’t remember how fast they grew :) On here or somewhere I read that someone sowed them oh I know on a thread that Jnette brought to my attention that they are vigorous growers that’s why I’m just wondering how vigorous they are? Doesn’t really sound like I should start mine yet I’ll wait until Wind comes on here to make my decision I’m starting 15 for this other girl that’s a lot of over grown plants if they grow too fast not to mention what I want to start.
Ella I have two babies of the ice plant :) not sure if these are C. Eads’s seeds or Weez’s didn’t have Eads’s name on them and she usually put her name on them didn’t she? They are annuals but I’m happy to get them!
I love all the seedlings you have! Can’t wait until my plant stands downstairs start looking like that hope I get my camera to going before then! I’m so close!
“Covers on covers off” yep I’m going thru that now with the heat mat and seedlings they keep getting too much moisture in them the seed trays are wetter now than they were when I put them in there! I’m keeping the cover off for a while and changed the tray again underneath them!
So that chart isn’t any good for you anymore either Ella? They need to make some new charts! lol It is said they did move some zones but they didn’t do much with mine I don’t think.
Have a Buxton Blue geranium coming up too :)) I swear all the silver sages are coming up upside down LOL I have to smack their butts and turn them around lol
GardenQuilts I’ve bought diatomaceous earth at Wal Mart before. Glad your icicle didn’t do any damage :)
Carolyn we both have a lot of catching up to do LOL
huneybunch, hope your son gets to come home real soon!
Oh my goodness Ella! That is awesome! :) I would be ashamed to show pictures of my pitiful attempts at growing. LOL :) Where do you get those trays & stuff? I love how your babies look the same size as each other & in such neat rows. Really nice!
I would love to see some others pictures. Anyone else have pictures?
Congrats on your WS sprouts klstuart! :)
I had Brussels sprouts up yesterday, haven't checked anything yet today.
ants
Hello y'all,
I've been lurking some and just not having time to keep up with this thread for the last two weeks, but I think I'm caught up now. I have wintersown around 200 different kinds of seeds so far and hope to do about 20 more. Already have 85 kinds germinated! We had a day earlier this week with sleet and then an hour of snow flurries. Very unusual for "these here parts". I didn't know if it was necessary or not, but I ran out and threw sheets over the jugs that had already germinated. Just didn't want to take a chance and it looks like they are all still fine.
I had a nice surprise this week. I bought a mystery plant at a garage sale a couple of years ago and have just been waiting for it to bloom so I could see what it was. I guess it really liked the humidity of my new greeenhouse because it has blessed me with blooms. It's a cybidium orchid! That was fun to discover!
Tonya
Hi LeBug, found my canna notes in my journal, ha! it was from '08. I guess last year we just replanted overwintered rhizomes. I got germination on 2 out of 3 seeds and for some reason I soaked the seeds for days before scarifying and planting. They took approx 12-14 days to germinate. I soaked them on 2/24, planted on 2/28, got germination 3/11 & 3/14 and had to transplant to 6x7" fairly tall containers on 3/30. Good luck and keep us posted!
nbgard, I had a cymbidium orchid for 7 years (until last year). I never knew what it was other than it was supposed to be an orchid. I tried & tried to find out what it was but could never find a picture of an orchid with those kind of leaves. If I had known what it was it would still be alive. It was huge & I really loved it even though I never got to see it bloom.
It didn't seem to like it when I overwintered it in the house, so I left it outside last winter & it did not survive :( Wish I would have waited one more year :)
ants
Those are all that will be heading for markets and for fund raising for charities I support.
Shoot, with trying to get set-up I so far behind in my sowing and have had some trays in the house I have had to dump myself from seeds not germinating after months and finally developing mold.
Actually, I envy those of you who can winter sow. You can take 30 seed and just toss em in a pot and have 30 come up all at once and just transplant . No headaches no worries, no having to fuss and fret watching for seedlings to pop and gettign them under lights before they stretch or being out somewhere and having to race home to make sure your seedlings haven't dried out.
Ants.. Anytime you get a seed to sprout, it a time to rejoice. Ther eno such thing as a pitiful attempt. I enjoy seeing other folks attempts. I learn as much from the the person with a single pot and seed , maybe more so than from seeign a gh full. So show yoru babies and be proud of them.
heck I have a mound of failures too and pitful looking plants. I had stepped them up to big to begin with thinking the extra soil would protect the roots, which it did, but the tops, oh my. I am thinkign it will be 5 years before they fill out that pot and not sure if I cna remove them when the weather warms up and step them back down without really doing some damage to them. And yep I will be takign pics of them, poor lookign thigs and asking ya all the best way for me to save them LOL
Hello piggies : ) I just wanted to pop in and say hi! Haven't talked with ya all in a while. Hope evryone is enjoying all their seeds : )
I want yto show my pittiful few babies and think I'll work on my camera today I'm not going thru another spring without being able to show my blooms off either LOL
I'm worried about my Lisanthus since you mentioned puting seedlings in too big of pots it says to transplant them in 3" pots but I'm thinking they grow more roots in a six pack faster that in 3" pots we shall see I have about 30 in six packs and 30 in 3" pots it will be an experiment :) I know they grow faster in the seed tray when they are crowded and have all kinds of roots in there.
Ella just can't imagine you having that many failures!
Hi Meredith! How many seedlings do you have coming up? Anything for the butterflies? :)
I always hope everything I grow will attract the butterflies. I did start soem Soulmate Asclepias. I only see one germinating so far, but I started them just a few days ago. I have a bunch of other stuff starting to germinate. Penstemon strictus Aquilegia careula Varios herbs. I ordered a bunch of annuals that will need to be direct sown in spring. I don't have the best of luck with direct sowing but I really want more self sowing annuals this year. Th economy is killing me and I don't want to have to spend $300 a year on bark mulch. : )
Do you ever buy juice or pepsi in those 20 oz. bottles you can cut the tops off and direct sow under them I think the birds always got my seeds before but the last time I used the bottles direct sowing worked a lot better for me.
I WS some soulmate :) I'm doing all the butterfly weeds over again this year!
That is so funny that you gave me that idea. I was just wondering to myself, about using the tops of milk jugs maybe to put over the tops so it is almost like ws. How do you keep them from blowing away?
Oh and it is so sad that we are having a hard time with our Milkweed seeds isn't it? I am going to plant mine in an area far away from my butterfly garden. All the ones I plant in there end up with that leave disease that slowly kills them through the season. None of my plants that were originally in there came back last season. i moved some seedlings from another area in there to see if they would live. SDome of them were still there but most just got that disease and died. So I will see if anything returns this year. None of my other plants are having problems in that bed. Except my Ruidbeckia Goldsturm. They get a leaf disease as well. But it doesn't seem to phase them much. They still bloom and come back after winter.
I use those extra long bamboo sticks can't think of what they are exactly right now but they are the real skinny ones I find them at the dollar tree here just stick them in the ground after you put the tops over the seed :) You get a whole bunch in a pack.
I lost all my milkweeds to the milkweed blight last year! My other plants didn't seem efected but the rudbeckias always get some kind of mold on them not bad but they do, like guess they just aren't getting enough air but being in the back of the house there's more air blowing around than anywhere. My milkweeds 'were' at the end of that bed. If I get that milkweed blight with the ones I'm planting this year I think I'll just give up on them I just can't believe every year it's something!
Are the "yellow sticky sheets" like flypaper? I have flypaper hung up, also, it gets quite a few . I hate to look at it (although it complements the bug zapper decor). I am always afraid that I will get my hair caught in the flypaper.
Found some links for home made flypaper. I could try putting strips of that on the ground surface. I don't have the ingredients, but may be able to improvise. I am on a high protein diet, so I don't have sugar, syrup , etc. around. The easiest method was honey on brown paper. I added honey to the grocery list.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35188732.tip.html
http://www.makeyourown.net/Flypaper.shtml
I started canna seeds last summer, they didn't get tall enough to bloom, so I brought them inside. They are sending up new growth now, but are still not very tall. (I planted them in a pot and brought the entire pot inside. The leaves died back, so I cut them back and let them go dormant like the begonias. I started watering them last week - after immersing them in soap-lysol water to curb fungus gnats. ) I would start them as soon as possible. I had to mess with them a bit -soaking and nicking-to get them to sprout. A bit more of a pain than morning glories, but at least they sprouted. I put them in the 'gravy" slot on my cutting board to nick because the little buggers want to roll all over the place, especially when they are wet and slippery.
They won't bloom this year I really hate that mine that I'm starting are the shorter ones so I'm hoping they will bloom but if I have to wait until next year for blooms so be it :) It will be almost 3 mos. before I get them outside so I really hate to sow them now if they will get too tall for the lights that's the key here.
When did you plant them GardenQuilts? Did they get taller than the lights before you took them outside? That's what I'm wondering about :) No one is giving me a date of planting and how tall they were when they took them outside. I won't be able to take them out until about the second week in May if then depending on the last frost and hoping we don't get a late freeze this year!
Will try to get my camera working also. I SO got ripped off in buying this camera from ebay! :( Never again...
Only one out of 5 of my canna seeds sprouted, but it is about 3 inches tall now.
Oh, almost forgot... How could I forget? I have Pineapple Lily babies!!! :) Every time something sprouts I look it up & read about it all over again :)
GardenQuilts, that sounds like a dangerous way to nick seeds! I scruff mine on the sidewalk to nick them. I have also heard of some using a nail file.
I am also always afraid of the fly paper getting caught in my hair! I have had it stick to my hair as passing by & I always freak out! It's like running into a spider web! Yuck! :)
ants
LOL I used to hang those rolls of fly paper in the garage because there were so many flies in there for some reason had about five rolls in there hanging from the ceiling never caught any flies but caught me all the time that shed to my garage isn't very big lol It is like running into spider webs gross!!
I use a nail file it's a lot safer!
So far I'm just doing seed trays and getting some seeds to soak haven't even gotten my camera out that's the way it alwasy is ;P
I'm tickled over my annual ice plants coming up I have another one today that's three :))
I use sandpaper to abrade the seed coat, then if they don't sprout use a file to nick the seeds. I just put them in the groove in the cutting board so that they don't roll around. Learned that the hard way last year, when trying the canna seeds the first time.
I received and planted the canna seeds in June last year, directly in a pot outside. They were really slow growers. By fall, they were about 6-8" tall.
Still having computer problems, taking me away from fun things like seeds starting. I think I will have to move the entire setup back into my big old case, it had better ventillation. I am getting high temperature warnings on this one. ARGGHHH. Don't want to cook my new hard drives. I am trying to keep this assemblage of parts running for a while longer. It will be expensive to update because I will need new memory, etc.
Get you one of those little fans big lots has them I just bought a small one about four inches around and it puts out a lot of air for it's size you could let it blow on your computer while you are on it. My son keeps a fan on his stereo equipment constantly lol
Hey all ,
Trying to grow canna's to me they where slow growers other's may have majic touch but mine took forever. But was told they would . Lea what short ones you looking for??
Carolyn
I have one of thosefans, but it is blowing by my seeds! I didn't have any trouble with my old case. I am so tired of fiddling with these darn machines. The current case is more compact than my old one, but I guess it doesn't ventilate as well. In the meantime, I have the case open and an extra little fan near the drives.
I'm not really looking for any Carolyn just want to grow some for a friend of mine and though I would try some short ones with seed and a I might keep a couple of the taller red ones. I have a few seeds off of mine that were pink but they are shriveled up a little just wondering if they will grow just sent for some yellow ones and Jnette is going to send me a couple of seeds off of a shorter one to try a different color. I got some red tall ones from the swap :)
GardenQuilts I'm tired of machines too lol I've had my camera pluged in forever today and was thinking the battery was just dead because it wasn't showing on the charging up thingie well Tony got up and I sad something to him about it and the plug where I had it pluged in isn't right and he jiggled the plug in the wall and the darn thing came on lol No wonder I can't get this camera going I'm just not right lol Now I have to wait another three hours for it to charge geezzz lol
LeBug,
Canna's take a long time growing can't even tell you how long cause thru them outside and where they at don't know loved my shorter ones though finding them would be a chore cause my kid cut my grass and moved all them over LOL, How can you fuss when you can't do your self but kinda know where some short one's are if the water hasn't done rotted them .
You knw can send to you and if not the shorter give to the neighbor . Just let me know!
Carolyn
I planted canna seeds the year before last & only 3 came up so I transplanted those & planted other seeds in that troth. Well, last year 8 more cannas came up in the troth along with the other flower seeds. I hope they made it through this winter.
ants
Get outta here ants lol You have'em coming up and Carolyn's kid is running them over lol They sure wouldn't be back in my zone :)
I don't realy need anymore cannas Carolyn but thanks I really don't like to store all those bulbs but looks like I'm going to this year with growing more dahlias and another canna lol I tell you what though I just put them in the box to store then if they make it ok and if they don't ok I figure if they don't make it that's one less to do in the fall :)
I'm really wondering what these dahlias are going to look like when I grow them from seed I hope Ella shows us pictures when hers grow since she has the same seed as I do hint hint Ella you will see blooms before me lol
I don't like to store bulbs over the winter, so if something doesn't come back, I usually won't try again. There is always something else out there that WILL come back :)
ants
I hear ya girl! I made my mind up a long time ago I wasn't doing bulbs because of storing then a friend of mine on here sent me this beautiful dahlia which I think I lost last year, then Suzy that was our hostess the first time brought dahlia bulbs to me then there was this EE I had to have and the rest is history lol I now have five boxes of dahlia bulbs in the tv room and a bunch of EEs in my room mate's room over wintering in pots LOL Plus I just ordered four more EEs and have dahlia seeds I'm starting this year, Jnette is sending me two canna seeds and I ordered one pack, I say UNCLE LOL I'm going to hate myself this fall for sure!