seeing some new faces stop by say hi

Hi Flinter and Welcome, you can start your seeds in April if you grow them indoors till mid May, otherwise they may get frost. You have a great variety to grow, the purpureas are some of the hardiest there are and if you have any that reseeded, you will see them sprout around early May, or earlier if the weather is nice.

Then you know when to put them outdoors, remember to acclimate the seedling though..by the way, my son was visiting your country a couple of years ago.. I wish I could do the same, I'd also love to visit Jon in Japan someday.


Hi Nick, we need to get you started, so I'm sending you a welcome package..lol

KYwoods, I nick my seeds with a nail clipper and I use my super duper magnifying glasses, make sure your don't injure the embryo, nick on the two sides instead of the two ends.. I make two nicks because it lets the seedcoat soften quicker and it comes off easier and does not stick to the embryo when it germinates, dont' for get you can wet a small piece of paper towel and place it on top of the seedcoat if it is having trouble coming off.

Also, Newbies, don't forget to read the STicky above that BlueSpiral and BeckyGardener put together, it has tons of information and will save you hours upon hours of research if you go read the links they recommend... I still go there..

Question: How in the world do you hold onto the seeds while you nick them? I keep having to chase them, lol!

very carefully. i use small toe nail clippers. some people hold them with pliers. it is hard You can us e a file if you have too just to scratch the surface

Is this better than soaking them, or should I do both?

Some people nick some soak. I have had no luck soaking so i nick. Others have luck soaking. its what works best for you. Some i don't nick like tiny ones . it just all in what method works for you. I wouldn't do both at the same time though.

Thanks! Maybe I'll experiment and do half one way, half the other, lol!

i have been unable to nick seeds no matter how hard i try they seem to shoot out of the clippers and then ihave to search for them. soaking seems to work well for me

LOL, exactly what happened to me! Maybe a nail file will work...How long do we soak them?

some people soak 6 hours some over night. I tried soaking and they just died on me. too much water i guess.

Good nicking/soaking advice above. Just to add my 2 cents about my struggles with nicking and starting MG seeds (following is my experience, but my experience grew from the knowledge others have shared in this forum over the years) -

I don't nick, unless the ones soaked for a few hours don't swell.

-- Then, only the ones that don't swell get nicked and put back into fresh soaking solution of water with a dab of hydrogen peroxide (H202) for a few more hours.

---- when nicking, do not nick a hole to China - ya just want to barely scratch the surface to see a tiny bit of white beneath.

---- another "do not" - do not nick at the end with that hole (eye, or hilum), because that it is where the root (embryonic root, actually, called radicle) will hopefully emerge. nick anywhere else.

---- Only a few need nicking this way, and I hold a seed in one hand and rub it against a nail file in my other hand. I like the ideas above about holding seeds with a small, or nose-type, pair of pliers against a rough surface - sand paper works...toe clippers look good, too.
--------------

-- After they swell, and also if they still do not swell, I put them into folded, barely moist coffee filters (dipped into the water/hydrogen peroxide solution & wrung out), inside of clear baggies where I can watch the seed's progress.

When the embryonic root emerges (either in the soaking baggy or filter baggy) I plant it shallowly, but just below the surface. If I am trying to grow something really rare or special, then I like to have the top third of the cup filled with vermiculite, with potting medium beneath. This will be an added deterrent to pathogens. Having said that, if your seeds are both rare, special, old, iffy, then it might be useful to try germinating them in as many ways as you know. There are good microbes out there, too, so don't stick exclusively to vermiculite)

Some seeds typically take longer to sprout than others; for instance, although most Ipomoea nil cultivars sprout for me within 3 - 4 hours, I. nil Shirayuki can take 3 weeks to sprout in its coffee filter/baggie. So there are some interesting variations and exceptions to how sprouting progresses among cultivars even within one specie.

Soaking works better for me if I do it over kitchen cabinet lights - so warmth helps. You don't want to give too much heat, so a heat mat might be the best way to go.

As soon as the first embryonic leaves (cotyledon) appear, I put them outside in the sun, so that there is no damping off and they take off very well. This only works well when the outdoors is warm enough - I ferry my seedlings in and out of the house for a while until nights are consistently warm.

Baggies let me watch the development (or lack thereof) of seed germination.

The very first thing I do is to write a list of what I'm growing and number each vine. Then I make up labels on recycled yogurt containers with a waterproof marker, and those stay with their respective seeds from the moment the seeds go into a baggy with a soaking solution to the moment they are transplanted into the final home. If I'm growing them in the ground, I make a map.

For seeds that are easy to obtain and not very rare or special, I do not advise such an elaborate procedure as the above. Someone advised wintersowing on another website, and it is maybe the easiest way to go with purpureas and some other species, but if you try to wintersow the nils, then you maximize your chances of murdering those seeds especially where temps go below 32*F (BUT! heehee - there is even a nil that is an exception - the emargined gray - in my experience).

Well, seems I wrote a book and I hope folks will excuse me if I have duplicated their advice or crossed in cyberspace - hope I've helped more than confusticated.

karen

sorry - more verbosity coming here -

on soaking -
----- If you put a dab of hydrogen peroxide (H202) into your soaking water, then the H202 will lower chances of your seeds rotting
----- For me, seeds begin to sprout within 2 hours. Those that don't sprout within 3 or 4 hours get nicked and put back into fresh soaking solution.
----- If no sprouting occurs within 24 hours, go to the baggy stage next, as described in my previous post.

Thanks so much!

I wanted to add something to Karen's suggestions: Use your magnifying glasses when you nick your seeds, that way you can see the edges really clear and the seeds won't slip off, all you need is one little cut on the seed to let the moisture in.
A.

I have a couple more questions:

Okay, I soaked the seeds in a hydrogen peroxide solution, and some of them swelled and sprouted, others haven't yet (could have a couple different types mixed together). When I dumped them out into a larger dish, a sprout or two broke off! grrrr...are those seeds doomed?

Also (and this sounds really dumb, but I've never done this before), is the initial sprout a root or the other end?
Thanks for your help and patience! :)

If they broke off the root tips, they may be goners. The white tip growing out of the seed is the first root , so plant them down if possible. Sometimes tweezers help.

Sorry to hear a few broke off. It happens. Also keep in mind that the roots don't like to be disturbed, so whatever you plant them in should be a container that you can remove them from easily or just plant them in their permanent place. Good luck!

Thanks! Live and learn!

Peeks in and waves hello..............New to the DG site. This is my first year growing morning glories. I stated them from seed a couple months ago. They are already climbing nicely. No blooms yet.
I love All sorts of plants. However my collection is rather small. I am starting over slowly. I have a nice variety of cacti and succulents, also just put about 20 daylilies in the ground. Gladiolas, purple latris, sago palms, passion vine, crown of thorns, dusty millers, wishbone flowers, snapdragons, zinnas, pansies (from seed..they are not doing so well)..purple coneflower seed, sunflowers, some ginger plant I think died, and a few various other bedding plants.............so far :).
Nice meeting Ya'll :)

Hi, Lily, welcome to DG! My morning glories are mere sprouts now, you're making me jealous, lol! Your garden sounds like it will be gorgeous.

Welcome Lily!

Sounds like you have a lovely gardening growing! Would love to see some photos! :-)

I use Bloom Booster by MiracleGro to get my MGs blooming. Something you might consider trying when you water them (every 2-3 weeks during the growing season). :-) Works like a charm for me!

Ty everyone.... However, I lurked in here in the MG site before joining. I followed all the directions..potted up some seeds that I let soak..etc. As far as watering goes I have to water them DAILY!!
I read not to. If I don't though mine are badly wilted and droopy the next morning. And I will fertilize them this weekend thanks!! All I have right now is miracle grow, so that will have to do. I spent my extra money on extra cacti and succulents this morning....I could'nt help it. The nursery was right there on my way to work and it jumped out in front of my car. That's my story and I am sticking to it LOL...
I'll post picks when I have something decent to show in the meantime check this out!.....

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1174618/

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/196701/


Enjoy!

Wow, that's gorgeous!

I agree! Stunner of a bloom! Love that color!

Thanks so much!

I'm coming back after an awful and ongoing experience, trying to get back to my garden!

jon - Glad to hear that you are even thinking about gardening after all that you've been through over there in Japan! Gardening is good for the soul. :-) That's my motto! And it's cheaper than mall shopping! LOL! All my friends shop when they are under stress! LOL! I garden, instead! ;-)

Hello! Welcome to each and every one enjoying the beauty of morning glories!!

Jon, glad to see you post here!

Hi Jon,
Good to see you, and glad you are gardening... there's nothing like it when you want some peace..lol

A.

Peace I want, not just for me but for he entire world! Guess I'll have to settle for a spell in the garden.

Why not settle for peace as nature intends? I realize peace may be hard to find in your immediate surroundings, but peace can be achieved throughout, hopefully. (I may just be a dreamer)

Hey nifty, I'm a dreamer too but I'm not the only one! There is a certain kind of peace in a natural disaster that does not exist in war.

Very true Jon. Not many would understand what you have gone through, or are going through in the rebuilding process, neverending in it's own right.

Okee doke MG peeps... Here is my first attempt at growing them.Just your basic Heavenly Blues, but they have been blooming a couple weeks now. I could not be happier!

Oh Yea, A question..If you look closely at the bloom on the bottom, near the bottom it has a neon pink spot on it. I have seen a few of these on my blooms now.....any idea what is causing those?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Have an awesome day.~~

And Oh.. Jon....I do not know you yet, but I send very warm wishes your way.............. :)

Lilyofthenight - Beautiful bloom! Heavenly blue is always a winner in my garden! The pink spots may be discoloration from condensation. And as your blooms age, you may notice they turn a pinkish color.

This message was edited May 7, 2011 8:23 PM

Hi Lilyofthenight, thanks for the warm wishes, there you know me now!
I get those pink spots too, I think a water droplet and sun causes them. have you noticed how the blues turn pink or red as the flower finishes?

Jon

Hmm, I think I just said the same thing as Becky! LOL!

Well Howdy from Texas Jon and Hiya Becky.... Well interesting enough I do believe the pink was water spots. And turning as the flower finishes? Oh... I will have to investigate that!
Thanks for the reply's!