As a newbie gardener here in NC, I thought I did everything right. I had put up a retaining wall around three sets of trees in the front yard. I dug out the clay and put in humus manure and Miracle Grow Garden soil as a topper. Then I planted about 300 seeds. About mid-July and just before my invasion of Japenese Beetles (that nearly killed my crepe myrtles ... but I saved them just in time).
Now either the squirrels or rabbits (we live in the woods) or birds ate all the seeds or I did something wrong. I watered (between 4-6 am with a walking sprinkler system which I TOTALLY love, btw) every few days, depending on whether or not we had evening rain storms. At the time, we didn't. Now we are.
They were all perennials. Some wildflowers. Hibiscus. Carnations. Just a good variety as these three sets of two trees were large areas and I almost ran out of seeds.
What did I do wrong? Should I have planted them before the triple digit heat arrived in late June and stayed until last week?
Also, I didn't have time to plant anything in my window boxes on my front porch this year. Last year, the Japenese beetles destroyed all the mini-roses I had growing there and this year due to family health issues, I've just not gotten around to it. Any ideas on what to plant in the Fall that will make it through Winter?
Thanks.
300 seeds planted = ZERO plants
Bummer! I imagine that critters got to some of them and the rest composted themselves with help from this crazy summer weather .. your best bet is to start seeds indoors and transplant seedling.
I feel your pain as just about all my plants did the same thing.
Seeds didn't come up and plants killed over.
One year when I planted seeds and they didn't come up. they started growing the next spring LOL.
Next year will be better I hope.
Lavina
Xeramtheum: I saw a nicely plump rabbit (not a hare ... although I've seen those too) sitting on my front porch with evidence that he/she had been digging in my pots on the front porch. I suspect that he/she, along with the two squirrels that scamper all over the place are the culprits.
I am hoping that like LavinaMae, they will come up next Spring. But I'm not holding my breath.
I will try getting some individual planters about 6 weeks before Spring starts next year and hopefully something will grow where I've spent so much time and effort (and $$$$) priming the area beneath the trees to grow some beautiful flowers.
How large should I let the seedlings grow before I transplant them? Any recommendations on what type of individual seedling planters I should get?
Thanks.
If you have a dollar tree where you live, come spring they will have small pots - about the size of those dannon yogurt containers, 10 for a dollar .. they are great for starting seeds .. usually after a seedling has it's 2nd set of true leaves, it's safe to plant them out but I think the best results are when you see roots coming out the bottom of the pots.
I use plastic empty coffee containers, just put hole in bottom of plastic.I have gotten quite a few conpliments on these, they are cheaper than pots also and folks get a kick out of them even tho its a bit red neckish. LOL
Lavina
You may not have done anything wrong, Sighhbrrgal. We have been cursed with the most unusual/weird growing season in the Carolina's since I've been here (23 years). High air temps, high soil temps, low rainfall, not a usual Carolina Summer! Suspect the high soil temps may be what's keeping the seeds from germinating...which simply means they'll germinate late and be crushed by the first frost...