Sowing seeds now

I just bought some bulk seeds from eBay. Larkspur, annual For-Get-Me Nots, Nigella and Corn Flowers and Poppies. Lots more seeds than I will really need to grow. Do you think I could sprinkle them on the ground at this time of the year and have them germinate in the Spring? Or would it be better to wait until early Spring? I'm in zone 5a. I know all these are things that do reseed themselves, so I wonder why I can't do it know?

Susan

P.S. Edited to add here is the eBay seller I'm getting the seeds from. Very low prices and only $1.75 total shipping for any number of seed packs.

This message was edited Dec 10, 2004 11:03 AM

I sprinkle mine in late February on top of the snow. That way the wind won't blow the seeds away and gives them the freezing temps they need, and also when the snow melts it will lay them on top of the ground, and then when the temp is right they will germinate. Or you can winter sow them in containers and place in the snow. I have use both methods and they both work great. Cathy

Thanks Cathy! Sounds like a great idea to sprinkle them on the snow. I think I will do that with half and then plant the other half in early spring. trying to avoid starting too many things inside although I will be doing alot as it is. Just sent in a couple seed catalog orders. It's been a few years since I used my lights in the basement, but I'm in the mood to do it again so am getting them set up.

Susan



Susan

My dreamland zinnia seeds FINALLY arrived today after almost four weeks since I ordered them. Even though it's the wrong phase of the moon I started about a dozen of them in peat pots. They promise blooms withing six weeks, so I hope to have lots of bright flowers for dreary february and Valentine's Day. I'll keep you posted.

I have nigella and annual phlox seedlings up in my garden from the fall (self sown)- we've hit 13 degrees and they still look ok (need thinning out). Nigella has a short bloom for an annual, so several sowings is a good idea. I'll put some out this spring. They don't transplant well, and I didn't have much luck starting them indoors. The early phlox will be ratty by mid summer, so I'll start some more indoors.

Susan K

Susan, nigella, that's Love in a Mist, right? I set one out a few years back and it comes back every year but gets buried under some huge perennial phlox. I'll have to check out my catalogs to see what annual phlox looks like. Just checked the Park catalog and the picture shows flowers that look like something I call Sweet William. It would no doubt behoove me to learn the latin names
I have a bunch of columbine seedlings that self sowed and they need moving.
Never realized Richmons was in zone 7a.

Yes, we're pretty warm here, VA Beach is zone 8. We get some benefit from being close to the coast and the mountains block a lot of the cold fronts for us. I don't think of GA as being so cold- are you in northwestern GA?
Nigella is Love in a Mist, and it does come back, from seed I would think. Annual Phlox does resemble Sweet William, but is not as fragrant and the flowers are smaller. It comes in more colors, though. I have both, as well as several moss phlox and have started to expand into summer phlox as well. I may be a Phloxhead!

Susan K

Susan K, Since my last post, I looked up annual phlox in the Seeds For Change catalog. Very pretty, I can see it's not sweet william in their pictures. I don't think I've ever seen annual phlox growing, it looks georgeous. I may try some this year. I wil have to check out the moss phlox too. One can NEVER have too many flowers!
The perennial phlox I grow is spectacular, IMO. The flower stalks get anywhere from 3 to 6' high and are covered with fragrant blossoms. My only complaint is as the flower stalks open, the first spent blossoms dangle unattractively and it makes for a messy cut flower. I love bringing flowers inside.
I live about a mile from the NC border in north central GA, in the mountains, in a particularly cold micro climate compared to nearby neighbors.