Seed Snatchin' PartVIII - Still Divin'!

i love daisies of all kinds. I have some black eyed, brown eyed, indian summer, prarie sun, goldstrum, and shaggies started. Well.. trying to start them at least.

Sidney, you know what I've wished I could grow up here was the Mimosa tree. Even though not into trees when growing up, I still remember being very appealing to me with it's foliage and blooms.

Now... I keep seeing it listed in the various invasive plant rosters - Even seen it mentioned in the same paragraphs as the almighty kudzu! Thats alright. I've also seen my beloved larkspur being accused of making itself at home a little too easily. She gets to travel around my lot wherever and I just edit a bit as necessary.

I wonder how the mimosa would do as a container plant that could then overwinter in an unheated garage?

NOT the larkspur!! After seeing your pictures on some posts in another forum 8ftbed, I was destined to start me up some of that larkspur. The seeds did very sell, and if I don't get them to some normal sun soon, I'll have blooms inside the house. Last fall I was on a heather tangent, so I started reading all about heathers, etc etc. Ran into the same thing, INVASIVE. I didn't pay any mind to them, I bought some anyway. I'm thinking Missouri climate is not going to lend any positives to it becoming too invasive.

Funny, I live on heather ct. and have thought many times I should have some growing. Just hated to give up space for only a spring show. If you've got larkspur in the house now, get them outside and planted. I don't know if they transplant well but they are amazing to watch getting laid flat under snow and ice and when it melts off re-inflate... this is in the middle of January no less. It'd be great to transfer that sub-zero winter hardiness over to some of these woosy hybrid-tea roses or the oakleaf hydrangeas.

I didn't know I could put it outside right now, sure it won't kill it? What about acclamating it? But then, how do you acclamate from approx 70F constant to putting them out in 50F and then dips into the 30's at night. I'M SCARED!!! I'm not sure if my heather made it through the winter, but I looked in the plant files and someone had posted "fall foilage" of heather, and it looks about like mine does. I'm hoping it survived out there.

Sounds like the "invasive" plant thing is an ongoing debate here, and there's no doubt that non-native invasive species can cause real problems. But most plants I've seen labeled as "invasive" are invasive in some climates but not in others. For example, I'd never grown morning glory before, but wanted to plant some this year. I was concerned about its being "invasive," especially as there's a sort of wild morning glory (bindweed) here that's a real problem. But I learned MGs aren't a problem that way for anybody in zone 7 & up (I'm in 6b), that it's just in warm areas that they can get out of control. For the most part, I'm relying in the state by state invasive species lists to make sure I don't inadvertantly introduce something harmful around here.

Geez, that was much too serious for this thread!!

I've got some snatchin' planned for later this spring.... a friend of mine says she needs to divide her hostas again, and I'm planning to help her so I can send a bunch of divisions to a dear friend & former next door neighbor who recently moved to Texas. I'm pleased to report that the bachelor buttons WZ sent (that I'm almost certain were snatched, right?) have sprouted in their wintersown containers!! I hope they know what they are doing; it's still getting pretty chilly at night. I'll definitely be leaving those plastic lids on a while yet.....

I don't think I'd plant out those larkspur just yet, kathy. Seems to me an established plant might be fine under ice & snow, but a tender little seedling that's only known temperatures around 70, well, I just don't think snow will make it happy!

Since they've been inside then going directly out would probably surprise them.
I'd put them out on the next cloudy day. They're not too tall yet are they?
Then let them have some direct sun each day, gradually lenghthening it. One way to not have to babysit too much is doing it on the east side of a building or something that predictably casts a shadow.
Pull them into the garage or something the first night or two.

If you've never done this before, then maybe do it with a few so you'll feel safe.
Got any seeds left? Sow them where you want them immediately and watch them come and laugh at any remaining winter-like weather. If you're out, I think I might still have some either harvested or ordered that I'd send to you. LMK

They're all about 6 inches tall right now. I have a perfect deck for acclamating them, it faces east and the trees stop the sun up close to the house, they would only get maybe 1 hour and I can slowly move them out where they will get more.

I have some seeds left, and I'll try what you said, that would be a great experiment. I didn't know annual seeds could be winter sown until it was too late. I thought that only pertained to perennial seeds. I'll let you know how I fair. Thanks for your offer, I bought seeds off Ebay and have a good amount left.

Naw, there's a bunch of annuals that you could sprinkle on the first snow of the season. If not cut back much of what we grow will self seed. Poppies, Belles of Ireland, Petunias, Marigolds, Sunflowers, Celosia, Cleome, Morning Glory (and relatives). These have all came back as volunteers for me.

Whats special about the Larkspur is once you have a stand going, you'll have some volunteer seeds from the first flowers sprouting in late fall. Then they hang out through the winter just waiting for the ground to thaw to start sucking up the go-juice.

Blaine, I think a Mimosa will actually grow in your Zone in a slightly protected area. I just whacked mine last year. It was a volunteer that I let grow, and was 30'+ when I wanted to reclaim some sunshine. I left the main trunk a good height for an outside desk and two sizeable limbs left taller will hold plants in pots. I pulled up hundreds of those last fall. Weeds here can devour a lot in 5 years.
NCG, I have been in search of Nandina around here like crazy because I know what a few plants did at mothers. And I do think they have become aware of this in their public plantings in NC. Where I dug nandina up across the alley, I planted roses. It would be a hoot to have my alley on a garden tour in 5 years. lol I just can't help my love of ox-eyes though.
I won't let them get rowdy I promise.
Sidney

mimosa .... seeds ... volunteer(s).... ?? Uh, my lil' seed snatchin' bus buddie, do you need an addy? (which I think is posted in the appropo place here on DG)

:)

Hee hee - Sidney you askin' me to send you some Nandinas?

sniff, sniff.... I think I smell a little swapping about to happen in the back of bus by the facilities

Hey Blaine come on back! Have plenty of things to swap! I'm a rootin' and dividin' and plantin' for the GA roundup!

Name your poison!

Mimosa ?

Critter, glad the bachelor buttons are germinating well for you. Yes, the seeds were snatched. I got them from a friend's house while she was on vacation! LOL! Do bachelor buttons reseed for any of you? I see they are listed as an invasive in Alaska. I've never seen them escape the garden here, or even reseed for that matter. How about you guys?

Bachelor Buttons - are ya'll talking about Centaurea Montana, the blue blooms with grey/green fuzzy foliage? I do like them but can sure see why (hind sight) they can be considered invasive. Not just seeds either, the run a bit.

Here's something I noticed 2 years ago though. You know how the little yellow finches stay on the sunflower heads in late summer/fall. Besure you have some of those centaurea growing where you can watch and don't be so quick to deadhead this spring. I thought the plants were dropping seed before I could deadhead until I caught the yellow finches mobbing them for breakfast. The yellow looks great against the blue and they like to peel the seedheads before they're fully ripe.

If I'm preaching to the choir here..... too bad! :)

Ha, ha, ha
Blaine, I'll persue some seeds for you. I was so diligent, I haven't seen any in my yard, but the dern trees are invasive and I'm sure I can find some.
NCG, Lord no! I'm not even putting nandina in yard trash because that gets shredded for mulch. It's free and full of weeds, no thanks.
This is another darling WEED that climbs all the way to the top of trees. It takes more than a tug to get these out of the ground. I never saw these evil things in Texas, but they are prolific here. These huge tubers resemble potatoe flesh. they drop their seeds from lofty places and srangle everything in their reach.
Heard they were deer food, but none of the deer come intown around here.
That's a yardstick in the photo.
Sidney

Oh I was kidding! :) But I did already mail you some as a joke - NOT! :)

Bachelor buttons haven't reseeded for me yet. Maybe its me!

Do you all know that it was SNOWING on my way in to work this morning? Craziness!!!!! Then it cleared off though - didn't do none them thar stickin' to the dirt none.
Will Spring EVER get here?????? Grrr!
Nicole

yeah... even though Chicago saw 50 yesterday and we may see it again over the weekend, it's been snowing all morning. I just thought I was going to be able to start some cleanup in beds this weekend and pruning.

Here in St Louis, we're suppose to hit 60 today. Too bad I'm at work until 7pm tonight. Hopefully, some of this weather will lay over into the weekend, for I have some tilling to do myself.

8ft, the Centaurea montana are a different species, also known as "Mountain Bluet." Lovely flower! I have on small but growing clump, and I'm starting a few more from seed this year. The finches definitely go after seedheads in the garden, so maybe that's why I haven't seen additional "volunteers" of this one. The C. montana seeds are definitely different from the Centaurea cyanus "Bachelor Buttons" species.

Cousins.
I've seen 'Batchelor Buttons' used in descriptions of the C.M. before. Well if you think you need a couple more, I could probably hook you up.

kathy - Tilling? I WISH!! I was just happy that all of the snow had finally melted and it would be warm enough to work without gloves. The ground is still frozen unless it's along the foundation.

May I recommend raised beds? There is a in the Organic Gardening Forum called Square Foot Gardening. I have nine 3x3 beds ready, the snow has already melted. And lumber cut to assemble three more 3x3 and four 4x4. And someone just BROUGHT me lumber for 2 more 3x3 and half a 4x4. He also brought 8 bags of fresh chemical free lawn clippings! I love snatching and having it delivered LOL

On a brighter note for those dealing with SNOW SNOW and more SNOW:

North American folk saying: "Snowy winter, a plentiful harvest."

Adios, I have beds to build! (The snow is all melted, all ten inches of it)

Yes, Critter, it was Centaurea cyanus that was listed as invasive. Actually, the seeds of both C. cyanus and C. montana are quite similar, but the cyanus are smaller. I can see why birds would find them a treat. However, I've never seen cyanus in the escaped into the wild here, or even reseeding. I just wondered where they are a problem.

Hmmm, the C. cyanus seeds that I have (several varieties) are plump cream cylinders with a blue-grey band around them and a golden-brown tuft at one end; very distinctive. I got some seeds labeled C. montana that are brownish in color, are skinnier and more irregular than the C. cyanus, and lack that tufty end. Maybe those "Centaurea montana" seeds ain't what they oughter be. I guess I will see what I get when/if they germinate!

Critter, I can't recall if the C. montana has the tuft. I'll have to go into my tote and take a look. Mostly I was referring to the seed hardness, shape, etc. They are obviously of the same family. I plant so many different kinds of seeds every spring, and collect them every fall, that I'm beginning to know what they are or which family or genus they belong to.

OK, here's a picture of C. cyanus (left) and C. montana (right). The C. montana have the tufts on the end, too, but less prominent, and some have fallen off.

Ok, Kathy how is that possible???? I am in the SOUTH for cryin' out loud! I don't want no dag burn snow now!! :)

Thanks for that picture, WZ! Here's my counterpart, with "C. montana" also on the right. You can see why I didn't think they were strikingly similar, even though they're about the same dimensions. Either these seeds are not as labeled, or I have some very dried up little seeds here. I think I may try plumping some of them by soaking before planting.... Fortunately, I have a little plantlet of Mountain Bluet from a friend (more like a gift than a snatch), and it had a couple of flowers last year, so I should be able to save seeds from it this year.

Sorry for the detour into seed ID, but I'm grateful for WZ's expertise!

Oh, the saying in St Louis is: "If you don't like the weather, stick around! it'll change very quickly the next day". :) It was about 60 today I think. Anything above finger numbing coldness is good enough to do some tilling in. hehe

Then...

up here the saying is "If you don't like Lake Michigan weather, wait 15 minutes" Not far fetched alot of times, either.

Remember, "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature". So, we need to keep that in mind when the weather gets whacky.
It's 48 outside, in FL!!! I want sunshine again please.

Well we had what looked like ice all over the place this morning but it was just heavy frost! Oh well... It's not Spring here unless the buds have been frozen at least once!

Nicole

Hello
This was last Sat........
Linda

Linda, at least your little snow covered buddy is smiling.

Well, I was just next to diving, a WM closing and I was there when bare root roses went to $1 each, and br rose trees went to $4. Bedding plants were 30 cents a pot and 50 for 4 packs Several 1 gal. plants were also a steal. I'm planting baskets to sell right now, so I sorta lost it. Too chilly to enjoy go outside, good for shopping.
Sidney

Critter, those are some sad lookin' Mt. Bluet seeds you've got there! LOL! Email me your address if you'd like me to send you some better looking seeds. I can have them out in Monday's mail for you.

Thanks for the offer, WZ -- you're such a sweet lady!

I think I won't even sow the rest of these seeds. I'm good for this year with my one little plant, and I'll either get some seeds from it or from the friend who gave it to me for next year. My friend has a whole patch -- we found the plants on ebay after we spotted them blooming while at a garage sale & decided they were a must-have Mother's Day gift for her mom.

Sugar, great deal there on those plants! Wow!

It's looking like spring here today -- sunny & mild -- crocci are blooming and looking oh, so cute!

I planted some foxglove "snatched" seeds in a flower bed in the fall of last year. This was part of testing what works for me and what doesn't. One flower I have my heart set on this year is the foxglove. Yesterday I was out cleaning up the yard and pealed back some of the leaves that gathered in that bed and I see their little sprouts! :) :) :) I put the leaves back on them for our last frost date is in May here. Was that the right thing to do? or should I bare the little guys to get more light?

I'm thinking they may need their leafy blanket more than they need light right now. They should grow up & through the leaves, NP. Congratulations on the germination! I've wintersowed some foxglove this year, and you've given me hope for them!