Any luck with clematis or rudbeckia maxima?

I've tried several varieties of clematis from seed
exchanges. No luck. I've also collected, purchased
and swapped for rudbeckia maxima seeds. Never
got even one to germinate. (I tried heat, temperature
cycles of varying length in the refridgerator starting
first warm or first cold. )

Anyone have luck with either? what's the magic?

Well that makes two of us Tammy. My attempts have been from seed in my own yard. I've tried them fresh; stored in the garage over winter; and most recently, I collected seed in mid January. Nada!

However last summer I discovered it's ridiculously easy to start new ones by layering in 1/2 gal pots. As the main vine gets longer I added another pot 2 nodes down. By late June I discovered I needed to cut them off and move because they had already ran out the bottom of the pot! I did eight last year but this year I plan on making them on all of my established varieties.
blaine

thanks Blaine! That sure makes me feel better about my seed starting
skills. Your technique helps get more to trade. I'll stop getting the
clematis seed from exchanges too. Try something else instead.

Tam

Hey - one of my clematis did germinate! It took 5mo. but it germinated.
YEAH!

Congratulations!!!!! Do I get to see pics?

I'm kind of excited because I discovered a volunteer out in a front bed!! Now, theres 3 or 4 varieties around that tree, so I'm wondering what it will bloom like. I'd like to lift it but am afraid to lose it, so I guess I'll put up 3 bamboo stakes, tied at the top and see what happens.

Do you know what kind your seedling came from?

Its Clematis Minuet - I see its in the Plantfiles. Right now its about 1"
tall - want pictures of the baby stage or are you wanting to wait 'til its
a grown up :-) I got the seed from the Hardy Plant Society exchange.

I've had autumn clematis (or montana) - the one with the little white
flowers that just goes crazy in the fall with bloom - self seed but not
any others. I'm trying to root a few starts from Jackmanii - per your
earlier suggestion. So far so good.

Now you know you don't wait till the kids are all grown up before you take pics! :)
Tell you what, I'll even swap you a pic of my possible volunteer.

Finally got the camera out & figured out how to download. (DH normally handles that job & he's out of town).

I know some clematis take up to 780 days,something like that.
Jody

I'm starting to think its not a clematis afterall. :-(
I'll let it grow for a while more before confirming. But
it just doesn't look right.

If you're talking about the one in the center, I don't know of any clematis with grass-like foliage like that.

Here's my volunteer. First ever, or I've inadvertently dug them up in the past before they started vining like this one has. It's a little hard to see because of the phlox behind it. It'll be interesting to see what the blooms look like. There's 3 or 4 varieties planted around the tree trunk about 4' away. I don't know if clematis cross pollinate or are true from seed.

Yep - I think I've successfully germinated a grassy weed. :-(
I'll pull it and just keep waiting for the real thing

Tammy,
I germinate more grassy weeds than anything else.LOL.Jody

Jody - thanks. I should have checked it out more carefully before
posting my incredible weed. I just get so excited when something
new germinates! I'd been watching those clematis seeds for months!

I actually grew one of those stinging nettles 'til it was about 6" tall this
spring. I realized what I had when I picked it up to translplant. It went in
the trash fast!

Its nice to be amongst the obsessive (that can't be just me?) & kind
people of DG.

Tammy,
Those nettles are great to eat when they are young,just like greens.
And nettle tea from the leaves is a great liver tonic.I grew one and it stuck me,I got mad and dumped it.Now I wish I had some back for tea.I never see any wild around here.The farmers spray so much weed killer they probably terminated them completely.I know they are a perrenial but I would cut seed heads back so they couldn't reseed and spead.heehee I can't beive I've gone on this long about a stupid Nettle.lol.
Yup, I'm a tad crazy!!!!
Jody

I'll know what to offer you in trade if I ever find any stinging nettle in seed! LOL

LOL.Jody