When is enough, ENOUGH?

Well, valueseeds just got my 6th or 7th order; when I get seed ordering fever now, I just go to them.

But as I plant and plant, I wonder, "Should I save some varieties for next year?" What do all you seasoned wsowers do with your seedlings from just one year? Why do you sow hundreds the next year too? I do understand it is an addiction. I imagine that some of you have feilds and acres of flowers now. Just curious.

Well, I certainly can understand your seed addiction...I too suffer from the same problem! :~) I just HAVE to try all the new varieties of seeds that come out each year!! Yes, I do have a box full of seeds that need to be sown or traded, but you'll never know if a seed can be wintersown in your area....until you try it! For example, I wintersowed Musella lasiocarpa, "Cold Hardy Chinese Dwarf ", a Banana, which just germinated! I never would have tried this outdoors before wintersowing, but it worked and I can't wait to watch this seedling grow into a beautiful plant!

Shirley,
Where did you happen to get those seeds for the cold hardy banana?? Making me want it too, shame on me, LOL! ~ Suzi :)

I second Suzi's question!!

edited to say....There's no shame Suzi, no shame at all! I MUST have this seed. That is the coolest thing I've heard of in wsing! I NEED it for my tropical garden (the one you helped design!!!).

This message was edited Feb 18, 2006 8:21 AM

me three!

Oh no!! Anna, my 8 y/o said ME TOO!!! LOL ha ha ha I am raising a maniac!!!
~ Suzi :)

LOL, Shirley, see what you've started!

I just wanted to add that Wellspring Gardens in FL sells the very cold hardy 'Basjoo' variety of banana (they sell small plants, not seeds)... check out their eBay store or their web site, http://wellspringgardens.com/



This message was edited Feb 18, 2006 9:57 AM

I did a google search. Turns out the one you have is not edible Shirley... I thought the one I had heard of that was good up to Chicago was... I want mine to be edible. Would go well with the apples, nectarines, cherries, mulberry, apricots, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc...

Did find a couple on the search that were edible, houseplant style, but cannot carry them in and out, plus not a lot of sunshine to overwinter them, thanks to the front porch... ~ Suzi :)

Sheesh, scratching my head! I've had these seeds for several years in my seed box...I think I either purchased them from http://www.seedcoseeds.com/seedtalk2/_seedtalk/00001ad9.htm or http://www.banana-tree.com/Product_Detail~category~13~Product_ID~6090.cfm or http://search.ebay.com/banana-seed-seeds_W0QQfkrZ1QQfnuZ1 but most likely here!
http://www.seedman.com/banana.htm

I think I unleashed a monster!!! If all these Musa germinate, I'm sure I'll have babies to trade....HeHeHe! I like the weirder the better!!! :~)

This weekend I planning to sow some carnivorous Aroids....STAY TUNED!

Here more about Musa lasiocarpa:

"Musella lasiocarpa is an exciting banana relative that comes from high altitudes (to frosty 2800m / 9200ft!) in the Yunnan province in China. The maximum height of the plant is only about 1.5m / 5ft, half of which is a very stout, conical trunk, topped by a crown of handsome, slightly glaucous, broad leaves. From early age, the rhizome produces many suckers. The "flower", which is big and bright yellow, appears in its second year, and grows upright at the top of the trunk. As the inflorescence grows in size, tiny 'bananas' begin to appear under each bract which curls back to reveal the fruits. Unfortunately inedible, the 2" long bananas each contain dozens of small, shiny jet black seeds. The seed requires cool stratification (abt. 5°C) but then germinates easily, and subsequent seedling growth is as you might expect, very fast. Musella appreciates heavy watering and feeding and a place in full sun. It will flourish in all climates from cool tropical down to temperate, where it will be found to be root hardy, enduring even cold winters with its underground rhizome, just like the well known "Hardy Banana", Musa basjoo. It also makes a perfect conservatory plant which will be a true conversation piece that certainly will not outgrow its location.
Easily survives zone 6 winters when mulched heavily."

Since my Musa basjoo comes back every year, I figured Musa lasiocarpa should be fine. I grow Musa for their beautiful leaves and a feeling of the tropics in my garden. If you want the kind that produce edible Nanas....you may have to move to Florida!!!

gloriag-- has Value Seeds added some new selections lately?

Just wondered how often they add inventory?

It's strange, but a very warm day has completely cured me of my desire to do any more wintersowing.

It was just that I realized that I wasn't going to go down the hill and do anything about the fact that my containers were probably getting too warm. The caps are off and they have slits or holes, but they had lots of direct sun and the temperature was in the low 60's.

So I feel that I'm not really going to do it right, so I probably shouldn't set up any more containers. Which leaves me with so many seeds, and so many more weeks to wait until I can sow them.

We had some warm weather too, but I don't think that will pose a problem to the seed. Why don't you keep up with it Miss G

Maybe if they were closer to your home or more convenient to get to, especially for watering...that may make it easier for you to stick with it.

Just think of how much further ahead all your plants will be if you start them now...and you won't have to harden them off...they'll have better roots, be stronger, healthier!!

Think of it as an experiment and try it this one year. Just take care of the ones you've started. If you don't like the results then don't ws again...but don't lose the seeds you've already started!

Good luck,
Heather

Tobasco,
To my untrained eyee, there don't seem to be any new ones. However, I keep eyeing the few I have not ordered and ordering from them. They have some interesting ones from S. Africa, a brilliant blue annual for example. But this was "my last order." (already I am eyeing the seed sites listed above in the banana tree discussion)