What can you,not germinate,but won't give up?

This is my fourth year,trying to grow cleome(spider) flower.Tried direct sow in the spring,winter sow, started indoors. Tried different locations,full sun,partial shade.Same with lobelia (red cardinal).I have really good luck growing many plants from seed. I could tell you about my success, but would rather discuss failures.

Well I have many failures. I tried for over a year to get lapageria seed to germinate, oh the things I tried. Then learned the seed must be fresh and only under certain circumstances is it fertile. Another I tried was the mayten tree. Tried all kinds of things to get that seed to germinate, then found a friend had a full grown one that had suckers every where. So I got suckers and do have the tree now.

I also have many failures of getting seed to germinate and then for no good reason it just dies. But keep on trying anyway. Oh and a good one I did. I got some alstromeria seed, peruvian lily. I had heard it was very hard to get it to germinate. So I put lots of seeds in a shallow bowl pot, covered it lightly and forgot about it. They all germinated, hundreds of them. I carefully repotted them and killed them all.

I do have some seed for cleome, I did not sow them as I heard we do not get enough heat here for them to bloom well. Now I am trying some leptospermum, hopefully it will germinate and I won't kill them. lol.
Rebecca

Gentian... I've tried starting indoors, wintersowing it... still no luck.

jeesh where do i start!?
I'm really thinking its down to how the seed has been treated first. I have bought seed from all over and the i'll find some growing somewhere and sow it straight away and it all grows.
I have a long list of stuff that hasnt grown... but i have a bigger list of stuff that has.

"I have a long list of stuff that hasnt grown... but i have a bigger list of stuff that has."

That sums it up for me, also!

One failure that stands out for me is the commercial packet of hellebore seeds that I sowed a couple years ago. I followed the rather complicated instructions about moving from warm to cool to cold to cool to warm or whatever conditions at 2 week intervals... nary a sprout! I got my money back and thought, well, that's one I won't try again. Then I learned that hellebore seed must be very fresh when sowed, and I thought hey! maybe it wasn't my fault! I ordered some seeds from Australia, sowed them according to their directions, and I have 8 trade gallon pots sitting out in my garage... as the weather warms, I'll be checking them compulsively for sprouts! Hope springs eternal!

Somebody on DG commented recently that you're not a "real gardener" until you've killed the same plant 3 times. I guess that's true of seed sowing failures too... there are some that we just hate to give up on!

I can't grow pansies from seed. They sprout, but they produce little bitty plants that never get much larger and never bloom. I've started them inside, I've wintersowed them... nada. However, I've had a couple of volunteers that did just fine! Go figure.

At least I have better luck with violas.

For the life of me I can't get eucalyiptus to root. Does anyone have a secret that might work for me?

Are you trying Euc from cuttings? If so give up now. lol
I used to try untill i bought some seed... then i tried seed from my tree.
The have all sprung up ... i have loads now and boy do they grow fast.

On our nursery they a known for putting much root on for the size of the plant. It means that you can't carry them by the stem only by the pot.

Try seed if you can be bothered getting it out of the capsule. Some are large and some are like dust.

Well these past two months, I tried several chili peppers from store bought packs.. NOT one germinated.. I found a big red chili pepper the wind blew in and got seeds out of it (it was full of sand too), they all germinated. That one is labeled "Wind Blown" for lack of a better name.. I'm in the mecca of the Chili Capital of the World here. right near Hatch NM, home of the best green chili..

I've killed alot of passionvine seedlings, some germinate some don't.. my latest are germinated... I forgot them for two weeks soaking in peroxide, superthrive and water... I washed them occasionally because they looked moldy, so finally, I stuck them into plastic cups and put some seran wrap on them... I could hardly believe my eyes, both cups have little seedlings in them (within days).. just think of all the times I used heat mats, misted, and still killed all the seeds.. Now if I could find some cold hardy passionvine seeds I'll have it made..lol

Killed alot more., but also, have germinated quite a bit too.


A.

Thanks Mike, I've tried for years and couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I have 2 trees and they are doing great but couldn't do a cutting for nothing. I have never seen flowers on my trees. What do they look like?

I worked so hard growing things on heat mats and taking such good care of them. Then one day, after reading on a package the instructions for cold then warm, and if that didn't work, cold again, well, I decided mother nature does winter sowing and put them out and forgot them. Much better results. But somehow I like the control of having them in the greenhouse and then repotting them. Its a lot more work and does not work as well. To show you that I still have not learned I have a lot of annuals, cosmos, sunflowers, lobelia, etc., all ready to be repotting in the greenhouse. I just like to do that....lol.

Mike I have some pods drying on the silly rice paper plants. I think there are seeds in there. Do you want me to send you what I have and you can see if there are seeds? I got my glass out and still cannot figure out what, if any, of the stuff is seed. Let me know.
Rebecca

I’ve tried Alchemilla Mollis ~ Lady’s Mantle for four years and got two out of them lol Two years in a row I tried Polemonium pauciflorum 'Silver Leaf Form' with no luck :( I gave this one to some one else to see if they could grow it this year lol

I have some rice paper plantlets. I dug up 3 about a month ago and think there is at least 3 more to dig.

I forgot to mention that I have no luck with hardy phlox seed. Any suggestions? By the way, LeBug, here is Tom Clothiers suggestion for germinating Achemilla: "Sow at 18-22ºC (64-71ºF) for 2-4 wks, move to -6 to -7ºC (19-21ºF) for 4-6 wks, move to 5-12ºC (41-53ºF) for germination." I'd start them inside, then set them out in the cold of wintersow.

Rebeccanne, To get alstroemeias/peruvian lilies to grow, they need to be sowed in the fall. Put them in like 1 gal. pots and cover with mulch. Either put into your greenhouse or outside at least a little protection. Let mother nature and the rains do the job. I have had very good success with germing those seeds. I don't do anything to the seeds. Just plant like a few seeds in the gal. pot and away I go. You need to have patient tho. Do not plant these plants until at least a year tho. They (the tubers) are very fragile and need that time to get established. Try this. You could plant out some now but sowing in the fall/winter is the best time to get the cold treatment they need.
I have learned a lot about alstr. in the past few years. I just love them tho!

I can grow just about anything.
But I have tried the past couple years to grow Mandivilla (sp?). Does anyone know this trick. I know they need warmth but do you cover the seeds or what?
Carol

Daisy, I did get them to germinate, it was the transplanting that I murdered them. Which mandevilla is the one you are trying? I have had good luck with mandevilla laxa from seed. I just put them fresh with bottom heat and they germinate very fast. Have not tried any others. I am getting my seed area cleared out and will be doing lobelia tupa and billardia longiflora. I like the things from chile, they do well here and look exotic.

I love the rice paper plants. I did get some seedlings, one was in the ground last summer and the frost did not seem to affect it too much. The others were in pots and the roots were not established so they may have died with the frost. They look so exotic and are so easy. My type of plant.

Weezingreens, I'm going to try that with Lady's Mantle thank you and now I'm worried about Perennial Phlox lol I'm getting ready to WS that for the first time lol

I have the same mandevilla you have. Got from a DG person in CA. I did plant them today with just a covering of soil on top so shall see how it does now.
I have a few lobelias to do from Chile. Thanks for reminding me, LOL Have to get that seed out and germ them.
Carol

OMG! Did anybody see the ad on the bottom of this page? For the Gardener's Pouch? I think they need to make one for Seed Snatchin'...the Seed Snatchin' Pouch™. Lots and lots of cascading compartments to keep the different kinds of seeds separate and then you can empty it when you get home and repeat LOL! They could keep the same pictures and text! It looks like it's made of a canvas or some sort of breathable material -- it would be perfect (if they made a largeone that came down to your knees LOL!). Dh can just sit in the getaway car instade of having to hold and carry the bags.

Suzy

I've killed(or no germination)a many a plant but my latest is columbine "Roman Bronze" I'm on my 4th try with seeds.

P

Re: cleome.....This is the first time I've tried cleome, but they've all germinated (just luck, because I have a long list of failures!) I got the seeds in trade sometime in the last 6 months, planted them in flat of peat moss covered in kitchen trash bag several weeks ago and they popped right up.
Re: eucalyptus seed....when the seed pods ripen, they naturally open and the seeds just shake out.
Sherry

I have the round leaf eucalyptus and in all the years of having it I don't remember it every flowering.

P, I WS my Roman Bronze in Dec. 2005, it started coming up the last of the spring but very irregular, I only got three plants and then at the end of the summer two more came up too small to plant I put them in the garage in a little gh and bring them out to drink when it rains but haven’t seen any sign of them yet. One of these days I will get a gh so my plants will over winter. I kept mine in the morning sun in the jug. By the way I have lots of toad lily coming up from you thanks! I just transplanted 8 6packs and have more to go :-)

Wcgypsy, did you have your cleome in the frig. Or outside? I have some seed to the yellow and want to get this right lol

Jeri11 If you remind me in Autumn i will send you buckets of Euc seed capsules from my Gunii. There is not much info on the internet but i can send them for you to try. You will just have to pester me come autumn! The seed is like dust so just cut the nuts in half and sow the lot.

Bigred, Columbine seed can take upto 12 months.

I read recently that Vestia seed only germinates in january so i thought not a problem i'll refridgerate it first. Only one came up. So i tried again in december and put them in the greenhouse..... yep i think they all came up.. odd.

Have fun

Mike

Oh, Mike I grow Vestia. I love that plant. I got a lot of seedlings when my uncle cut down a big clump and they were everywhere. I to them last summer, they were about 4 inches or so, they are now 3 feet and blooming. Do you know that is one of the most favorite flowers for hummingbirds? They flock to it, but do not pick a bouquet. The leaves give me strong memories of my sons gym socks, lol.

RE: Rice paper plant. Going to go in one more time this week and harvest some pod, spent flowers, or whatever I can find. Then will send the lot to you, must have seeds in there somewhere.

LeBug,
I had mine outside,but our weather is quite a bit different from yours. It's erratic here, going from 60's back and forth through 80's in the last several weeks. A couple of years ago I tried letting them selfsow and had no luck. I have more seed to sow that I'll be doing outside this week and I'll see what happens with that. Actually, everything gets sown outside here, I don't have room or time to do it any other way, usually in flats of peat. The only variable is what time of year it is.

jeri11,
Do you want euc seeds? I started all of mine from seed 25 years ago and don't have room for more so I never bother to collect seed, but someone asked for seed a few months ago so I went out to see if any of mine were ripe at the time and I have some left. They're a few months old, probably citriodora,but don't know for sure. If you'd like some, lmk, and I'll send......
Sherry
edited to add hello to rebeccanne...haven't been posting to G.O.W., found it was getting to be too addicting! But I do read all of yours and always enjoy whatever you have to say. You have such a practical way of seeing life and I always respect your comments.

This message was edited Mar 23, 2007 9:52 PM

Oh please I would love some eucalytus seeds to try. I'm in the address exchange and will gladly pay postage or trade which ever you are interested in.

jeri11,
They'll be mailed today and ordinarily I would jump at the chance of a trade......but I am sooooo snowed under with seeds and cuttings,etc. right now!! Thank you for the offer, though.
Sherry

I have never seen a Vestia in flower, my seed is from a friend who i swap plants and seeds.
Vestia is a very rare plant here.
But now i have lots!
Mike

For me I can't seem to grow Larkspur..........I tried it last year and no luck.....this year I WS'd a bunch and so far nothing........and a bunch of other stuff has sprouted.........Anyone have any tips on getting it to sprout?

Steven

It seems to grow just fine here in the NW.
I had some self-seed in my yard. I have mulch everywhere but in a spot where there wasn't as much, it seems to start to grow since last fall.
It does like to be sowed in the fall to overwinter.

Did you cover up the seed or what? I would try growing it with just a very, very light cover of soil or even try no soil and pat down the seeds on top.

Carol

Meconopsis....I've gotten them to germinate, but they die within the week each time (if they germinate at all).

But then again, they are supposed to be nigh impossible to grow anyway.....I also don't know if I would be willing to de-bud them the first year if I ever got to that point.

~Chills

Thats usually what I do Carol, just a little bit of soil on top or sprinkled................although I can't remember which one I did :D
I've got 2 varieties 'Blue Cloud' which was sown back in Jan/Feb and 'Earl Grey' which was sown a couple weeks ago, neither one is showing any signs of sprouting so far :(

Steven

Hum, the ones planted in Jan/Feb should have sprouted by now. Tho the ones you just planted a couple weeks ago might take longer.
Why don't you put a few seeds in a paper towel slightly moist and put in a ziplock bag. Zip it shut almost. Put it on the counter. To see if the seeds are viable this way.
If they sprout, maybe you could just germ more this way?

Ok, I'll try that before I get to bed tonight. How long should they take in a paper towel?

Steven

Well, not real long. Maybe 7-10 days, give or take a few days.
Carol

Ok, I forgot to do last night but I'll get to it as soon as I get off this darn computer!

Mine have sprouted twice. Once I almost gave up and started "watering" them by putting ice cubes on the cells, and that worked the first time. This time I put them outside in the cold for a week, then into my garage for a week, then under lights and I have sprouts now! I planted them with Delphinium in some of those new coir pots because I know they don't like to be transplanted, and I have babies of both.

Still waiting patiently to bring in my hellebores, gas plant and Mrs. Willmotts Ghost from the garage. I may just leave them out on the patio now that it is cold again - it is a good 10 degrees warmer inside.

I have sown two jugs of Mrs. Willmotts Ghost, I tried some last year with no luck I really want this plant lol I sure hope mine come up! I have them sitting on the north side of the house. I just can't imagine it reseeding when I can't even get it to come up in the jugs!

It's 28 here today! After it being in the 80's, this weather is so rude! lol

I'm on my 3rd attempt at gazania this year. Is this a tough one or do I have bad seed?

Oh, and I have a ton of cleome seed if anyone wants some. I started it inside last year and it popped up like a trooper.........and boy does that stuff reseed!