Viable Seeds?

I read recently that you can check to see if your seeds are viable by putting them in water. If they float, they are dead; if they sink, they are viable. Does this always hold true? I just put a new pack of Burpee Painted Daisy seeds in water and in about 30 seeds all but maybe 8 floated! Am I about to plant dead seeds? I've been a gardener for many years, but never planted much from seed. I'm trying alot of perennials this year from seed, some purchased, some traded and I'm not having alot of luck. Any help will be appreciated.

I've had floaters germinate and I know others have as well. Definitely nothing to lose by trying!

If they don't sink in 24 hours, then I think, if they aren't dead, then your germination will be poor. But also I'm sure it's not 100% true. I think seed companies go with an 80% germination rate. If they get 80% on a test pack, then it's good to go. If they get less than that, they discount the seeds, add more seed to the pack, or sell them off to a discount company in one huge lot for repackaging in the other company's label/package. 80 percent of your 30 seeds/ pack is 24. So theoretically you should have 24 sink. Have you heard to add some Hydrogen Peroxide (from the drugstore) to your soak water? Maybe 1 T per gallon of water (of which you'd only use a cup or so, so say 2 drops to a cup. If you use a little splash, you'll be okay, that's what I do.)

Regarding seed trades, I have had the WORST luck with traded seed. Pitiful, really. I can't wait to see some of these things bloom. In defense of all the traders I traded with and all the swappers I swapped with, I already know I sent in some bad seeds. Some F1 Hybrid Ageratum. The only good thing is I am going to take pics as soon as the flowers open so I can put it in the DG Glossary. It's actually quite interesting. We are all learning -- every day -- In addition to the F1 hybrids, my latest discovery is that marigolds cross pollinate very easily . If the collected marigold seed had other marigolds growing within 300 feet, then chances are the seed is contaminated with other marigold pollen.

Now that I got that off my chest, let me also say I've had the BEST luck with traded seed, too. The trouble is, ya never know ahead of time. :)) As Ecrane says, nothing to lose by trying.

Suzy

The water trick works for beans, but I don't know about other seeds. I used to go by it, but I found as others have that floaters will often sprout just fine. Also, some seeds have a shape that just makes them float. I would suspect that might be the case with the daisy seeds. OTOH, I once bought some very expensive seeds of which 95% floated. I cut open some of the floaters, and the innards of the seeds were all dried up and had pulled away from the seed wall. Those seeds were definitely dead.

if you are confident that your seeds are viable can you sow a variety of flower seeds over a big area, turn the dirt a little, keep the area moist and start a flower garden that way? i am using plants from the nursery and starting seeds in small pots for other areas but was hoping i could take a short cut on one big area--it is late to start but i live in texas and due to flooding it hasn't really started to be summer weather yet--once i try my idea with perenial seeds how will i know if my seedlings are weeds or flowers? can i mulch after they are big enough if i keep the seeds/seedlings moist? how much will i need to improve my soil first? i have a wedding coming up in october and am trying to get blooms to last till then--i have been working so hard and gotten a lot done but there is still so much left to do--thanks for any imput

if you are confident that your seeds are viable can you sow a variety of flower seeds over a big area, turn the dirt a little, keep the area moist and start a flower garden that way?

You can sort of do it as you outlines above, but you would rake it with a hard garden rake, not turn the soil over.

The problem with what you want to accomplish is twofold: #1 Perennials won't bloom this year, even in Texas. The other problem is they grow so slow -- slower than weeds, that's for sure. I might as well tell you that it is harder than hell to know what is a plant you want and what is a weed. Some people post photos on here, and that helps, but usually you just have to know. If you sow all one kind in a certain area, it's pretty safe to say that anything that is not what the majority of seedlings look like is a weed.

You can mulch as soon as the seedlings are geminated, but you have to do it on your hands and knees and sort of sprinkle it lightly around each and every seedlings or you'll get mulch on top of the seedlings and kill them. It is EXTREMELY time consuming, if or no other reason that you can't crawl around because your feet and knees will smash seedlings as you go :(((

If you want it to look really sharp this October, direct sow annuals now. The only thing I know for sure is Zinnias, but you can get all one color to match the wedding. Go to www.seedman.com and he has the Benary Hybrid zinnias by color. This would be cool, because if the bridesmaids's dresses are pale pink, you buy pale pink zinnias....if they are raspberry, you can buy a deeper pink, etc.

To plant something like Zinnias so it looks good by October and is the least amount of effort:, First rake the area smooth and mulch it. THEN start your seeds in pots or flats. As soon as they have one or two sets of leaves (7-10days?) plant them in the mulch. Keep everything evenly watered, and ya gotta be careful here: You must make sure you water enough to go through the mulch to the soil. Pinch off the very first flower to get a stocky plant that will look good in October and KEEP picking the flowers so they produce a lot by October and don't peter out. The Benary Hybrid Zinnias arereally nice with nice big flowers and they attract all kinds of butterflies, especially in Texas. If you order a pale pink, for example, the flowers should range in height and color a bit -- just enough so it doesn't look like a hotel landscape.

If you don't like Zinnias, Go to the Texas forum, tell them where in Texas you are and ask their opinion as to what would grow fast and bloom.

Good Luck,
Suzy

thank you so much! i don't think the wild flower idea will work--i might try your idea or if i have a hard time getting all i want done i will buy a bunch of mums -you know the big fall pots they sell and do somethingwith them out back--although i read or heard that the florist mum pots do not do well in the garden--wonder if that is true for the big beautiful home depot type pots? i have finished a shade garden and one sun garden--i still have a lot of big areas to fill in and more work to do in front and at side of house! i saw a pretty ground cover at the nursery called sweet potato vine--i am thinking of that for the side--it is a light green with large leaves--

Here's a place for Belgian mums....on sale for $1.40 each. You'd have time to get them to good size and can pick your color better. (Can you tell I'm obsessed with you matching the bride's colors to your garden?) Email them and tell them where you are and when the wedding is and they can help you choose the best kind as far as very early, early, mid season or late blooming.

http://davesgarden.com/gwd/c/5032/

Suzy

I heard it was the other way around. Floaters are dead seeds and sinkers are alive.

thank you for the mum idea--if i order the mums how do they come? as seedlings? seeds? i think mums would be great and the match the dress idea is fun! i read that some mums do better in gardens than others --i guess if you are suggesting belgian mums they are ones that you like?

if you want to grow seeds and don't want to meet each one's exact growing requirements
aren't real particular about where they come up or maybe how many years perhaps they need to germinate, just throw them about where you want them to be. then forget about them. some seeds you can't plant because they need light first. some seeds (lavender),
don't all germinate at the same time. the birds will eat some. some need a stratification,
some various heating and cooling periods. tulip seeds sometimes take 7 years to germinate. I don't want to discourage you, as some seeds you bury, water and will grow
almost overnight. but if you want variety, numbers, and are patient and use mother nature as your gardener, at a very reasonable price, you will one day have more flowers than you will ever need. unless of course it becomes intolerable that you can't discern the weeds from the flowers and mow them all down.

Linda,

They are rooted cuttings -- this time of year, they are basically little plants. Like good-sized annuals you buy at the garden center. You just plant them in the ground and give them a trim so they are 6" tall up to July 14th. They will branch and bloom this year.

You can pot them 5 plants to a big pot or put them in the ground.

I offered up the Belgian mums because they have such a wide selection and color choice, plus they are on sale, and would make a good trade here on the forum next year. :)) What I *don't* know is how heat-hardy they are, and I don't know what zone Plano is, so be sure to look for that information.

Suzy

Naturally I had to order the Belgian Mums. Ill let you know how heat hardy they are, because Alabama will put them to the test.

thanks--it's so nice to get others ideas--llloquin, i lived in indianapolis for about 13 years --we moved there soon after we got married--it's a nice city--i know that isn't plant talk but just felt like mentioning it!

WTG, Gloria! What did you order, and have you gotten them yet?

Linda, If that 13 years was a while ago, back when they called it 'Indian no place', you wouldn't believe it here now! Downtown is hoppin' all the time. Come back for a visit!

Suzy

Ordered the 1 pink dahlia that they had, and Belgian mums: oghana orange, navary red, sorella dark bronze red, olawa red, and oghana pink. (I already have whites and yellows). No bridesmaids here, so matching wasn't a concern.

These were all decorative types as opposed to daisies which they also had. Also, a pound of diatomaceous earth, since that is hard to find around here.

Just ordered today, when I read this thread.

Oooh, those are pretty! The dahlia, too.

Let us know when they come, will you? What they look like, how they grow, you know the stuff we need to know for next year.

I was going to order them, but it is getting pretty late here and I stillhave WS babies to plant out, so I have no business ordering more.

Suzy

Me either. No business ordering more. Especially after I just received a bunch of dead plants from another nursery. Heat stroke.

Illoquin: Got my Belgian mums 2 days ago and potted them up yesterday. They are study little plants. They came with their fat little root balls loosely wrapped in small plastic baggies with a tag. I potted them up in an equal mix of Jiffy Mix, vermiculite, and perlite. The dahlia even had a bloom on it, about 1.5 inch in diameter, so I know what it is going to look like. The dahlia bloom is small, so that plant will blend in well with the mums - in fact it looks more like a mum than a dahlia. All the ones that I ordered are the extra late varieties, so Im hoping they will bloom this Oct. - Nov. Next year I fill in with some of the earlier one's if these do well. At $1.40/plant you can't go wrong, especially when I consider all the money I spent on dead plants this year. I mean plants that arrived so heat stressed that they died.

Oh, that's fantastic! I am glad they looked good and I really hope the flowers look like the pictures. ANY of the pictures -- those things look loaded with bloom!

Suzy

I have visions that they will make a tapestry of colors this fall. And lots of cuttings for more next spring!