Summer Sowing ??

Since I lost all of my Joe Pye Weed, a gal has offered to send me some of her left over seeds.

if i did them now in a pot -- can i :

1) leave them in said pot until next year when they resprout ?
a) if i leave them in the pot, should i store them outside or in the garage to protect them a bit?
2) plant them in the ground once they are ready - and hope they come back next year?

-- actually, she is sending me a bunch of seeds.
the annuals i will not worry about until January-March
but any perennials, can I do the same as asked above?

TIA,

Terese

Gee, good question . Teresa. Here is a link to Stoke's Seeds which has lists of seeds you can sow in the summer. Not sure if you leave them in the pot over winter though . . . I think you would have to plant them in the ground after they have germinated.

In zone 5 I'd think in the ground. If you want to keep it in a pot, you could bury the pot for winter if it has germinated. Just make sure the pot is one that will take winter weather and burying.

Karen

You can summer-sow almost any perennial or biennial, as long as they do not need any cold stratification (although I suppose the fridge could provide the cold, if only a short period is needed). Joe Pye Weed, as far as I know, doesn't need a cold period. If you were to sow it now in containers, you would have to watch for moisture and perhaps site the container in a shadier area to protect the seed from frying. They ought to sprout and grow and develop enough of a root system that you could do a fall plant out, allowing them to get somewhat established before winter sets in.

If you were to keep them in the pots where the seed was sown, it would probably be best to sink them into the ground in a "holding" area, if you can. If not, you'd have to provide some kind of winter protection for the pot. The garage might work, but you'd have to remember to give them a small (very small) drink from time to time.

Whatever you decide, I think it's safe to say that you can go ahead and sow those perennial seeds now ...


PV

thanks. when i get the seeds, i will start some in pots, then transplant into the ground.

I'll check out Stokes site -- never took "cold stratification" into consideration.... i'm still a noob at this seed stuff.
I hope babys breath doesnt need it, as i was sprinkling seeds before the storms hit.

I'm not having much luck finding lists for cold stratification, or summer sown seeds.

Tom Clothier has a few where it mentions how long to refrig... but not too many.

I searched Stokes site and couldnt find anything either.

Tewrese,

On the Stoke's site, go to "perennials" and look for the *July, *August, *September categories. They are either at the top or the very bottom.

Click oin each one.

Suzy

thanks suz..... any idea about babys breath? i'm thinking what i have is annual... and i was just emptying the seed heads right back into the soil. If i get something, cool -- if not, i'll have more seeds for next year.. plus they seem to be in many flower "mixes".

My pack of Baby's Breath (Gypsophila muralis) says: "Can be planted in successive 2 week intervals throughout the spring for continuous blooms into the summer"

Thanks Mike.

from now on -- i will most likely just save the seeds for next year.

Terese

This is my first year with Baby's Breath - I have the annual kind -- and I really liked it! I was surprised because it's on every 10c seed rack and in a lot of mixtures. I thought it would be a junk flower, but as I said, I really liked it.

Suzy

They are fun - they were blooming while I was still waiting to see what some seeds were going to do.

Suzy -- do you have just white or pink also? I think i'd like to get some pink too just for a splash of more color.

I'm finding i need reds and purples back there too. I have lots of yellow and orange.

No, sorry, it's just the regular 'Covent Garden' which is white.

Suzy

Here's trudi d.'s list of summer sowing perennials and biennials that may be of interest.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/wtrsow/2002064114029680.html

And here's a list of vegetables that lend themselves to summer sowing. I include these because some of these make nice borders and edging for the fall garden (flowering kales, for instance.)

http://www.hewitts.com/Hewitts_Home/Summer_Sowing.html

thanks tabasco.

Well - I couldn't resist. I have set out the following containers:

1. Foxglove "Candy Mountain" (T & M half-price seeds)
2. Foxglove " Apricot Beauty" (seeds from my own plants)
3. Malva "Mystic Merlin" from recent seed swap

In the bar fridge I have the following ing containers chilling for the next two weeks:

1. Delphinium Blue Pigmy (annual form - want to grow some of these and hope to get some fresh seeds - just in case)

2. Delphinium Oriental Blue (perennial - electic blue)

So - we will see what germinates. This time I am smarter - I only did some seeds, and kept most for winter sowing. :-)

Still - if some do start, I may have plants to put in the garden this fall and get flowers maybe next year :-)

Good job! I did some Foxgloves and English Daisies. I pulled some other packs of biennials and am going to try to get those in, too. Pansies. I have to get the pansies started!

Sea, Do a google search and see what they say about Delphinium (and Larkspur) seed having to be fresh. I think you'd better sow them all because the seeds do not remain viable for over a year no matter how they are stored, but check on that and see if my memory is right.

Suzy

I am sure you are correct . . . that's why I started the one's that I did. and I have offered to seeds to others (surprizingly few takers).

What remains, I will winter sow and see what I get.

sigh. I have so many I could start and I'm running out of steam. Just running out of s t e a m.

Suzy

Suzy -- i saw in a different thread - you mentioned snap dragons... i LOVE snap dragons.
I'd love to get some seeds one day.

also -- i wont be able to get to all those new seeds until next Mon-Tues as i'm out of town.
but i'll get sowing - though i may need more MG soil.... as i think i used all mine up.

terese

Terese, I will have LOTS of snaps this year (I hope, I think.). I'm sure well do some sort of trade later, but I'll for sure save you one of the hundreds of packets I hope to have ;)

Gosh, I never even thought of them before, and now I can'timagine being without them!

Suzy

thanks Suzy.

Well, as you know, on July 14 I started some seeds. The fresh foxglove seed from my "Apricot Blush" have already germinated.

I hadn't intended to start these . . . but I saw a seed pod that was ripe, so at the last minute I filled a plastic produce container with some potting soil (used! - but I did moisten it). Then I just cracked open the pod and let the seeds fall on the damp surface. Since then, the container has been in shade. I use the mist setting on the hose attachment 2 x a day - and it has been cooler (raining today). Anyway, I am very impressed!

None of the other seeds have germinated yet :-)

Here's a picture - sort of blurry. sorry about that. But, you can see there are lots of baby foxglove :-) and it's all from just ONE seed pod (I've got lots more ripening)

Actually, the picture shows about 1/6 of the container - so there are lots more babies than just these.

I wonder if the other stuff will germinate . . . .

Congratulations, but.......Yikes! You are going to have those coming out your ears

Suzy

Yes . . . but there are 64 neighbours to share them with :-)

Oh, boy! those foxglove seedlings look promising!

I'm going out to find some ripe seed pods from mine! (unless I deadheaded everything .... )-:

Well, I figure the foxglove are biennial - so once they flower, I deadhead the first bunch, then I am letting the second flush all turn to seed. I assume I pull out the old plants this fall, correct?

Anyway, I expect I will have lots of seeds to share. :-)

64 neighbors? Do they all garden? Around here, for the most part, I'd have to plant them and keep them watered for them. LOL!

I planted a garden for my sister and her lawn crew/ landscapers covered the entire thing with about 6" of mulch. That killed any baby sunflowers and zinnias there were, but the dahlias made it.

Suzy

Well most of the neighbours don't garden - yet. lol But the foxglove seems to be simple enough here. Most people have a shady, damp spot that they can put these and forget them. then their survival becomes someone else's problem and I don't have to feel guilty :-)

Besides - in my experience, everything that germinates doesn't necessarily turn into a plant you can put into the garden.

I've been thinking about starting a few things just to make sure my seed is viable. I have a few things in my garden from which I've never gathered seed, and before I offer to share I want to make sure the seed is good (or in some instances that I'm even saving the right thing). LOL

Now the Candy Mountain Foxglove seeds from T & M have germinated. This is wonderful!

Your whole neightborhood will look like a Fairytale Village when all those Foxgloves bloom! Congratulatons!

Suzy

I'm working on it :-)

I sowed ornamental cabbage and sweet william on 7/15 - both of them are up! I'm psyched! Last year I WSed sweet william and had a lovely stand of them, just waiting to bloom this year. Then that dadgummed March freeze took 'em right out! I'm determined to have them next year!

Seandor - I wsed foxgloves in 2005 and they bloomed so prettily last year. One plant was nice, but I wish I had the room up here for a whole swath of them!

PV

Thanks for reminding me . . . I forgot to start the flowering cabbage!

>>Most people have a shady, damp spot that they can put these and forget them.

Ahhh, foxgloves are shade plants?? i was unaware of that... always assumed they were for the sun.

I may have to look into them.

Well, they do well in partial shade. But for germinating them at this time of the year, shade is probably better than baking in the August sun.

My foxglove get morning sun - then shade the rest of the day.