Join Us! Seed Swap Seed Starting & Conversation #5

Welcome to the miscellaneous seed starting chat, conversation and tips and tricks thread.

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/817047/

Seanndor, Today your trailing carnations germinated.

I had one other thing, but I've forgotten already. LOL!

Suzy

What is an Agrostemmas?

Ah, I had it all written out and lost it....Agrostemma is Corncockle, which is a weed, er wildflower. They have improved the wildflower, so it's pretty now. It blooms in cool climates, and would be a winter annual for you.

Here it is with Clarkia/Godetia, Mountain Garland, which is also an annual that was a wildflower and blooms in the cool season. The MountainGarland is in the front, and the Agrostemma is in the back.

Here is is in Plant Files --
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/84492/

I grew Milas, Contessa Pink (bor-ing) and Ocean Pearl (white & bor-ing) last year.

Suzy



This message was edited Feb 28, 2008 11:39 PM

Oh,...that's pretty. I added that weed to my list of wants. lol : )

Morning all!

My pineapple sage has germinated too! Had one last year and really loved the tea you can make from the leaves. However, it only bloomed at Christmas, and then it died.......
I want that one again for my tea-corner. I must be crazy dedicating a part of my garden for plants I grow just to make tea from them! Think about sage, different kinds of mint, monarda, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chamomille, valerian etc.

Agrostemma is one of those species that does best when sown where you want them to grow. They're simply too fast for indoor starting. If plants become too big but cannot go outside yet, pinch out the tops. You'll get bushier plants too! However, this will delay blooming a little.

Hi, all. For those of you who were involved in the piggie swap or it's predecessor, the CG swap, you might like to see my article today (I promised to let everybody know when it was going to run, then forgot what date I scheduled it for LOL)

'A Tale of Some Traveling Seeds'

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/725/#discuss

hope you like it

I should start Salvia inside now?

Grampapa... Great article. LOL.. I read it and was ready to start getting out more seeds to pack. The seedign franzy stil hasn't worn off. LOL

Your last line of the story is so true. Thanks for writing the journey.

Great article! Enjoyed it almost as much as i enjoyed the actual frenzy! Fantastic to think about how far those seeds traveled! And they probaly are not finished, as their decendents will travel as well.

Suzy, where did you get the seeds for Salvia coccinea 'Chinook'. I wanna grow it!! :)

You all are on fire!! I have to pack a snack to pull up to the computer when I come to read these threads!! LOL :)

Susan

After reading the nice swap article, I feel like I really missed out on an 'event'! And great photos, too! Sounds like loads of fun!

Maybe next time I can be a 'virtual' swapper or something (I don't generally swap seeds--too complicated for me! I'm too disorganized.)

Starting lots of seeds today...mostly herbs...

A little success story on snapdragons to share: Last year it was tough keeping them from getting spindly, even right up close to the lights. They started doing the same thing this year, and I directed a box fan set on low on them. After just a couple of days I see the little stems have increased in girth and they look much stronger! I am having to be very watchful of moisture though. Little seedlings that don't have much depth to their root growth yet are at risk when just the surface dries out (recalling the pots of torenia seedlings I lost!).

I do have a strange, white mold growing on the surface of some of my pots. This is in purchased potting mix that I sterilized, and on pots that have only been watered with peroxide solution and have a fan blowing on them. All the pots were bleached too. The good thing, is nothing seems to be harmed or bothered by it. Anyone else experiencing this?

Grampa, what a lovely article! "Piggies to the through" it was, and I loved it!

Gemini, I have this sometimes, but only on seeds that won't germinate. As long as the seedlings aren't harmed it shouldn't be a problem. It may even be beneficial.....

Tobasco, Which herb seeds are you starting? I like herbs too....

gem--looks like a good idea for the snaps...good luck with them--they are so cute.

Tuink--I'm planting sorrel, oregano, basils, marjoram, parsleys, dill, fennel, cilantro, coriander, and several others...mostly just for fun...

Has anyone tried this hanging pot for herbs?

http://www.herbkits.com/product/SK-MGS

Looks like a nice way to get the pots off the kitchen counter.

gemini, I have that white mold too! Doesn't seem to be hurting the seeds from germinating but it's really worrisome, everything I have is sterilized too! I wish it would go away and I've sprayed mine with H202 too! All the years before this it has been green and now this year it's white what is up with these molds lol I like Suzy's suggestion for planting snaps, just let them sprout then stick them outside, I'm going to try that this year, I tried them a couple of years ago in the house and they just went wild and I couldn't even get the 6 packs apart and untangled to water them, I won't grow them in the house again lol

Suzy, that salvia Lady in Red is totaly different than the pineapple sage, the PS isn't as tall and the LIR has darker leaves and it doesn't smell as good to me. I really like that Corncockle in your picture but I like the ones that look weedy, makes your garden look so airy and I like that look, I had that look out front last year and really liked it but when I cleaned some of it out because it was so crowded I lost the look and wished I hadn't cleaned it out lol

t, I love those, I've seen them on home shopping for less but if I'm gonna spend that much money I'll spend it on plants, it looks like a cool pot though.

The pinapple sage looks similar to other red sages, but that smell is wonderful! I am in CT visiting my in-laws. The difference in snow is AMAZING. It is a little under 2 hours away and they have almost no snow. We have over 4 feet on the ground, this is with melting and rain/sleet events include. We are slated to get another foot tonight into Sat. So that's why I'm headed home momentarily! These threads have the BEST info on them! You are all terrific!

Those of you with the white mold growing, can ya get some pics of it, to see where it is growing at.

Sometimes even if you start with what you think is strerile soil, you may have seeds that have funguses that are on them. Unless it is a comemrcial seed and even some of them I give a quick dip in hyydrogen peroxide /water bath.

You may think you have sterile soil, but if the temps weren't quite high enough for all th eparts of the soil, good bacteria at high temps is killed off and the bad ones still flourish.

Were these pots comign out of the fridge by any chance?

Oops... I posted this in the number 4 part of this thread. Here it is again in this newer one:

Hello everyone,

My name is Ben and I live in Tucson. My "home" as it were is over at the SW Gardening forum. I love to read all the articles people write here at DG and I loved Jan's article.

I am focusing the majority of my efforts on cottage gardening this year and so I of course am intrigued about this seed swap.

I would like to take part but the problem is, I don't have a lot to offer at this moment. I am still at the gathering seeds to get started stage.

I am having a go at kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate seeds. Right now I have a tray in the freezer that has been in there for almost a month. I will be taking it out this weekend I think. I hope I left them in there long enough. I really want to grow this plant. I mention this because I can buy some more of these seeds so I can take part in the swap. I also have a dozen or so hyacinth bean vine seeds.

I thank you all in advance.

All the best
Ben

Ben, this swap is over, but here is one especially for people like you :-)

Check it out.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/818198/

Welcome Ben. Oh Yes, Seandor's suggestion to send you to the swap especially for newbies is a wonderful idea. I had forgot about that one is still open.

Hi Ben. So glad you enjoyed the article. Sorry you missed the swap, but the one Seandor mentioned above is probably just right for you. Have fun!

~ jan

starlight, I don't have a camera at the moment, but the mold covers just the surface of the medium. The pots were bleached and dried just before I filled them, and the "sterile" mix I bought looked like it had been at Lowes for a while, so I sterilized what I used in the oven. Seems like I've heard of some fungi that are beneficial to seed germination, but don't recall seeing pics of it.

Any of you who sterilize medium in the oven, what temp do you bake at for how long?

gemi, I'm doing mine like Critter said to do it, directions are here:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=2520811

Starlight, my seed trays weren't in the fridge, I just used my pro mix that I never have any problems out of until this year, I sterlized the soil (per Critter) and haven't had any problems with it since.

Suzy, my kong coleus is coming up thank you :) I have pink wave petunias, limelight coleus, and romance impatiens coming up too, just planted my tomatoes and soaking my peppers.

Jan-I loved the articel!! It braught back the memeories, the adrenaline and the smile and misty eyes I got as I opened my box for all the thoughtfulness that was put in it!!! Thanks!!

I GOT MY NEXT @ BABIES!!!YEAH!!! I have the white & few flowered jacob's ladder!!! I was really surprised this alst week when my [ink babies breath germinated-the info I had said "slow germ" so I started it early thinking it would take forever!!

Fairy I had a surprise like that too with my Atropurpurea, thank goodness just one germinated so if they get too tall I can pull that one and wait on the others it wasn't suppose to start germinating for 1-4 months and it only took 6 days for that one! LOL

I've used the microwave in years past too, I've been using the oven because I can sterilize bigger batches at a time, and end up saving time.

Oh- I have about 15 of the little buggers of the bnaby's breath-I will transplant them, not hin them-I want a nice littl grouping!! I guess you had an impatient 1!!!LOL

LeBug, you said lady in Red is shorter than pineapple. How tall does LIR grow, my seedlings are putting on buds and they are only 2 inches tall.

I had a microwave for seed starting soil in the garage and about 2 weeks ago I gently rammed a car into it and broke it. I think it was Gods way of saying I need to direct sow :)

Suzi, when you get here don't forget to tell me where you got the seeds :)

For those of you near a dollar tree... I found seed packs 10 for $1.00 They are the American Seed and have a price of .59 each on them.. I can't figure out what the

helichrysum is.. It looks like this.. http://www.wagglepop.com/bin/auction/view?cmd=view&listingID=410372

Anyone??

Also...

Shirley poppy
Lilliput Zinnia
Forget-me-nots
sweet william
alyssum
morning glory
cosmos single sensation
bells of Ireland
zinnia giant cactus
zinnia dwarf pumila sprite
zinnia giants of california
bachelor buttons polka dot mix
sunflower mamoth russian

No I am not posting this list to make you ask me for seeds!!! I am posting so that if you are lacking in seeds, you run down to the Dollar store and get some... Only the most desperate people with no dollar store within 100 miles get to d-mail me and even sniff for seeds.. I'm not organized and have issues~! Thanks for understanding :)

Susan





This message was edited Feb 29, 2008 9:43 PM

LOL, Susan. OINK : )
Who doesn't have issues? : )
I think I have a Dollar Tree in the next town over. Thanks for letting us know.
~Lucy

lol, Susan, you're too funny! I grew helichrysum (straw flowers) last year. Both white and yellow. My colors (if white is a color) were bright and loud. The flowers feel like paper and are good for drying. Short front of the border types..

Lucy, the ones that I had from lady in red got almost 3' tall, it was a lot taller than my pineapple sage :)

Oh, OK....I thought you said the pineapple sage was bigger. I was just wondering. Thanks sister piglet. lol : )

Your welcome sister piglet oink oink LOL :) Have you planted your in the ground yet, I just hate it because I'm in a colder zone!

Lea, I haven't planted them out yet, but they are big enuff, and the weather is doing ok. (LIR) The pineapple sage are still tiny. : )

I'm planting my pineapple sage tomorrow, I'm gonna grow a few more than last year, last year was the first year that I grew them and I had a bunch in a jug and gave a bunch away before I knew what they were gonna look like, this year I'll hold on to plants that I'm not sure what they are going to look like I learned my lesson with a few plants last year LOL I had all kinds of the yellow star columbine for another one and gave all but two plants away and now I'm just sick about it LOL Live and learn!

Do you plant all your pineapple sages together, or in different places?