Lala, I think that's an excellent idea. I was planning on slipping a few stamps into Tuink's bag... but I'm also happy to have Starlight just skim a little off the top of the extra I'm sending.
CLOSED: Fall Frenzy Piggy Swap # 8
Critter - I don't think our stamps are any good for Tuink. He can't use them. :-)
Not so... they are good for sending to the US for seed offers (can be used to send more seeds to Tuink from here). I've had a couple of folks offer to trade me seeds for US stamps, because they were having a hard time arranging trades. :-)
Oh - good to know. Thanks!
Of course, it's Tuink's call about what sort of reimbursement would be most useful! :-)
I have to go back and catch up, but tcs if your marigolds need another home I would like to grow some. : )
I think I have a nematode problem in some parts of some gardens and want to grow them because they are supposed to repell nematodes - right? Can you tell me how early they need to be started indoors? The ones I grew last season never got to flower before the frost took em out : ( One was just starting to open so it really bummed me out.
Not all marigolds do the nematode repelling thing, as I recall... and I also remember Carolyn saying something about many parts of the country (but where? LOL) being unaffected by root knot nematodes... maybe it's in the deep south where they are a problem for tomato growers?
Meredith.... most of my marigolds, i just direct sow. I think i did start a few in doors on a heat mat in a southern window
Probably did that in Mid to late March.... for planting in May.
OH -- i just checked my spreadsheet... i WS'ed Mars... sown on 3.21.08 and germinated on 4.8.08
I honestly do not know anything about nematodes... but marigold are deer and bunny proof.
and yes -- i'll stuff some marigolds in your baggie.
That's what I thought too - that only certain ones work for that so if you have those type tcs that would be wonderful for me. : ) I don't think I have a problem with tomato nematodes, but I do have plenty o other problems growing tommies here lol. I thought there were other types too? It just seems like some plants in the same beds as plants of the same species will start growing fine in spring and then suddenly become stunted, while plants not very far away are growing like crazy! So I thought I'd try just in case it was nematodes. My memory is not serving me well as to why I thought there were other types. The plants that come to mind first are some silver mound artemisia in my front border.
I did go back and catch up and I wanted to say how wonderful Tuink's seed packages look! : )
Also thank you Denita - I am going to go back and look at that link you gave now : )
Ooops I didn't preview tcs : ) Thank you for everything. : ) I wonder if my problem was that they don't like transplanting? Maybe it set them back so much that it took them longer because they had to start over again. Kinda like they say zinnia do, even though I never have a problem with starting the zinnia in trays. However being aware of what will happen if I let them go too long in starter packs does motivate me to get them planted quickly lol. That wasn't the case with the poor marigolds, they were one of the last of the 200 different things I tried starting, to get in the ground. I'm surprised they did as well as they had. : )
OH -- i transplant all the time... they always take.
when you just broadcast seeds, like a wildflower mix... the small marigolds are in back of all the taller plants... i just digg'em up and put them in the front... lil drink of water and they take right off.
I had one area that had crappy soil, and they did poorly... all my others flourished.
Hey evrybody. We got another piggy joining at the trough. It is trishAnn, Cannagirls sister.
Give her a big Oink now! LOL
Sounds good tcs thank you very much : )
WELCOME Canagirl's sister Trishann! OINK OINK Welcome to the trough the food is mighty fine ; )
welcome trishAnn.
start making your wish lists... seeds are going fast.
Critter - can I have one of your morning glory mixes? I'm following a MG thread and am going to try to grow these indoors during winter. :-)
Welcome, TrishAnn!
Chele... I can certainly put you down for a packet of MGs, but if you're going to the trouble of starting them inside this winter, would you like a selection of Japanese MGs? I'm pretty sure any given pack in my stash can spare a seed or two... some are a couple years old, but I don't think I've heard that MG seeds need to be fresh-fresh (anybody know?).
I'm not sure how long MG's stay good but just for a couple of years should be good, I read somewhere on here I think that the longer the MG's are stored the inhibitors to keep them from germinating fade away so they germinate faster. I may not be saying this right but you get the idea :) I've kept some for four years before and started them and didn't have any problems, that was on those single picotee ones but I don't remember how long it took them to germinate.
Critter - any selection you choose would be most welcome! :-)
Welcome Trishann! I got your dmail, and those seeds are yours:)
I also wanted to let everyone know I will be sending my envelope in this weekend so if I have anything on my list you want let me know:)
I bake and make candy for the holidays, and I plan on getting started on the candy this weekend, so that will be occupying my time and table space for the next few weeks.(20lbs of fudge in five different flavours, and that is just the beginning, by the time the holidays get here, I don't even so much want to LOOK at a cookie, lol)
Cool... that makes me feel better about not sowing so many MGs last year!
I just added about 50 things to my post on the "Lists" thread. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=5786204
^_^
Welcome Trishann!
Just popping in to say Hi. I've got every one's email's. I know what I'm doing next Sunday! I'm going to be making wax paper seed holders! : } A nice relaxing sit down project that will be perfect for those tiny ginseng seeds. Thanks for the show and tell, Danita. It helps a lot.
Tuink, your seed packages are so well made and organized. I am in awe.
I have both the tiny jewelers baggies and small paper envelopes, but it all depends on the size of the seed. My project for next week is to get 1/2 as well organized as Tuink. : )
Took a better photo of my brothers ginseng plant out in his garden today to share. It shows both the tiny pink fairy flowers and the yellow round seed pod, and the foilage. Still have lots of seed to share. I gathered more ginseng, but am out of the Armenia Sea Pinks.
Will respond to dmails tomorrow.
WIB,
SW
Thanks all for the compliment!
Eh, there's one downside to my packages: they're in Dutch! However, those wo have access to my website will find the English translations over there. Will save you a lot of looking up!
With regards to postage: it's awfully nice of you to offer this and I'm happy to accept! Why don't all of you who get seeds from me send an extra stamp which can be used to cover the postage for the seeds that will be sent to me? But it's all voluntary, I really wouldn't mind paying for the postage!
Anyhow, thanks! Wiggling my pretty, girlish, curly tail in joy!
PS
Welcome, Trishann
PPS
Eh, Chele, I'm a HER! And I've got a nice stack for you! Rest assured, you're not the biggest Oinker of them all!
Yeah, I think that title is mine!
Nope, not you either. I'll do a little counting this evening and will let you know!
Hey Critter,
Please, may I try several of your trough offerings?
Foeniculum vulgare, Salvia, unknown, Torenia fourneri, Agastache foeniculum, 'Honey Bee Blue', Campanula persicafolia and the Delphinium, dark purple (I'm willing to give them a try even if they are a year old).
toofew
If you have this one, would like it please.
Scabiosa, annual (Pincushion Flower) pale yellow & ‘Ace of Spades’ (trades, 2004?)
Sorry Tuink! LOL at myself - I even thought about that............how do we really know gender? :-) Names do NOT give clues. I believe my name is masculine in France.... Michele. However, there is nothing male about me. hee hee
Now I can picture you with a bow in that curly pink tail.
~chele
YES! A nice pink, glittery bowl!
And indeed, in Italy you would be male!
Hi Folks,
I am mailing my seeds today. I have posted this on my list on the seed-list thread. ^_^
Cheers,
Seandor
:) Ok, I've been so excited about all this seed trading (my first season), and a little worried about how I was actually going to plant them all. I'm planning on wintersowing some, but not that confident about that. Hubby is a little tired of the giant plastic shelves in front of our breakfast room window so.... yippee! I'm all set, can't wait to get planting! (Thanks to Critter, I believe it was one of her articles that talked about using shop lights.)
KL -- i do think most of use who have tried WS'ing seeds, did not have high hopes, or at least going into it with a bit of skepticism ... but were VERY surprised at how well it really does work!
Do give it a whirl ... out of a seed pack, sow half by WS and the other half by another method... the problem will eventually be -- where do i put all these plants?
That's splendid! You're not going to believe how much stockier your seedlings will be under the lights... be sure to adjust them so they're just barely above the leaves if possible (sometimes you'll have taller and shorter plants... my lights often hang cattywompus to try to accommodate everybody). The bottom shelf on my unit is great for storing pots, etc... but it's very tempting to hand "just one more" set of lights down there for seed starting trays!
Here's the link to the list of all my articles: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/by.php?user=critterologist
Look for "Seed Starting 101" titles (heat mats, lights, sowing, transplanting, hardening off) as well as one on preventing the "Dreaded Damping Off." I also did a couple articles on Winter Sowing, and there's a lot more info in the WS forum.
I think we'd better all plan to go to RUs and swaps this spring, because we're going to have a lot of extra little plants to share from all these fabulous seeds!
Terese, that's just what I do with some that I really want to be sure of... sow a six-pack's worth of seeds under the lights, then sow a generous (usually overly generous) number in a WS container. Often, both methods succeed! For any seeds that require cold stratification, I generally have better luck with winter sowing than with pulling them in and out of the fridge (especially any that need cold and moist, eg putting in bag with moist vermiculite and then in the fridge).
I have a quick question about seed storage......since we are all getting a piggy trough full. For any leftover seeds that we do not WS or plant come spring - what is the best way to store. Should they go in the refrigerator or does it depend on the seed?
DH would NOT be humored if i started putting baggies of seeds in the frig... i think he 'tolerates' my seed messes all over the house.
the first year i think he was a lil annoyed, but then when he saw all the plants blooming ... i guess he figured it was worth the lil 'mess' i have a few times a year ... saving him a bunch of cash - me NOT buying plants.
I have an unheated sun room ... not attached to the house ... I think when i'm done with this swap, i'm going to put all my 'stuff' out there until i need it. That would be colder than a frig.
I also have no room for lights ... so i use the dining room bay window - which is southern exp. for any lil ones i start in the house... but i do not start that until after the holidays.
I store mine in a chest of drawers in the living room, except for a couple of varieties that keep/germinate better with some cold storage (for me, salvias, columbines, daylilies, poppies, and alpine strawberries go in the butter compartment of the fridge, since there's never any butter in there LOL).
I think the two most important factors are avoiding humidity and keeping seeds at controlled room temperature (eg, in a room that is air conditioned in summer... not in your hot attic).
Critter, I think I've read most of them! Have a double heat mat and thermostat coming from the Coop. Hmm, will have to check out the transplanting and hardening off ones though. I haven't had much trouble with damping off, I've been using the Park Seeds Biodomes for a number of years now. Although this year I'll have a variety of flats going, as I can't afford 3 shelves worth of biodomes :)
Looks like the closest RU to me is in Northern GA. Anyone been to that one, or one any closer to Upstate SC?
I'm definitely going to have trouble getting them all in the ground... but it will be fun trying. We have 2 birthdays and an anniversary right in the middle of planting season every year... keep trying to move them, but nobody likes that idea but me :)
Terese, anybody can find space for lights... you just need to be creative. :-) Empty a bookshelf. One person posted a photo of a shop light resting on the lower rungs on two chairs, suspended above two flats of seeds place end to end on the floor. Even if you move them to the window once they're up-potted, the lights just work so well for getting strong little seedlings. I've got a really bright sunroom, but new seedlings still get leggy in there.
Sorry, didn't mean to keep going O/T... OK, somebody else look at my list and tell me what you want! Most of the newly listed ones are single packets, and many are from trades... they've been stored as I mentioned above, so germination should be OK I think. If anybody sees seeds on the list that are older and need to be really fresh to germinate, LMK and I'll toss them out.
Starlight, those scabiosa seeds looked a little dry to me, but I think they've always looked like that (and I've never tested their germination)... soak 'em, sow 'em, and see what happens.
TooFew and Pyro, I've got you covered.
Please, if you Dmail me (not necessary) also post on this thread... I keep better track that way. Dmail requests sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Thanks!
Jill, what about a freezer? I've got an "upright" in the basement that is rarely full.
My seeds have just stayed in my 'basket' that usually sits on top of a shelf all year.
believe it or not... this is actually organized... just a bit messy -- but i can honestly find whatever i'm looking for within a few seconds. ;-)
IF Dryad sees this... she may recognize the cute lil red baggie she gave us all last year ... that is where all my herbs are.
I think others have posted that they keep seeds in the freezer. I believe it may be important to be sure the seeds are completely dry, as ice crystals would probably wreck the little embryos inside them.