We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/943513/#new
Edited to say: sorry about the copyright stuff all over the piggies - I had to swipe a quick copy from the old thread.
Also, here's a link to Kelly's spreadsheet:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=ptKk7FNDx_-LNbZM431UzDQ&hl=en
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 12:22 PM
Robin (was it you that ask about adding WS to Kelly's spreadsheet?) I think that's a great idea, and I was going to add that information as I went. However my spreadsheet from last year has been moved onto a jump drive so I don't have it handy. And like I told Kelly last night when I'm entering data into her document I've got so many browsers open trying to find all the information that my task bar is doubled up. LOL! The Stokes Site....the Parks site....the T & M site....The Vesey site...etc, etc, etc! I definitely want to go back and add it though once we get all the inside germination recorded. It will be sweeeeeet. To have everything in one place!
My other biggie is which seedlings to pinch. (I've started a thread about it on the germination forum.) Once this spread sheet is more or less up to date I'm going to make a copy for myself and add a pinching column too.
Yep, it was me about the WS stuff. dmail me your email and I'll send you my spreadsheet, it's got WS stuff on it, but isn't nearly as comprehensive as Kelly's.
Edited to say - scratch that mess about dmailing me - I realized I was talking apples and oranges as I have two different spreadsheets. I just emailed Kelly my main spreadsheet which has a TON of information crammed into it, but mostly because it has the WS and baggie stuff. Kelly, do you want me to enter that in your spreadsheet, or should I keep my mitts off it and let you continue to orchestrate this wonderful creation?
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 1:10 PM
Will do, and thank you! This is definitely a labor of love and we're trying to add as much info as we can find. (And believe me some of these plants are so illusive you'd think we made them up.)
OK I'll edit too and let you and Kelly work it out. I told her I'd give her all the help I could, but it's her baby ... I'm just the hired help. LOL!
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 1:12 PM
I need to go back and re-read some posts to catch up, but to kelly and terese and others - a BIG thank you for enabling computer dummies like moi with this spreadsheet ability - will come back and post questions/comments about that
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But first! Another piggy has asked me about wintersowing the Japanese anemone seeds that I sent her. I've never done it myself, but since they self-sow so easily in my garden, winter sowing seems the best way to go. They have the teensiest seeds embedded in wads of cotton, and if anyone ever finds a way to separate THAT chaf from those seeds, I'll be glad to hear about it.
Well, I don't remember who, but someone posted that they just put the cotton fluffs on top of their wintersowing container - prepared the usual way - and then sprinkle enough potting soil medium over the fluff to hold it down - you don't want to bury it. And then, secure the vented top to its vented bottom, and wait for spring.
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If anyone wants to try WS any more seed, send me a sasbe with return postage, return address that I can tape to the front envie when sending it back, and a piece of paper with the words "Japanese anemone" written on it.
Japanese anemone???? That will include me - LOL! Now I gotta get my act together and dig out envie and such....
klstuart, what you're doing with the germination database is so great. Since you've got it organized by the Latin name first, that will make it easier to expand it -OR - just adapt it as it is to make a separate set of lists by zone of what DGers have wintersown successfully for a wintersowing database. DG gardeners could add data indefinitely without bogging down in common names that make it harder to take advantage of the conveniece of finding things by using the alphabet.
But - I have a couple of suggestions - may come back with some more -
1) Not everything that wintersows well in Massachusetts is going to wintersow well in southern Florida, Georgia, Texas, etc. How about folks include their zone when they submit WS info? And, then, we could make up a separate set of lists by zone. The plant names will be organized by their Latin names, and the next box to their left will have their respective common names, and then boxes to the right can be for when wintersown and when germination occurred.
We could still include this information in your master list of germination. But, this might make it easier for users to also be able to go directly to a list of successfully wintersown plants for their respective zones.
This could also make it easier for DG gardeners to submit their data. All they would have to do is make a list of the plants they have successfully wintersown and dmail it to the coordinator for the WS lists. They would indicate their zone at the top of the list, which would be nothing more than just the names of the plants - Latin name first, common name second. No time-consuming data entry involved. Easier for the coordinator to cut and paste to the Cottage Garden forum's WS database.
2) It would be great if someone could collate WS information as it comes in, rather than everyone individually making an entry. I say that, because the more folks that successfully WS any given plant in a given zone, the more dependable that data will be, and the easier it would be to ascertain flukes and/or errors.
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If the WS forum would like to add information arranged this way to their sticky, they could link to it in their sticky, so wintersowers could find it.
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This is jsut off the top of my pointy head - will be back and catch up with other posts - apologies to any cross-posters with whom this post might be redundant
Just got in from being out of town, and while I haven't had time to read through the threads I have missed, I wanted to let ya know I got my piggy seeds..WOW!!
I was tickled pink! Thanks for all your hard work Ella, and thanks to all for coming together and sharing your seeds so this was possible!!
Robin, glad you'd like some seed - now's the time to do it
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my pointy head is still churning out ideas for klstuart's database - How about putting a link in the comment section for the plants in your database to any posts that go into detail about seed of that plant? What a wonderful way that would be to corral and make accessible previous piggy posts by Suzy, Starlight, Critter, and so many others.
I need to spend time with your database, kl - I've saved some of these posts and could just pop them in. Will get back to you later if my pointy head doesn't figure it out.
Phew, take a few hours to deal with my coughing miserable daughter, and you all go crazy!
We'll definitely want to incorporate what ever we can, while keeping it in a form that is relevant to each zone. I hadn't added wintersow info because it's already being dealt with in the WS database, but we certainly can! Anyone who wants to help, feel free! Just let me know and I'll have to enable your email address to edit.
Sorry to say, have a little more needy than usual DD today, so have to go! Will read more later.
Yeah, I can see not getting into a lot of detail about WS as Dave's has the WS database. My gripe with the WS database is it's just dang hard to find anything in it.....
Edited to add - sorry! Meant to say I hope your daughter is doing better soon!
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 2:24 PM
klstuart, hope your DD feels better. Thanks, and will dmail you later on tonight.
klstuart,
I hope your daughter gets well soon. I fell asleep last night making my entries. I will have to go back to the previous thread and reread all those hyperlinks and save myself some effort.
For those of you worried about transplanting those poppies, WS in paper cups. Then plant the whole cup. That will not disturb the roots, and the cup will decompose. It does work, I have used it before. Was thinking of trying it with a few of the lupine seeds just to show you all it can too be done! : )
Ok, got to go to the Drugstore and get my prescription and some chew toys for my puppy! He's so funny!
I wish I'd had the camera in hand last night when I walked into the family room and found my two boys sitting on the couch watching tv, with Spirit pup sitting between them. They all three (as one) looked up at me as I entered the room then, (as one) turned back to the tv. I actually walked past them before I realized that all three were misbehaving. Dogs aren't allowed up on the furniture. Don't blame the pup, but my boys knew better. The pup was so involved with watching tv. I was rolling with laughter, of course I had to enforce the rules, but it was so precious a moment. I live for them. : )
WIB,
SW
All three of them, sitting there as innocent as, well - as getting away with it! LOL!!
I'm just now able to start digging through my envie of seeds and start entering them in my spreadsheet. I must echo what everyone else has been saying - what seeds! What generosity! What FUN!!!
I did my first sowing today! Snapdragons, African Foxgloves, and Sky Flower Thunbergia, ready to go on the "germination chamber" I've rigged up in my sitting room attached to my bedroom. I think this is going to work out well, the things I want to watch the closest are right here where the computers are and where its nice and warm. Oh, and I just realized I can turn my chair around and roll right over to the babies!
Ya know how we've all been so desperate for spring? Suddenly I'm looking at all these seeds thinking "ONLY 60 days till spring!"
OK, does anybody else feel the need to look at their sown trays every 2 hours? Like something might pop up and I might miss it. Geeze.
Lala_Jane,
I do it all the time and when I wear myself out with the watching they give me a prize. Think Lots of us do it most just don't tell. This time of year we all are looking for new growth.
Blessing's,
Carolyn
OK, so the google spread sheets shared are mainly for the info.??? How do you track your own plantings on a spreadsheet? I may have to just keep on doing mine how I have been. It may be too complicated to figure out a spreadsheet way.
Good job Gemini, getting yours started already!
wind -- i have found it's a snap to update the sheet that is on line... so the one i uploaded, i will just be editing as i WS and once I get germination.... months away... i will add that data too.
personally - i'd think the info would be more of an FYI than anything else.... though i could be wrong.
this is the link to my WS database ... i have 2007, 2008 and 2009
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pFvffOeHPsTqxA3soSC3iaA&hl=en
Thank you guys for the help with poppies, I will try to make sure I transplant them in time then : )
My new years resolution was to get organized and I told myself I'm not allowed to start seeds until that happens! Well today I got the garage done, it was very dusty but I got most of it done. I think I'm going to cheat and start some stuff tomorrow. I got 2 flats and domes ready to go. : )
HI Lebug!! : )
Gemini... Did ya soak them thumbergia in some peroxide water first? Also make sure ya keep them on the dry side or you'll fuzz and rot em up. They neat lots of heat and time to germinate.
Ok, so I soaked all my seeds I planted today in h2o2 for a bit. (paranoid after the splish splash incident...) They included some Salvia, which got a funny gel coating on the outside really quickly... is this a bad thing?
Did ya rinse the seeds afterwords? That the crude being killed if ya didn't soak em too long.
Ok, I am going blind! : )
I've been going through my seed baggies from specific people. My eldest son helped me to print out the spreadsheet that klstuart has on line. I'm so confused. Especially since I'm trying to enter all the info on the DG Journal page first. Then I'll go ahead and try to finger it out.
I also printed out the really long list from thread 24, only now I forgot who to thank! : ( There is 6 pages of really good info. I don't know how you all keep track. My graph paper drawing seems so simplistic now, although it is useful.
Been going back and forth between errands, weeding, playing with puppy, dreaming of planting, and data entry. Oy Vey! What a day! I guess the piggies who can't resist peeking at their seeds every hour need to be reminded that a watched pot never boils! LOL!
Star, the temptation was too much for you. : ) You held out longer than I would have! LOL! : ) Also, wanted to thank you for that tomato that is sort of named after me. : ) How sweet!
I thought I saw a seedling poking it's head up in one of the B.fly mix seed that I planted a week or so ago, in a WS container yesterday. I'm afraid to go look at it when the puppy is there to "help". It is hard enough to weed with him helping. He sure makes me laugh though!
I hope to get the long bed where my bulbs grow weeded this week. I have way too many coneflowers that migrated over there, and all the grass cuttings that took root out of there too. Seeing as how I didn't weed at all last year, it is way overdue. However, on the bright side, my chickens are really happy about all the weeds they are getting! : ) Even the old goose is doing better.
Ok. Break time is over for now!
Back to work! : |
WIB!
SW
WIB,
SW
ut oh, didnt rinse.. should I pull em out and rinse em, or is it too late for that (just did it before dinner..)
SW. You just reminde dme of something important wanted to tell everybopyd that starting seeds indoors befor eyour knat problems get to big an dya start losing yoru seedlings.
if ya don't have a whole lot of trays goign at a time. You can take a kitty litter pan and put somethign in it to raise your tray up in the air. Fill some water into the kitty litter tray, do not let your seedlign tray sit or touch the water. To the water add dish soap and if ya have some mint oil. The knats wil go drown in it.
if ya don't have any mint oil, you can use vinegar or yellow food coloring and using yellow kitty litter tubs is better too. Knats are attracted to the color yellow.
If ya don't want to put kity litte rpan under your seedling trays, make up the same mix of dish soap and your choice of weapons and place small bowls of it aroudn by your plants.
Also and this a pain , bt one you wil be gla dof later trust me. get ya a white potatoe and make thin slices. Place the thin sices aroudn on the top of your soil . This shoudl be doen for winter sowing outsid epots too, cuz the knats are out there , you just don't see them til your seedlings collpase. Every few days change your potaoe slices. Throw them i the trash and carry out in sealed bag. The knats wil lay their eggs on the potaoe slices and you soon as the knat larvae are big enough you wil see their tiny fotted black heads on the potaoe slices.
You cna also make your own sticky tapes to capture the flyign adults. Take a poscilcle stick or somethign like it and cut a piece of yellow construction paper or use yellow index cards. You can either coat the index cards with vaseline or take tape and back rool it and stick it to the card and place these around your plants too. I use the sticky cards inside and out.
if the seed are big enough to handle, woudl pull otu and rinse yoru soil quick in the micro. if they little don't worry abotu it, but when ya soak always rinse yoru seeds off afterwards. If ya have a strainer with small holes it best or ya may be watchign yoru seeds go down the drain. LOL
Gee, have I mentioned lately that I'm not bored? ; )
Just when I was starting to go mind numb, I came across these seed from BlueSpiral. The tag reads, Lobelia siphilitica. And I start thinking, Is this a dirty word? A STD? Do I want to associate with this seed? Hmm, did I make BlueSpiral mad?
Okay! I'm getting positively giddy now, time to go play with the puppy!
Thanks for the timely tips, Star! Them gnats is everywhere!
Now I get it! : )
Many thanks for the lovely seed collecting bag, LynnWeidman. : ) I was wondering what everyone was talking about. It is beautiful! May I steal/borrow your idea? LMK!
WIB,
SW
Ok, so how long am I supposed to be soaking the seeds? If I'd done it long enough this jellyfish-like substance would have gone away? Sorry so dense!
Gnats. Now THAT'S a four letter word. I had them so bad last year that I actually took a can of Raid and doused 3 entire germinating trays. I was going insane from the darn things swarming everywhere! (Oddly enough it didn't seem to effect the seedlings.)
In my experience (which is limited mind you) I've found that the best thing for fungal gnats is prevention, and the best course of prevention is bottom watering.
They started early this year. I had them swarming around all the coleus not long after I brought them in last fall and I was in a frenzy thinking that I'd have to either put up with the gnats or get rid of the coleus. I was trying to be lazy and top water, but when I ran into some other issues and started watering from the bottom again, Poof. They all but disappeared. They love the moisture so I think the trick is to keep the surface as dry as possible.
(Sorry Kelly I don't know about the seed soaking issue. Hopefully Star or one of the other peeps will pop back on directly and give you an answer.)
*typo
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 9:24 PM
No Kl.. The reason ya get the jelly stuff is it is the icky being killed, but if ya soak to long then it comes from the emybro and radicles rotting.
Um. so how long is just right? I'd say they got maybe 5-10 minutes, but the jelly stuff formed almost immediately. I just took them out, soaked them again and gave em a good rinse, but that stuff seems like it's on there for good! And its all the salvia, 3 different kinds, nothing else... knowing just enough to get myself in trouble here...
For the inside seeds, I was planning on putting jiffypots in trays and the trays on a few stones in a larger tray - Do I need to warm them too or is indoor room temp okay? And will the gnats come inside and get the jiffypots too? I do not want to put stuff in the water because I have a very curious cat who might drink it.
Very new at this seed planting thing and I only have a few hundred varieties to plant LOL
Very new at this seed planting thing and I only have a few hundred varieties to plant.
Lol! you start out small don't you! ROTF
Sound like me!
klstuart, the jelly substance on your Salvia seed is NORMAL and GOOD!
All Salvia seed have a layer on the outside that swells into a gelatinous coating when it absorbs water. It helps to keep the seed evenly moist and prevents it from drying out. Every Salvia I've ever sown has this coating. To me they end up looking like little frog eggs. :)
I remember sowing my first Salvia seeds (Transylvanian sage) and being freaked out by the coating. (Boy, I was still in high school then. Time sure does fly!)
Surface sow those sticky babies(and they are sticky!), cover with a light dusting of fine vermiculite and you'll have baby Salvias in about a week. You get nice, fast, even germination when you presoak. I soak mine overnight.
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 11:19 PM
I had gnats last year! I thought they were just May flies - I didn't realize they were something bad. I have seen some even recently in the garage! I thought they were mosquitoes and could not figure out how they could be breeding without standing water. I brought in some trays of stuff that never germinated thinking they might still. So ugh I'm going to have to try all those tips - Thanks Star!! : )
Danita if you are still here - Can I ask if you've ever started the porterweed from seed? - there isn't any info about them on the web. If you have any advice it would be much appreciated. : )
LOL glad I could help.
The gnats are bad because they lay eggs on the moist soil and their larvae eat the roots off your prized seedlings. Grrrr! If you get an infestation, you can use the BT that is used against mosquito larva. I don't remember the "recipe" but you soak the granules (or dunks) in water overnight and water the infested soil. The bacteria eat the larvae. Yum, Yum! Burp!
I've also read that some people put sand on the top of the soil because it stays drier and the gnats like the moist peaty soil to do their egg laying.
Meredith, this will be my first year sowing Porterweed because I bought mine as plants. The info I have is "Sow @ 65 to 70ºF, irregular, 14-21 days for germination." I've read that they are very easy. They can actually be invasive in the tropics so surely we'll get a few going. :)
