So I broke down and bought another light to put under the church pew today (that's the only space left.) I am so pathetic.
Gardening: Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #28
La, that's good to hear on the Impatiens! I still see some seed that look ok, so I'll hang on to them.
I can see some itty bitty Torenia and Browallia babies! Tiny seeds like those amaze me how a tiny pinch of dust like particles turn into lush growth.
mygypsyrose, when do you start Cobea? I've have some seeds for those and have them sat aside wondering if I should go ahead and get em going.
hohohoho Lala.... I have heard of people putting lights up and plant stands and plants in all kidns of place sbefore, but that a new one. : )
Ya all got to have some patience for some seeds. I get antsy pants too some sometimes, but all good things coem to those wait.
Sicci. That is so funny. LOL
Patients? Surely you jest. You must have meant impatients. No, I've got it, you meant IMPATIENS. Yes, we will all wait for our impatiens. LOL!
This is the first year I've gone quite this crazy this early in the season. I'm so excited to try a little marketing this year though that I want to try and have as many things in bloom by the first of May as possible. Saturday I had the 'big' birthday (I'm still a little squeamish saying the actual number) and I've declared this my year of experimentation. This is the year that I'm going to attempt all those things I've always wanted to try but kept on the back burner for one reason or another. I will try to practice patients Star, but I've got a lot to jam into this year!
The big birthday? You turned 21?
Yey Happy 21st
Lala. Hahahahahha. I know what ya mean. too much to do , do little time, I have lot sof patience when I have time, but I get up everymornign and tell these guys to come on pop up, momma wants to see a brand new baby. Soem are cooperatign and some. grrrrrrrr I tryign to to do the ignore trick and hope it works. I hate waiting on these 3 to 4 week seeds. Maybe if I take away there tv time it would help. LOL
And a big belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL @ turning 21. But I'll take it and just say thanks!
;-)
Let me know how that TV deprivation thing works out Star. I've got some crossandra seeds that are about to lose more than their TV.
gemini, I'd start them now. They don't bloom until towards the end of the season and It took forever for the seeds to ripen that I lost them in the first frost. I remember telling myself to remind myself to start them earlier. I'm going to start them now too. I know you have to start them sticking half in an half out of the soil, in case you didn't know that already. They were really beautiful! :-)
Well, Happy 21st Lala! ;-) Experimentation huh? Time to break out the beer funnels! (Don't they do that at 21??)
ok so I promised my DH no more seed germination for a few weeks till some more are up he hates looking at the dirt in the flats since I only have two flats with plants and the rest are not up yet hahahah and when they come up then I can even put them in the windows in the basement the perennials will grow fine as long as they dont freeze but most need heat to germinated so the dining room has 10 flats in it lol no company over for dinner till I can find the table haah
Happy Birthday Lala!
I finally have a few Columbine sprouts... not many but a few... working on my patience still!
we I would take a few I have one lone columbine baby lol hoping for more tomorow
Lala - I didn't know it was your birthday as I'm not paying proper attention here!! I hope you had a great day!
Hey Lala, Happy B-day! Hope it was wonderful!
I am having so much fun watching my WS containers. Everyday, something new has germinated. I have 65 containers that have germinated out of 140! This is a blast and has been so easy so far!
Help I have some Pardon Candy Lily When & how should I start them Inside or outside?
Tubby
Neal, I'm not the pansy trader ... don't care for them.
I'm surprised many of you are planting your inpatiens now. I've planted them as late as March 1st and still had flowers on them.
Happy Belated Birthday Lala!
Star, too funny about the TV deprivation. I sing to my seeds once in a while , while I'm doing stuff in the basement. Also, almost everyday I say .' come out, come out where ever you are'.
nbgard, I'm so jealous you have sprouts in your WSing containers.
toofew
Ah, so it wasn't you toofew. Hmmm....perhaps bluespiral...or maybe Heavenscent. It was so nice when I had a brain, LOL.
Thanks mygypsyrose for the the tip on the Cobea seeds! I didn't know that about half submerging them. I'll get those to soaking today.
Tonya, almost half your containers up already, way to go! We're having a warm spell, so it wouldn't surprise me to start seeing some germination out there any time :-)
Y'all, I have a little surprise offer for ya! Remember the picture of the pink and lilac-blue Toad Flax that was one of the winners in the Photo contest in the Annuals section? Well I had dmailed bootandall who submitted the photo to find out what the flowers were, and she generously offered and sent me seeds from them! And plenty of them to share! So any of you who would like to try growing some, let me know and I'll drop a pack in the mail for ya :-)
Neal, may I try a few of the seeds?
Thanks, Maxine
Sure thing Maxine!
I like to start my impatients early so they bloom as I put them outside, I really like the summer look as soon as posible, if I have to wait for them to bloom it feels like every
time it starts to look good the frost is back and it all been for nothing mmmm to short of a growing season need zone 8 or 9 maybe hahah even 10
but stuck with zone 5
Neal.. I the one with all the pansy seeds.
Sicci. I wonder if there is such a thign as the perfect growign zone. Seems we all have problems of one sort or another.
Now, dumb question here, those of you that have winter sowed and have stuff sproutign outside, what ya all do if frost or bitter cold comes again. How ya all protecting your plants and keepign the tiny tota from croakign from frost bite?
well us people in zone 5 have nothing outside still below freezing here and our houses are about to burst at the seams with all the stuff we are growing inside ahahhahahah
Ella, I've been wondering the same thing. Asked a while ago, somewhere, and no answer. BUT, I did have poppies, helenium and penstemon up already (just seed leaves though) when it decided to get down below 20 two nights in a row a week or two ago. I didn't do anything, and the poor little things toughed it through just fine. Don't know if other things would do as well.
Star -- in 07, my first year WS'ing [so i was so over protective as it was] we had a warm March ... i had A LOT of seedlings, then the first week of April - there was a real cold snap... i can't recall if the evenings were below zero or not, but for 4-5 days, we were in the 20's for a high.
Freaked out my Rhododendrons for sure.... they were getting ready to bloom and zip, pretty much killed that blooming season.
anyhooo.... a few of my "tenders" i either brought in the house ... some went into the garage... but the most of rest of them i covered for the brutally cold nights, and they did just fine. I did lose a few things to the cold .... so yes.. we do need to protect them a bit if frost is on the way.
This message was edited Feb 10, 2009 7:39 AM
Ah Star, you sent the Pansies! I kept thinking they had a long user name on them for some reason. Anyhoo, they're doing great! I think I got about 200 transplants out of them. I also counted the little vincas, and there are over 50 of those. They're getting pretty little true leaves on them, and next on the list to transplant.
Tubby, re pardancanda - candy lily. I started some in the house after a brief time in the fridge and a soak and a month later, nothing. Others I put in in damp mix in a baggie in the fridge for 11 days after a soak, and those have started coming up after 2 weeks planted (under lights on a heatmat). Others I'm trying to wintersow. Hope that helps. This is my first try with them.
Ella, we have not had any freezing temps since my plants sprouted. There were a few nights that got close and I thought it was possible to frost so I made sure that the sprouted containers were in boxes that I could close the lids. I think we had one frost. I have so many that have sprouted now that I might follow the advice of someone on the WS forum and throw a sheet over them, if it gets too cool again. We've had lows of 50's and 60's and highs near 80's this last several days, but it looks like we might get down close to 32 again before it's all over. This has been a very mild winter for us.
Neal, I'd love to try some of that Toad Flax. thanks.
Tonya
hi all
ive been following the thread when i can and reading your posts.
i have not posted much on the piggy swap threads .
i have been busy going through all my seeds and sorting them
i have sown sweet peas and lilies. i will try to do sowing of more cool weather seeds next week and get ready for starting my transplants of veggies and some annuals in march. I cant start anything too early
it is snowing outside right now and the wind is so cold
pam sue
Happy Belated Birthday Lala! Your b.day and my youngest are on the same day! ^_^
Yes, tubbytee, I leave them in the cups and plant the whole thing. I do label the cups, and put drainage holes in the bottoms of the cups. That works on those hard to transplant seedlings like the poppies and lupine. I ran out of milk jugs (hard to believe in my house!), and planted some other seeds in the cups too, like the balsam. The cups are paper cups, and are biodegradable. Once planted they sort of disintegrate. I've used this method with success before. In my zone, it is sometime the only way I can get those fragile seedlings to grow where I want them to. I have kept poppies alive all through our hot summers, but I have to give them water every day.
Still enjoying my time at the beach. Been sleeping a lot and taking a lot of photos. Yesterday it rained, and was so windy it almost blew me back in the door of the balcony. I feel like the "Flying Nun". LOL! ^_^
I miss my seedlings, but I know when I get home, the unwatched pots will be "boiling" over with seedlings!
WIB,
SW
Hi Pamsue - I sowed lily seeds that I received from others - so far I have about 12 trumpet lilies and 15 Easter lilies germinated and I have some oriental lilies which are germinated but in the cool dormant stage.
I only used a few of the seeds I was sent. I think this is sooooo coool to start lilies!
I started up another tray of seeds yesterday and realized with a shock that I'm almost out of room! How did this happen??? Today I've got to get some seeds in the mail that I've promised some folks, and then I'm going to go through the lists and find the seeds that need the baggie/Deno method to start, and get those going - I figure that will give me some extra room to start things without needing the lights yet. In addition, the outside temps are in the 60's today, so I've GOT to get those WS containers set up and ready to go.
SingingWolf Thanks ..So its poppies in the cups for me not pepsi LOL I'll have to pick some up
Tubby
This is different as I planted in pots all of my lilies that I scaled last fall and a few that a friend gave me.
Ended up with 22 pots and they are sitting in a SE exposure window so will get plenty of sun, if it ever shines here again.
Rain yesterday and today.
High of 47 here yesterday and I have water sitting all over the yard. Not safe to walk any place.
Maxine
Robin did you see me post that I went out and bought another light yesterday and stuck it under the church pew? With seven shelves in the basement and the snaps sitting in the window sill I still had to go buy another light. LOL Where ya gonna put your Deno seeds when they come out of the baggies? It makes me smile to see I'm not the only one who has no sowing off-button.
I started a few ornamental peppers today. I won't start the eatin' kind for another few weeks, but I want to use some of the pretty ones in my combination baskets so they're getting a bit of a head start. I still have half a dozen different seeds in my "sow now" pile, but there just isn't anymore room on the mat. And I'm NOT going out and buying another one. LOL!
Yeah - that made me chuckle :-) Does starting seeds under a church pew give them extra oomph??
I haven't thought about where I'm gonna put those baggie seedlings when they need potting up - for things like that I'm enrolled in the Scarlet O'Hara School Of Self Management - I'll worry about that another day :) Actually, what I'm hoping is that by the time they need to be potted up, some of the seedlings I have will need transplanting to go under taller lights....that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I actually do have room under lights for taller/older things, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rumba line will keep working for me, and by the time I've run out of room inside I'll be able to start hardening them off in the outside greenhouse.
And I finally have multiple pansies!!! 15 of the Historic Florist mix, and 10 of the Bowles' Black. As for the rest of the little sprouts, I've got:
Bachelor's Buttons
Paper Daisies
Hyacinth bean
Echinacea
Sweet Autumn Clematis
Chicory
Italian Alkanet
Yellow Blotch pansies :-)
Nicotiana
'Goblin' Gaillardia
Creeping thyme
Dahlia hybrid mix
Forget-me-nots
Johnny-jump-ups
Coleus 'Wizard mix'
Celosia mix
Eggplant 'White Casper'
and two tomatoes, a red cherry heirloom and a white cherry called 'Italian Ice'
'California Wonder' sweet pepper
Alyssum
Florence Fennel
Blue Flax
Impatiens 'Shademaster'
Dusty Miller
Lemon Balm
African Daisy (Osteospermum)
Asclepias 'Scarlet'
In addition to the baggy seeds I want to get started, I've also got to find some room for the peppers from Critter's co-op!
Edited to add some more babies that were under a dome and I forgot to inspect this morning.
This message was edited Feb 10, 2009 3:30 PM
I am so impressed with your list! (And feeling a bit relieved by it's length as well. Although I do see a few things I forgot that I need to get started too and now I'm feeling even more behind. LOL!) The under-the-church-pew spot is perfect for seedlings. They're tucked into a little nook completely out of the way without making my small room even smaller with another shelf. I used that spot last year, but when I moved the set-up to the basement this winter I thought I could contain them all downstairs. Oh silly me.
I've got big hopes for an early move to the green house too. If I have to supplement heat at night for a few weeks that's OK as long as we don't get any freak zero degree weather which will put me in a hurt for sure.
LOL at how comforting it can be to read these posts and think, "See? There are other people just as crazy (or crazier) than I!"
Okay - 'fess up everyone - where will you put all your plants when they germinate?
I'm trying to figure that out! Got out my graph paper... trying to find all the places where I could probably tuck in a few peppers or basils while other stuff grows up. I can't stand having empty space around a little perennial, no matter how big I know it will (hopefully) eventually get!
I have 3 new sets of lights this year, a gift from a friend who has *gasp* given up seed starting. Each set is a pair of double fixtures on a wooden frame, so it can be raised or lowered on chains (like the way I have my lights above my top shelves). I think I will get one or two of those plastic folding tables (from Sam's) and hang the lights above them... the tables can straddle the stuff I have stacked up on the floor in that corner, LOL.
Seandor - anywhere I can stick 'em!! I've got one of those little greenhouse thingies on the back deck, it's got a clear plastic cover so it can get the sunshine and stay relatively warm, without worrying about stiff winds, etc. The plants in there will be in trays so I can bring them in/out while hardening them off. Once they're hardened off I've got a 6x8 greenhouse behind the garage (eastern/southern exposure) and they'll move there until they get into the ground. I don't have the 6x8 greenhouse complete sealed yet, so I can't put things in there to protect them, so I haven't even bothered to try to find a way to heat it. (I do have a shade cloth I put over the top during summer to help keep things from frying). I've even sat trays on the floor in my office next to the light stand, knowing that at least they're getting light until I can get them outside.
Yeah, I know it's only Feb. 10, and I've got a good 2 months to last frost, but I'm the eternal optimist when it comes to the weather cooperating with me.
I've also got my sister's place - which is where a number of these will be planted. (she's got some of the single bulb grow light thingies that she can set up in her basement, and a VERY handy hubby whom I know can make a PVC plant stand for her/me if needed.) Once I get them big enough some will go to her place for tending until they can get in her garden. Another benefit of trucking them to her place is she's a zone warmer than I am, so they can go out earlier there than they can here.
When I transplant them they go into plastic cups, with some fertilizer that has mycorrhizal fungi in it, and water crystals (depending on the plant's preference for water), so they're easier to take care of and get more robust because of the fertilizer. I cut some holes in the bottom of the cups so they can still be watered from the tray, rather than from the top.
Edited to add: once they're past the starting point and it's time to start planting - I really have no idea!! I'll cross that bridge when it's burning underneath me :-D
This message was edited Feb 10, 2009 4:18 PM