Lea, I've been torn about the Dahlias too- I ran into them getting too tall last year as well. 'Bishop's Children' are the ones I'm most wanting to get started, and I'm wondering if I can just pinch the heck out of them till they go outside? They're going to want to achieve height regardless I guess, but I'd love to get them started so those tubers can start forming. I'd like to get some of the Large Decorative's started too, but they're even harder to deal with. I just need a green house and that's all there is to it!
Gardening: Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #31
I'm with you Neal, I need a greenhouse too!!! lol
You know if you pinch those dahlias back it may delay their bloom anyway, that's what I would be afraid of, Like klstuart wanting to pinch her geraniums back, I did that one year and it took forever for them to bloom again after being planted outside for sometime. I won't do that again :) I'm just going to wait and plant them when I need to :) Maybe start them in a pot to get them going about early April? That should give them enough time to get a head start, I may do that, depends on how much dirt I have left to pot them up, some of those tublers are so large that I'm not sure if I would have enough dirt to pot them all up lol
This is only my second year with the dahlias, my first year over wintering them then starting them again for this year so I'm just hoping they made it thru the winter LOL
Meredith, when I get a chance I'll go thru the dahlias and see if I can find you some tublers, I have your name down from last year :) I also have sea holly on there, do you know what that is about or did I just write it down that you wanted some? lol I'm not sure if they will travel well but when some start coming up from reseeding I can send you some with the dahlias, they have a tap root so they may not make the trip well we shall see :)
OH lea you are soo sweet! You did send me some Sea Holly seeds - I haven't started them yet. I have officially run out of room until I can use my big light set up in my garage. I am just worried it is too cold out there still. We have been having a nasty winter this year! It was only 6 degrees when I left for work this morning. That was at 5:45am so it has warmed up since - but not enough for my liking! It is 26 degrees now - brrr.
Ut Oh... I've got my dahlias up now too! So far they're just little tykes... we'll see! If you stop hearing from me around the end of March, you know the house has been taken over by plants and I can no longer reach my computer :) Just noticed a few buds on some petunias and I think one on a mimilus too. I'm definitely taking notes as to which ones need to be started later next year!
Tonya - that's a gorgeous job, it flows well, the textures are wonderful and the colors really work well!! So, how much of that grass are you taking out this year for more flowers??
I'm about to give up on the two flats of stuff I planted about two weeks ago, really nothing out of either of them, and they're taking up precious room. I've got to take a self-study class for substitute teaching, but I envision taking breaks to move trays around, transplant some things (I've got a baby Johnny Jump Up bloom already!) and start some new seeds to replace the ones that aren't cooperating.
I started a few dahlias about three weeks ago, and have started a small batch every week since then. I screwed up majorly and didn't get in all the tubers that Suzy gave me last year, and loved the way they looked with the Mexican Bush Sage, so I'm not taking any chances this year. Plus sis wants some (she didn't realize they aren't hardy and didn't pull hers up the first year she put them in).
OK, off to drink coffee and take a course on sub teaching. Have I mentioned yet that I am a horrible student? I taught professionally for corporations for over 20 years, and was danged good at it, but make a rotten student - not much patience for it any more, and I think my attention span has dropped to about 10 seconds max.
klstuart, :) I can just see the jungle now lol Congrads on your buds! :)
Meredith, WS those seeds about the end of the month would be good, that's right I think you were the only one I sent planum seeds too :) Just barely sprinkle dirt on top of them, they reseed like crazy in my bed. I just hope you have some luck with them this year if not we'll try sending them in the mail :)
You start Dahlias this early????
Thanks Robin. I have thought of increasing the beds, but I'm afraid DH wouldn't go for that right now and I would rather he spent time on a pergola! So... I had multiples of lots of plants in the front beds so am taking some of those out. Also took out 3 large clumps of maiden grass that were taking up way too much room and weren't nearly as pretty as some of these flowers are going to be. I think they were to the right, outside of the picture. DH also made me some beds in the back late summer last year so I have room for a bunch more back there, but they won't be getting as much sun, so I am really looking over my spreadsheet to decide what to put where.
Have fun with that studying! You could set up a reward system, like study for one hour, pot up a plant, study for another hour, plants some more seeds LOL! Beats the "gold star" system anyday!
Robin, when do you have time for substitute teaching lol You are a busy girl!
I'm checking seed balls out today, hope to have time to get some done for the field or the hill by the house depends on how many I get done I saved some red clay last summer, I may have another year of just wishing I would have planted them lol I am getting closer though I have the dirt lol
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/gardening/seedballs.shtml
Thanks Lea I will do that. : )
I have been planning to start doing stuff in milkjugs, I don't know why I haven't! I keep saying to myself today I need to start and then I don't! I think it is because I like the more immediate satisfaction I get when they sprout inside now lol. I know if I don't start my wintersowing stuff soon I'm going to be kicking myself in the but come spring! The Sea Holly are at the top of my list now. Maybe I'll go do one after I give the kids lunch. :)
Lea, have you checked your stored Dahlia tubers? I checked mine in January to mist any that were shriveling and expose any moldy ones to air. I was lazier this year than I ever have been with storing my Dahlias, just tossed them into plastic grocery bags, loosely tied them, and stored them in a crate in the cool plant room. Don't ya know I had the best success ever with storing them! Lost a few of the smaller ones that I had my doubts about anyway. I don't start the tubers early, just plop them in the ground around the 3rd week of April.
The seeds I figured will take 6-8 weeks to be ready to plant out, so I've got them soaking to sow tomorrow.
I've got some named Dahlia tubers coming the first week of April from a co op, and soooo excited about those! Dahlias have such a cottage garden charm to my eye.
I think I mentioned earlier on that the Nicotiana sylvestris that I sowed had not germinated and developed a white mold on the surface. That was the only pot that got that mold, and the potting mix was sterilized in a batch I used for several other pots of germinating seed (maybe I grabbed a pot I hadn't bleached?). They were seed I'd saved in '07 from my plants and shared in the swap, so I was concerned I'd sent y'all duds. Anyhow, I did a 2nd sowing and they are germinating!
I have some N. sylvestris (i don't know if it's from you though) - maybe that one is a good one for soaking in the peroxide? Or did you do that and it still molded?
I tried saving some dahlia tubers -I didn't do anything special - but they weren't the fancy type. I grew them from seed.
The Nicotiana seeds are like dust, and I've found it a real pain to soak those tiny ones, so I just watered the pot well with H2O2 solution. The other 2 varieties of Nicotiana I sowed the same day (probably in the same batch of soil) germinated beautifully.
I managed to save a few of the Dahlias from seed last year, but it was late when they started really doing much and that was when things got really dry here. So they didn't form very big tubers, and if there's not enough stored carbs they won't survive dormancy. I lost a few of those, but those that were still alive were looking kinda shrivelly (although they had growth buds). I potted those up just to keep from losing them.
Beautiful yard Tonya!
On my "To Pinch or Not to Pinch' thread on the Seed Germination forum http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/942125/ I asked about dahlias. Dahiahnut told me that it would be fine to pinch them and that they would branch more for the pinching. She didn't mention delaying the blooms though so I'm not sure about that part. I started my first batch about 3 weeks ago and intend to pinch them as needed for the next few weeks then let them have at it.
Thanks for reminding me to check my tubers Neal. I unwrapped all the stored geraniums a couple of weeks ago and gave them all a good misting and was going to do all the tubers the next day. Ooops.
Is anyone growing Asarina? I started 3 different types that I got in the Summer Hill co-op and they were all doing beautifully until I transplanted the first batch. They look horrible, in fact I think they're beyond resurrection. I have a sneaking suspicion that it was my watering but I have no idea in which direction I failed. Did I overwater or underwater? The stems are so thin now they look like threads. What say ye queens (and king LOL) of seed starting. What did I do wrong?
What an odorable mascot you've got Mona. It looks like he's quite happy in his new homd.
Lala, I've got the Asarina Sky blue from Summerhill. I've pinched them, as I would like a bushier rather than taller plant. Hoping I don't have to transplant until it's time to put them outside. The only info I can find does mention keeping them cooler after transplanting. Mine are just hanging out with everything else, as I've nowhere particularly cool to keep them.
Thanks Kelly, I think I'll leave the other 2 right were they are as long as possible. I'm pretty bummed over losing the purple ones.
And now I want to shout in elation, "I've got gerberas!" That almost makes up for the lost asarina.
Yippee! Now we get to find out if they crossed or are true to color... :)
Ok, on these tall tithonias. Are they supposed to grow straight up or do they kinda tilt and branch off for there? Mine are wantign to do a serious lean and don't knwo if that what they do or if it cuz the stems so tall and the tops are gettign top heavy.
That oen thign I always get wrogn is when to start asters. especialyl for down here. I know I started them too early last year cuz they was bloomign in April and then didn't anythign after that.
does any one have Echinops ritro "Globe Thistle" ?
I'm about to WS some of these .... and i've read the comment on it in PF, but not sure i want so many of them. maybe 1
not that they are invasive or anything, just that they get so BIG.
I believe that's the Globe thistle I grow. One plant does make a big clump, that's all I've got and it made a statement in the garden. Looks really nice in contrast with other plants, but not something I'd want a mass of.
well, i did sow 9 seed heads.
if i get 9 plants... maybe i'll plant them out with the Teasel ... will certainly be prettier than those.
I'm thinking the same thing about Forget -me - nots... the ones with the 'sticky' seeds... i put one on my sock.. and i have the sticky ones... http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/258/
I have a long haired pooch... and DH wont appreciate the seeds stuck in his fluff, though i am usually the one cleaning him up... but he freaks out when he gets stuff in his fluff.... does not like it one bit.
so -- i may just go sprinkle the seeds somewhere out there and if anything pops, then i'll have some 'blue' out there.
Star, my Tithonia started off straight, but quickly started branching. It branches a LOT.
It seems like I'm doing more asking than helping but I've got another one. How about Cuphea? Should it be flopping over? At this point it looks healthy enough but it's laying almost sideways. After losing my Asarina I hate to see these go south too so I thought I'd ask if anyone knows if this is normal.
you planted 9 heads lol about 150 seeds in each head hahahah make sure to thin those out to the nine you want
LOL.. holy crap. on the package, it said to plant the whole head as the seeds are tiny. oh well.
Lala, most of my Cuphea look really floppy too. Everything else looks good, it's just the Cuphea. They stretched out really tall before the cotyledons even pushed the seed coat off.
oh yes the seeds are tiny but lots and lots of them hahahha you will be ok it is not hard to fix this when then come up and get to be a good size thin them out to what you want to keep
Thanks on the tithonia, cuphea does flop all over the place. it flops it branches and it looks cute as a button when blooming. : )
for some plants when you transplant to a bigger pot just put them a little deeper that helps with some of mine I have to hit the dollar store today and get a small fan to harder some of them and make the stems grow stronger forgot on the weekend lol no head this week trying to get everything done before the girls go on march break tomorrow for two weeks since when they are home I cant seem to find time to get it together lol
Thanks for the cuphea info guys.
I'm pretty much down to the zins, marigolds, herbs and tomatoes. Everything else will be either direct sowed or stuck back in the fridge until next year. Of course I'm kidding myself there too. There are still about a dozen packs in my "I really want" pile and if I can squeeze out another square inch of light space I'm sure I'll still give them a try. LOL.
scicc.. if ya have a feather duster or somethign liek that, it wil harden the plants off just as well as a fan. Just give them tickles with the duster. : )
Catching up.. appreciate the info on cuphea. I thought maybe I'd left mine on the heat mat too long, as they got really really leggy. I can pot them a little deeper when I transplant them (probably today), but I can't bury 3 inches of stem! Glad to know they'll be OK anyway.
Nope Neal, sorry to say I haven’t checked my dahlia tublers :( I’m afraid to go in there and check them now lol Maybe tonite if I get a chance I’m so far behind this year and all of these plants that I brought in like my elephant ears too I really need to check, just slipped my little mind :) I bought bulb dust and haven’t even put that on them! I have a black taro elephant ear and I usually just pot it up so I really need to get that and get it started, I love that thang lol
Last year was my first year for dahlias and I have fallen in love! I had this one red one that I want to send to Meredith that is just beautiful! I hope those are alright! I gave one to my neighbor to grow out and it was really pretty too so she has to give me some of that one this year lol She doesn't want to part with it, it was one of those catcus ones I think those are going to be my favorites!
I use the fan to harder stems but if feather duster works I will try that lol hahahha I do have one or two around the house
Hey,
I forgot who sent me the balsam, and it surprised me by sprouting and leafing out, so now I need to transplant it, but Duh, I forgot who sent it to me and where to plant it.
If anyone remembers sending it to me, please let me know. I thought I wrote it down, but am having computer gaffs like crazy today.
Thanks!
WIB!
SW
? Ok, a feather duster to harden stems? How does this work?
SW, I didn't send the Balsam to you, but I have it volunteer every year. It loves full sun but will bloom pretty good in part shade.
Impatiens balsamina? aka touch-me-not or garden balsam? I didn't know it would do well in full sun... it loves my mostly shady front bed.
Sw.. I had balsam seeds I sent out to folks, don't remmebr to who and not sure if anybody esle had some they sent either. Put it some place where it will get some sun and if ya hot some afternoon shade. They are an impatiens so need the shade.
KL. Y all it takes to harden plants off is movement. Youc an use a feather duster, when they up a bit you can use something even like the brush side of an ice scraper.
Looked but don't have it anymore, used ot have a pictrue where you could see the brushes goign back and forth over the top of the plants every so often to harden them off.
You can use yoru hands too, but that too hard and not as efficent as using a feather duster.
Um, just to be sure we're all on the same page... hands, feather duster, or even a moving air current from a fan will strengthen seedling stems but it will *not* harden them off in terms of preparing them for outdoor conditions... they'll still need to be gradually acclimated to the variation in temperature and brighter sun outside, assuming we're talking about seeds started indoors.