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Seed starting this year
This is a post to tell y’all of the successes with seed starting,
and about some of my favourite flowers.
There is no reason why you should have any problems starting
anything from seed, if you follow the botanical rules.
Zinnias: In any survey of male gardeners, these always rate high.
They are my favourite annual, non-stop colour for the beds and
bouquets, beneficial for the butterflies. Leave some seedheads for the birds.
They are irresistible to Goldfinches. Look for California Giants, State Fair
or Oklahoma giants. I like the bi-colour of Whirligig and Carousel.
I plant about 4 dozen a year. Start indoors with the Dollar Store miniature
greenhouses. Cocoa coir is used as the media. One greenhouse
holds 12 – 15 seeds, you label it California Giants and the date.
As they germinate and grow, transplant to 3 inch pots, mark the
pot with magic marker, and place on side porch. The breezes and
temperatures hardens and sturdies stems (of all plants.)
Plant and tuck in the border where desired.
Wave Petunias. Simplicity itself to grow from seed. My favourite:
Tidal Wave Silver. Grows huge hanging baskets that light up the night.
Place coir in greenhouse, and carefully open tube of pelleted seeds.
Best to empty the tube on a saucer and carefully place them on the coir.
The clay coating starts to dissolve quick, so be careful with your spacing.
The seedlings are tiny at first but soon grow fast. I transplant into 3 inch pots, and leave
under the lights, unlike the Zinnias, and other annuals. As they grow, take cuttings
of the side branches, use a shoot with 4 or 5 nodes, put Rootone on it, and put in a 3 inch pot.
You’ll have mature plants as fast as your seedlings. In the fall, take one cutting of your
favorite wave, it will grow all winter, and in early spring, make your cuttings for the season.
Rudbeckia, AKA Black Eyed Susans. This is a flower bred from native American
species. Lovely sunset and fall colours on large stemmed daisies, with a long vauze life.
(I spell it like I say it!) Gold, yellow, mahogany, burgundy, banded, edged,
single and double. Be careful planting the tiny rod shaped seeds in coir,
nearly every one will come up! They are tiny at first, but soon grow as fast
as zinnias. I transplant in 3 inch pots and harden off. Both Zinnias and Rudbeckias
cheerfully re-seed. I grew the cherry coloured ones this year, Cherry Brandy.
Impatiens. So easy and plentiful to grow from seed. The tiny round seeds are
planted in coir. Germinates sporadically, but quickly and grows fast. I was transplanting
large seedlings, while others kept coming up! From 2 packages (One was Butterfly hybrids) I got so many seedlings I had to put 2 in a 3 inch pot. These bloom all season on the north side of the house.
Portulaca. I planted a pack last year and was jaw dropping stunned at the results.
These are not your grandma’s Rosey Moss. The hybridizers obviously were working on these.
The blooms were HUGE, double in indescribable jewel toned colours,
magentas, burgundies, salmons, reds, yellows.
Plant the tiny seeds in coir, not too thick, as germination is excellent. Transplant
as soon as can be handled. Cheerfully reseeds.
Malva sylvestris and zebrina. Try these Hollyhock relatives. Sprays or stalks of
delphinium coloured cuts in white striped, magenta, rose and true blue.
Some perennialize, others reseed. Plant the seeds in coir, I only wanted 6
seedlings this year. As soon as the large seedlings were up, they were potted
in 3 inch pots off to the porch. They loved it.
Some may say, it’s easier to plant a row of zinnia seeds in the garden,
sure you can do that and get healthy plants.
I like starting just what I need, and it’s fun to see
them at all stages under lights. A light stand is not expensive, it is an adjustable shelve
from Uline or Home Depot with a light fixture attached under one shelve to
light up the one below. Fixtures always on sale at Loews, etc. Get a bright cool
fixture with a pull chain, and you can even plug them in each other, for additional
shelves.
In a suburban yard like mine, there’s just so much room, and you inevitably
will buy new plants at the garden center. I like just planting what I need.
Happy Gardening.
Seeds and plants for trade/sell in the fall.
Photos:
Hardened sturdy Zinnias
Dozens of impatiens
Waves petunias, just transplanted and others 3 weeks old
Dollar store greenhouses with portulaca and still
germinating impatiens after transplanting dozens
Malva zebrina
This is a post to tell y’all of the successes with seed starting,
and about some of my favourite flowers.
There is no reason why you should have any problems starting
anything from seed, if you follow the botanical rules.
Zinnias: In any survey of male gardeners, these always rate high.
They are my favourite annual, non-stop colour for the beds and
bouquets, beneficial for the butterflies. Leave some seedheads for the birds.
They are irresistible to Goldfinches. Look for California Giants, State Fair
or Oklahoma giants. I like the bi-colour of Whirligig and Carousel.
I plant about 4 dozen a year. Start indoors with the Dollar Store miniature
greenhouses. Cocoa coir is used as the media. One greenhouse
holds 12 – 15 seeds, you label it California Giants and the date.
As they germinate and grow, transplant to 3 inch pots, mark the
pot with magic marker, and place on side porch. The breezes and
temperatures hardens and sturdies stems (of all plants.)
Plant and tuck in the border where desired.
Wave Petunias. Simplicity itself to grow from seed. My favourite:
Tidal Wave Silver. Grows huge hanging baskets that light up the night.
Place coir in greenhouse, and carefully open tube of pelleted seeds.
Best to empty the tube on a saucer and carefully place them on the coir.
The clay coating starts to dissolve quick, so be careful with your spacing.
The seedlings are tiny at first but soon grow fast. I transplant into 3 inch pots, and leave
under the lights, unlike the Zinnias, and other annuals. As they grow, take cuttings
of the side branches, use a shoot with 4 or 5 nodes, put Rootone on it, and put in a 3 inch pot.
You’ll have mature plants as fast as your seedlings. In the fall, take one cutting of your
favorite wave, it will grow all winter, and in early spring, make your cuttings for the season.
Rudbeckia, AKA Black Eyed Susans. This is a flower bred from native American
species. Lovely sunset and fall colours on large stemmed daisies, with a long vauze life.
(I spell it like I say it!) Gold, yellow, mahogany, burgundy, banded, edged,
single and double. Be careful planting the tiny rod shaped seeds in coir,
nearly every one will come up! They are tiny at first, but soon grow as fast
as zinnias. I transplant in 3 inch pots and harden off. Both Zinnias and Rudbeckias
cheerfully re-seed. I grew the cherry coloured ones this year, Cherry Brandy.
Impatiens. So easy and plentiful to grow from seed. The tiny round seeds are
planted in coir. Germinates sporadically, but quickly and grows fast. I was transplanting
large seedlings, while others kept coming up! From 2 packages (One was Butterfly hybrids) I got so many seedlings I had to put 2 in a 3 inch pot. These bloom all season on the north side of the house.
Portulaca. I planted a pack last year and was jaw dropping stunned at the results.
These are not your grandma’s Rosey Moss. The hybridizers obviously were working on these.
The blooms were HUGE, double in indescribable jewel toned colours,
magentas, burgundies, salmons, reds, yellows.
Plant the tiny seeds in coir, not too thick, as germination is excellent. Transplant
as soon as can be handled. Cheerfully reseeds.
Malva sylvestris and zebrina. Try these Hollyhock relatives. Sprays or stalks of
delphinium coloured cuts in white striped, magenta, rose and true blue.
Some perennialize, others reseed. Plant the seeds in coir, I only wanted 6
seedlings this year. As soon as the large seedlings were up, they were potted
in 3 inch pots off to the porch. They loved it.
Some may say, it’s easier to plant a row of zinnia seeds in the garden,
sure you can do that and get healthy plants.
I like starting just what I need, and it’s fun to see
them at all stages under lights. A light stand is not expensive, it is an adjustable shelve
from Uline or Home Depot with a light fixture attached under one shelve to
light up the one below. Fixtures always on sale at Loews, etc. Get a bright cool
fixture with a pull chain, and you can even plug them in each other, for additional
shelves.
In a suburban yard like mine, there’s just so much room, and you inevitably
will buy new plants at the garden center. I like just planting what I need.
Happy Gardening.
Seeds and plants for trade/sell in the fall.
Photos:
Hardened sturdy Zinnias
Dozens of impatiens
Waves petunias, just transplanted and others 3 weeks old
Dollar store greenhouses with portulaca and still
germinating impatiens after transplanting dozens
Malva zebrina
