Off Topic - Seedling Experiment Gone Wrong

PegMc · 2023-02-08T00:27:14+00:00

I'd collected seed from: NTAC Eileen, Burlesca, FC Copper, FC Illusion, Mak's Marshall, Marionberry Milkshake, Milena Fleur, Mingus Leroy T, Mystique, Pean...

Bessie

Darce nice poppies! As to the "right" forum, it's a tricky question I'm unqualified to answer, but happy to see the photos. ☺️ But your question reminds me that sometimes it's a fine line that separates a seedling experiment gone wrong, with a seedling surprise that's "gone right". Note the first post in this thread, describing Dahlia seedlings that "survived". I once in my teens threw out soil, into the garden, that had violet seeds that never germinated("gone wrong"). Was I ever surprised a few months later to see tiny violet seedlings in the area I dumped the soil! Later I found out violet seeds needed cold stratification in order to germinate. Bringing this back to Dahlias, when I see "apparently good" Dahlia seeds not germinate I always question and research what I might be missing.

Darce

Bessie
Oh I have done the ol dump the never grew seed tray into the compost heap / a year later why are there lilies/etc growing out of of the compost heap many times!
Speaking of seeding adventures and dahlias tho - I noticed this year lots of growers were offering seeds. I missed my chance at coseytown’s seed sale but I got some seed packets from rivers,a collerette mix from Lobaugh’s, floret, and a bloomquist mix of seeds. I have my saved seeds from my dahlias too so I am excited to see what pops up from all this genetic diversity! Especially from these amazing hybridisers. It will of course be mostly singles but I love bees and the bees love those the best.

Bessie

Darce Sounds like you're selecting for cold hardiness 😁! How long did it take for the Rose seeds to germinate?

Darce

Bessie

I winter sowed cause that’s my jam! Put them out in January and in may they were starting to emerge. I pricked them out into a plug tray probably in June and they were chunky little plantlets by autumn. I made a amateurish mini hoop house out of a bent cattle panel and some row covering fleece so we will see if they made it thru the winter

Darce

I am particularly excited about the rivers and Lobaugh’s dahlia seeds but I am really wanting to get Coseytown seeds next year

Bessie

Darce I wanted Coseytown seeds too 😢, but wasn't paying close enough attention to the opening date. I had my eye on the dahlia varieties that are reported to make seed. I've grown lots of open center dahlias seeds, from seed packets and my own saved seeds. I've vowed next year to strictly follow the advice of Teddahlia . No open center dahlias within bee pollinating range of the fully double dahlias, since I'm aiming for fully double dahlia seed.

Darce

Bessie
You will have to share pics of your double successes!

Juliarugula

I love winter sowing too, but you do have to be prepared for some losses. I find the worst situation in winter sowing is when you have a good warmer period towards the end of winter. Not really a problem if you are starting perennials, but tender annuals will sprout and then be killed when the temperature drops again. (Sometimes, not always). So anyhow, I tend to avoid it for anything precious. But it’s great for anythingI would normal just toss into the garden by the packet-ful. (And totally the way to go for most perennials)

calico20hill

Juliarugula I have done winter sowing ever since i first read about it and had some successes but not so good last year. I especially like it for things like delphinium/larkspur that want a cool start. It did not work for me on the New Zealand Hybrid Delphs last year for some reason, but I am ready to try again. My new seeds just arrived this week, Any clues on what could have gone wrong last year? Also, I thought poppies did not like their roots disturbed so how do they handle transplanting from the jug? I have a package of Amazing Grays that I would love to get growing. Have you done well with all the poppies? Should I start my California Poppies this way? I seem to really like the different poppies ☺

calico20hill

Teddahlia I grew petunias from purchased seeds last year for the first time and they were wonderful. I did not try collecting seeds from them but did take some cuttings before the first hard freeze up and am watching them carry on in my greenhouse. Collecting seeds would be a fun thing to try with them this year. It is so hard choosing among the ones offered I want to grow them all! (I have a problem with this with every thing I successfully grow!)

Krista

calico20hill Oh I am so glad you're asking about poppies - I'm tuned in. I bought a few varieties of a few types of poppies but I'm petrified to try them. I've also read varying directions about sowing directly or starting indoors so I hope to hear more about what's worked for others here.

Juliarugula

calico20hill

Krista

I’ve wintersown poppies twice. Both times they were Shirley poppies (I’ve never tried California or Iceland). One year, they did amazing, and no trouble with transplant either. The second year, nothing came up at all. 🤷‍♀️

I always use the “hunk of seedlings” transplant method where you just tear the mass of roots apart into little bits and plant them in the ground. Honestly, I’m pretty violent in my tearing and not very attentive with my hole digging. And I usually try to plant right before a rain so I don’t have to water. I remember being particularly rough when I planted the poppies because I was in a hurry. So they can take a lot of abuse.

AKWindWatcher

Somehow I got onto a site yesterday called PlantGem and was directed to some random survey. According to them, cosmos are my "spirit flower" so now I need to grow cosmos. I have a friend sending me some of her favorite seeds.

Krista

AKWindWatcher I do love cosmos, I’m happy you’ve found a seed sharing friend. Normally, white isn’t a color I’m excited about when it comes to my companion plants but I just couldn’t get enough of this cosmos-corner last summer. It was a seed from some blend from Territorial a few years back.

JessE

AKWindWatcher I ordered two different cosmost from Baker's Creek... Japanese Kiro and Apricotta... I'm hoping they do well!

edewitt

Krista I grew that one from seed last year as well. It's Double Click Snow Puff I had one plant that was single blooms and the other was doubles and bloomed so much I had to tie it to a few stakes I'd placed around the base.

calico20hill

I got those 2 also. Keeping a small cutting garden while growing an extensive selection of cut flowers means that I really shouldn't plant more then about 3 plants of each one. That is hard to do!I have multiple varieties of cosmos for summer...I could open a cosmos shop, LOL.Happy Ring is my new one for this year.

Krista

edewitt Oh Double Click Snow Puff; is that what this one is called?! I am squirreling this into my notes immediately. I actually emailed Territorial last summer to find out if there was any possibility that saving seed could guarantee seeing this one again; you probably already know how that went, and I learned. I had the same experience with growth habit - it was voracious. Planted in the raised bed behind, it completely overtook the green pot which was full of zinnias that hadn't bloomed yet and was constantly draped over that little fence. It was a floriferous beast from the moment it began to bloom. And I loved it.

edewitt

That's at least the one I grew and it looks pretty close to the same. My plant got about 2-2.5' tall and spread out about the same. Completely covered one of my bee balm plants so I hope that comes back this year since it was pretty scraggly at the end of the season.

Krista

edewitt Yours is lovely, and I think you’re right about the ID, yours looks quite like mine did. It’s hard to choose the right spot when planting out from a seed blend and before blooms arrive, so this is very helpful, thank you. I do hope your bee balm returns this year too.

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