My 'free' RHS seeds ...

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by JWK, Feb 20, 2012.

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  1. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Thanks Ziggy.

    The 3 sedge seed packets I've got are:
    Carex muskingumensis, bright green to 75cms
    Carex secta, Evergreen, tussock forming to 130cms
    Carex testacea (orange New Zealand sedge), green to bronze leaves, to 45cm.
     
    JWK, Feb 21, 2012
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  2. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    I've just goggled Cocks Foot Grass and it wasn't the one I was thinking of.

    The one I was picturing is about 4 inches tall with brown flower spikes, 3 lobed and drooping, grows on grazed sandstone soils:chicken:

    Going to have to look right thru the books now:DOH:
     
    Phil A, Feb 21, 2012
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  3. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Hmmm, can't think what that is Ziggy :scratch:
     
    JWK, Feb 21, 2012
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  4. Phil A

    Phil A Guest

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    Had a look but of course its not flowering yet, just looks like a clump of muppet hair. Will pot some up tommorow.
     
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      Phil A, Feb 24, 2012
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    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      I'm thinking of trying some grasses seeds this coming seed sowing season.

      Wondering if you had much success John, and if you have any favourites amongst those that came up?
       
      Kristen, Oct 7, 2012
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    • JWK

      JWK Gardener Staff Member

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      I got 18 different grass seed packets from the RHS, 12 of them germinated and most have been successful. One or two I only managed to get a few seedlings and they didn't thrive but overall the effect has been OK. I will move some of them around a bit and split up/propogate some of my favourites in the spring, so this is what it looks like today:
      IMG_7202.JPG
      The brown dead looking grass towards the bottom left is supposed to look like that, it's a bronze Carex I was given from someone at work. The other brown dead grass towrads the middle right is Briza maxima (greater quaking grass), which is the only Annual I grew and I guess I'll have to collect seed from it for next year, it had been quite nice until it went brown, this is it close up:
      IMG_7190 Briza Max.JPG
       
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        JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

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        My favourites are:
        IMG_7188 Stipa Ten.JPG
        Stipa tenuissima (Mexican feather grass). I grew a few clumps of this, it was probably the easiest to grwo from seed. It would probably look better if I had massed all the clumps together.


        IMG_7192 Oryzopsis miliacea.JPG
        Oryzopsis miliacea, H., ornamental grass, to 1.5m. Sorry for the poor photo, it's quite a fine grass and has made a big clump in its first 6 months.



        IMG_7199 Eragrostis curvula.JPG
        Eragrostis curvula (African love grass), H., ornamental grass, 1.2m
         
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          JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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        • JWK

          JWK Gardener Staff Member

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          I grew three Carex's, (one didn't germinated) the remainder are a bit too low growing and have been swamped by the bigger grasses:

          IMG_7191 Carex Musk.JPG
          Carex muskingumensis, H., bright green to 75cms

          IMG_7198 Carex testacea.JPG
          Carex testacea (orange New Zealand sedge), H., green to bronze leaves, to 45cm
           
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            JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            Thanks John, very encouraging, I'll press on with plan A then!

            Pheasant grass perhaps? Saw quite a lot of that in gardens this summer, not aware I'd seen it before, but I thought it looked nice, so I was planning to give it a crack

            I think Briza media in a hardy perennial, if you wanted to try that instead (and assuming it looks something similar!). Its on my list to try ...
             
            Kristen, Oct 7, 2012
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            All were sown on the 1st April then planted out the 1st July. Really they needed planting out sooner but I hadn't prepared the bed for them by then. They do grow fast once germinated.

            As I say, next year I'll re-arrange them to better effect and may even get a few more free seeds again this year.
             
            JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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          • JWK

            JWK Gardener Staff Member

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            I tried two sowings of this in April but both lots failed, not sure what I did wrong (the RHS send a quite comprehensive list of germination requirements which I tried to follow)
             
            JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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          • Kristen

            Kristen Under gardener

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            The instructions I have (Plant World Seeds) says: "Sow at any time, in a well-lit position, into a good, soil-based compost. Cover seeds thinly and keep moist at around 15 degrees C or 60 degrees F. Some New Zealand species can be very slow indeed and may need cooler temperatures before they will come up. Grass seedlings should be potted on and grown on singly, or in clumps for more rapid establishment of a large specimen."

            I'm reckoning to sow them on arrival, and then put the pan in the greenhouse and forget about it (other than checking it is moist) until the spring.
             
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              Kristen, Oct 7, 2012
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            • JWK

              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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              Maybe I should have started them a bit earlier than 1st April too.
               
              JWK, Oct 7, 2012
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