A 'false' winter

For the first time this year I thought I'd have a go at growing seeds this way. These are what I'm attempting......

Eremurus x Isabellinus (Foxtail lily)
Anthriscus Sylvestris 'Ravenswing'
Eryngium Alpinum (Superbum'
Adonis Vernalis
Gentiana Acaulis

With very little room in my fridge I started all but the Eremurus in a shady area of my garden some while back, but with the mild winter we've had I was beginning to lose hope of germination. I'd sown them per instructions in trays of soil then put them in sealable plastic bags. Having checked on those outside today there are signs of life, some of the Eryngiums are showing a week before they were due to be moved into the greenhouse. I must admit I'm chuffed, even though time is early and I'm yet to find out if the others will spring into life. Time will tell!

 

Nice one sheal x
Foxtail lily has been on my list for 2 yr but im yet to buy the bulbs,never thought about seed growing
Im liking the ravens wing a lot x

 

I always fancied the Raven's Wing but it did not grow for me.

 

Do you mean the plants or from seed Madahhlia?

 

Seed, but I think I'll have another go. The fridge is looking empty!

 

I use vermiculite in small (1" wide, 2" tall is the smallest, biggest is perhaps 2" wide x 3" tall - don't be fooled by size of this photo!) zip-lock bags.



can get loads of them into a Tupperware box in the fridge ... similar Tupperware boxes scattered around the house at 15C, 20C, 25C and 30C locations Labelled to indicate when to next "move" to a different temperature location:



I tried filter-paper / kitchen-paper in bags, didn't work for me, but I know that works well for others. I found it too hard to get the moisture level right, and didn't think there was enough air in there. Even when soaking wet (I try to avoid that of course ) the vermiculite still has plenty of air available. So I no longer do this:



http://kgarden.wordpress.com/tips/sowing-seeds-indoors/seed-germination-using-the-baggy-method/

 

This might surprise you Kristen, I don't use vermiculite for anything I grow including seeds and had no problems germinating with straight forward mpc. However, if I don't get a 50% success rate with the ones I have underway at the moment then I will try both the ways you have posted above.

A question or two.......Are they quicker to germinate when not using mpc/soil please? Also, how long do you leave them before transferring into mpc/soil?

 

My aim was to save you room for things you had in your fridge

I doubt it, much-of-a-muchness I would think. But much easier if you have things that are erratic to germinate - conventional sowing (e.g. in a pot) means that any emerging seedlings are seriously disturbed when their siblings are pricked out. Plus the space-saving in the fridge, and they don't dry out (more important for things that take months / years to germinate).

I transfer them when they chit - i.e. when I can see a root of some sort. Quite often that is an inch or so long, but when I then transfer those I find others that have only just "hatched" and transfer those too, putting the rest [the original seeds and Vermiculite mix] back in the zip-lock bag for "next time"

 

I find it easier to prick seedlings out as you are just lifting them. Losses are far lower.

 

Thanks Kristen and Longk,

I'll use your method in the future but I won't be growing anything else for this garden. I'm house hunting and on the island it could be a year before I find what I'm looking for.

 

How about some slow germinating seeds then? You could take them with you ... something with double dormancy perhaps?

e.g. Cornus florida urbiniana

http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/159.htm

 

P.S. Slight downside is that the last auction for those went for US $63.00 ... for FOUR seeds :(

 

@Kristen, you get me interested and then dash my hopes! That's an unusual plant though, I like the basket effect of the flowers/bracts.

There is no point really in me starting anything else off at this point. The reason I'm moving is to downsize my house plot which isn't that big now, front garden's 60x60ft, back garden's 60x30ft. I have health issues and am starting to struggle with the maintenance and that isn't going to get any better as time goes on. With downsizing it's going to be a case of how much garden I have to 'play' with and what's there already.

 

Sorry to hear that you are having to downsize.

Bonsai maybe? Always been impressed by people who can nurture them ... I;ve had a couple of little ones and killed them all through too much care ... and too little!

 

I can only spend a couple of hours working in the garden during the course of a day, I have two forms of arthritis, one of which restricts me quite a bit now, so no heavy work etc. I do need somewhere to potter though, that includes a greenhouse, so downsizing is the best way to go.

Sorry Kristen, not Bonsai, soooo boring and they're also potted plants which I'm not a lover of. Aren't they mostly indoor plants? I like a cottage garden style and hoping to downsize to half what I have now. Outside is where I need to be however big or small the garden, the thought of being shut indoors with a few houseplants would drive me nuts! I actually prefer growing to gardening but the two tend to go hand in hand.