"easiest" plant growing and hardest challenge

What has been the easiest-to-grow plant you have experienced? And... what has been your most difficult plant challenge?

I've only been gardening a little while but my easiest plant so far has been tomato (gardener's delight). Basil sprouted a little faster than it, but they seem to be doing the best so far with the least tramas :hehe: They are still only small though - nowhere near large enough to fruit.

My biggest challenge so far is to germinate passion flower from seed. I've heard some can be very difficult so I took up the challenge. At the moment I've had nothing, except for some in one pot got mould :( I don't want to give up yet though, I've heard they can take ages to germinate (I would be appreciative of any tried and tested germination tips).

Your plant challenge could be anything, it doesn't have to be germination.

 

Hi jw universe. I am pleased to see you having a go at some more difficult seeds.

I don't have any direct experience of or information on Passion Flower seeds. But from a quick Google you may have to soak the seeds for 2 or 3 days, and you may also have to cold stratify - ie give them a cold treatment.

I normally like to sow seeds in a heated propagator, especially if they are plants from a warmer climate. I think the key to many seeds is to understand under what conditions they would germinate in their native habitat. And warmth seems a natural thing for more exotic plants. I normally sow only part of the packet, so if there is a disaster I can have another go. I water the pot or seed tray before sowing, then sow and cover to prevent loss of moisture. Then rather than watering, I like to spray them every other day or so with a dilute copper compound. This replaces the moisture that has been lost, and is a more gentle method than watering. Also the copper compound is an antifungal agent and helps to keep mould at bay - don't let the compost get too wet.

I had some seeds that wouldn't germinate this year, so I put a few on a piece of damp (with copper compound) kitchen roll inside a sealed polythene bag. This can be a useful method of germinating seeds without compost. Once germinated you remove them and place them in contact with compost in a pot. But in the case of these, they developed mould inside the bag inspite of the antifungal spray. As there was no compost the only place the mould could have come from was the seed itself. So it was clear that the seed was not viable and would never germinate.

Virtually all annuals will germinate very easily. They depend on this for their survival. The fastest I know is Kochia, which often germinates within 24 hours. The worst for me this year, was Isoplexis sceptrum, which took 71 days. The really difficult thing about these are that they are so small that you can hardly see them, so you can't cover them. The instructions with them said that they could take more than a year to germinate. How can you keep them at the right level of moisture for a year, and prevent algae growing over them and smothering them. Luckily it didn't take that long.

 

I agree with Peter on most points there, regarding the passion flower, but they do come from various climates and it helps to know where your particular one comes from regarding germination, and also growing on.

I'm not personally convinced by seed companies claims that a certain plant may take a year or more to germinate, I tend to think its a ploy to get us wasting our time sowing non viable seed, which they are selling.
But having said that I do know there are a few odd ones that can take a while to "come up", and require special treatment.

The most difficult plant that I have grown has got to be Clianthus formosus, but Embothrium coccineum is coming a close second.

 

Proteas, Embothrium, Dyckia and Caesalpinia Pulcherima are the ones I have found most difficult to grow, not necessarilly germinate. I still try them as I like a challenge.:D

 

I grabbed mine from a passion fruit that I bought in the supermarket. Since I bought it mainly to eat, if it doesn't germinate it's no financial loss to me at least :D However, I still really want it to grow, just so I can say I grew it from seed - I really like passion flowers.

 

Good on you jw. Its always worth a try. I have grown lemon and orange trees from pips from fruit.

As far as difficult plants are concerned. I think there are three categories 1) seeds that are difficult to germinate. 2) tender plants that are difficult to overwinter - many don't like cold damp greenhouses. and 3) plants that you can get to grow, but which are difficult to get to flower in this country.

 

If it came from supermarket fruit its probably Passiflora edulis, you know the seed are fresh, so I'm sure they will germinate with some heat.

 

Easiest to germinate - Nasturtiums, which grow anywhere. And Borage which self seeds at will and springs up with narry a care.

Hardest to grow - Ikea house plants! They look wonderful in the store and die within a few weeks of getting them home. Well for me anyway, so now I breeze past them in the shop, straight to the check out!

 

IT'S GERMINATATED!... A single one has germinated... uh oh a single one, now onto my next challenge; to keep it alive! I like a challenge but I hope it's easier than germinating them.

 

Congratulations jw - you are now a dad. :D

There is something much more exciting about growing your own seeds - than just buying a plant.

 

I don't think I have anything which, for me, stands out as being the 'easiest' to grow, but without doubt the most difficult has been mint. Yes, I did say mint! Every year for about 27 years, my Dad dug up huge healthy clumps, (partly to try and get rid of it, partly to give me some) and every year I'd plant them and without fail, every year it would all die. After Dad died a couple of years ago, with nothing to go with my lamb and home grown veggies, I bought an 'on its last legs' little plant from the supermarket - for which I paid the princely sum of 20p., - and stuck it on the windowsill. Having picked off most of its sad little shoots, I watched the remainder shrivel so in a fit of pique I literally threw it out the back door in disgust and promptly forgot all about it. Last year however, it bravely popped up it's head and grew into a fairly respectable plant so I chopped it in two and put one lot in a container - already this year I've had 4 or 5 'pickings'.

So, all in all, it took me 29 years to actually manage to grow mint. Is this a record? :hehe:

 

I find weeds the easiest to grow:o, I have had a lot of luck with penstamon, especially propergating from cuttings, they seem to go mad!

as for hardest, I agree with Aaron, although not just Ikea houseplants, all houseplants die as soon as they enter my house!!!

 

I've had the same cyclamen, in flower, for over 8 years - of course that could be something to do with the fact that it's actually artifical :lollol:

 

I think the easiest plant to grow from seed must be the Welsh poppy, since I now have it scattered around the garden despite the fact that I never sowed any seed and my neighbour can't remember doing so either! However, I don't mind as I think it is rather beautiful.

I think you're right about Ikea house plants, Aaron. Perhaps, as with so many Ikea products, they lack essential components. Roots, perhaps.

 

Easiest to grow?

Flippin' 'orrible spreading BAMBOO ! Its fiendish spikes are coming up everywhere in my garden. They refuse to be pulled out or dug out..... and no, I didnt plant it.... my next door neighbour did ! I rest my case.