RE: self-seeding

You know, all this discussion about self-seeders prompted a memory for me.  I had trouble getting nigella to grow (years ago).  The solution I finally came upon, and now practice with all recalcitrant seeds is to buy PLANTS of what I want to reseed, set the plants out, and let the PLANTS go to seed.  I think many plants are like stubborn children (or grown ups?!) and want to do things their own way in their own time.  It has worked pretty well for me to date to start the progression of reseeding.

-----Original Message-----
From: AWarner [a*@charter.net]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 1:25 AM
To: perennials@hort.net
Subject: Re: self-seeding


I cannot get foxgloves to self seed in my garden, in fact I have trouble
growing them from seed.  But down the street, my neighbor has the very same
foxgloves which germinate everywhere, all by themselves.

I wonder if the little seedlings coming up where I had an expensive, fancy
verbena (the almost prostrate kind) last summer are verbena?  I can't find a
picture of them anywhere--is it likely?

I have a little pamphlet type book identifying seedlings--are there pictures
anywhere on the net?

Judy Warner
----- Original Message -----
From: <ECPep@aol.com>
To: <perennials@hort.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: self-seeding


> In a message dated 5/30/02 11:45:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> bhayes@catskill.net writes:
>
> << Here's another example of the mystery of Mother Nature:  in my garden I
>  have never had Cleome seed itself, nor Verbena Bonariensis either,
>  though others think them invasive.  I even have trouble growing them
>  from seed. >>
>
> Isabelle,
>
> Being up the river from you, we must have a somewhat similar climate and
> environment for seedling.
>
> Cleome makes it here about three years out of four germination being quite
> late in the season, near the end of June.  Makes sense for us to buy
plants
> or start it indoors.
>
> Verbena bonariensis is name for Buenos Aires where it is a weed.  I
learned
> that this past winter when I discovered this planted loved here is not
much
> respected there.
>
> V. bonariensis self seeds in droves when the fall weather allows it to
mature
> seed.  If we have one of those September 15 frost, the seedlings will be
few
> or none.  If the plant is allowed to mature the seed, the seedlings are
> numerous.
>
> The first year I grew this plant,I paid around 5.00 per single 4 inch pot
and
> looked all over NY and CT for it on trips.  Then it became common here and
> little cheaper, in six packs.  One summer day, it germinates, also in
June,
> outdoors, I was yanking out hundreds of them when a friend informed me I
was
> removing the the very seedlings I was complaining about being missing.
The
> seedlings are not distinguished in appearance.
>
> So, maybe you have to wait into June and note that V. bonariensis
seedlings
> look like weeds of several kinds they grow along with.  It helps with both
of
> these plants to remove the mature seed and scratch it into the soil where
it
> has grown so the next year you will have an idea what the germinating
plants
> might be.
>
> Verbena bonariensis can also be kept over in pots in cellar windows cut
back
> and watered very little.  They are perennials. Nicotiana alata can be
treated
> the same way.  I have N. alata in bloom here now as it is also a
perennial.
> For me some seed (and there is an awful lot of seed) got into the older
> concrete foundation of the my house and the warmth (well it must be
warmth)
> of the walls keeps these plants alive as perennials.  They bloom with
early
> iris.  A second wave come on from seeds dropped everywhere, also
germinating
> outdoors in mid-June, and bloom in late summer, the more normal process
here.
>
> I found a miniature cleome this year, purple flowers and about 20 inches
> high. Has anyone grown that?  Full of questions today, I wonder if anyone
has
> grown morning glories up shrubs successfully.
>
> Self-seeders are the most reliable annuals. This year, beside the armies
of
> feverfew and tancetum niveum there are poppies of every kind everywhere,
> Nicotiana, Viola, Dianthus deltoides, Lychnis coronaria, the Lychnis
called
> German catchfly, Hostas, Thlaspi, Corydalis, larkspur, Digitalis, Cosmos,
> several kinds of Rudbeckia, borage,and more I must have missed. The second
> wave of germination is in mid-June.
>
> How many have cultivated a large and handsome weed  until able to identify
it
> as a weed in the garden?
>
> Claire Peplowski
> NYS z4
>
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