Re: Learning seed propagation techniques...
Oh thanks Caron for your help... It's so much fun to explore how plants work,
especially when they actually grow in my garden!
Caron Rifici wrote:
> Allan-
> I would not advise using non sterile mix under any circumstances
> even after potting up. I have had large number of plants succumb
> to damping off even when I thought they were too big, too strong
> after potting up.
I was afraid you'd say that! I tried a flat of impatients in garden soil
once... Big mistake! Covered over in white-ish mold as they germinated. I
salvaged some by letting the flat dry out, but I'll never do that again.
> I have a friend who starts her slower growing perennials in October
> and they do bloom the first year due to longer growing time.
> I am here in Colorado - zone 5a ish. I would not start a full year before
> -if you have to winter them over anyway, why not just start that year
> and have a bunch of non-blooming transplants wintering over in the garden-
> or use 4" pots-they are too small for that long of a time period.
> My friends perennials end up in at least 6" pots.
Yes! This would spread the work out, avoid the one year wait for a bloom and a
decent sized plant. I'm thinking, for example, of these lavendula augustafolia
(English Lavender) seeds I bought which I read "6 wks @ 39ºF, move to 65ºF for
1-3 mths germ." (my seed germ. spreadsheet via Tom Clothier). I could put some
in the frig. in June/July, sow in Oct., put them in the "microgreenhouse" in
Jan. in 4 or 6 inch pots...
> I frequently start many seeds between 2 peices of wet newspaper
> on top of the fridge (constant warmth) and check them frequently
> for germination-They are all transplanted in 12" X 18" flats.
I've tried this with the not-so-tiny seeds... Like some Morning Glory a few
days ago. How do you handle the salt-grained-sized seeds and smaller? Can you
handle the little sprout on a toothpick or something and drop it onto some
sterile mix?
> These are only some ideeas-there are many others that work just as well.
Isn't that true! :-) And quite a few that don't work worth a d***! :-)
-Allan
--
Allan Anderson
Jardinage, Copper and Cedar Garden Art
3701 East Minnehaha Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55417
612-729-2285
http://www.visi.com/~response/jardinage.html
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