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Re: Languishing Seedlings

This is normal experience.  Both genera -- at least the nicer and more 
alpine members -- put an inordinate amount of their energy into root 
growth the first year.  Healthy seedlings seem to just sit there, but 
they normally roar off the second year.

You'll find that summer-blooming gentians [like G. septemfida and G. 
paradoxa] can produce one or two flowers the second year [ie, 15 months 
or so from germination], but really produce after that.  It's worth the 
wait, since these are so beautiful, and they are long-lived plants when 
happy. the little spring gentians [G.verna and allies] actually are a 
little faster off the dime, but they are not so permanent!

Drabas -- if they are winter-hardy for you, will also pay off over the years.


You're doing the right thing -- just be sure to harden the plants off as 
fall approaches.

Loren Russell, Corvallis, Oregon

On Sat, 19 Jul 1997, LNCrispell wrote:

> This Spring I started a number of species of Draba and Gentiana.  
> The germination was very good (Thanks, Rocky Mountain Rare Plants) and
> they were transplanted into cell packs with no problem.  Since that
> time, however, they simply have not taken off.
> 
> I've given them quarter strength Peters on a periodic basis with little
> noticeable results.  Now I'm afraid that they won't be large enough to
> take through the winter in a coldframe.  Any ideas??
> 
>
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