help with cleome from seed..wont germinate

beaniebeagle

16 years ago

any suggestions to help get cleome to germinate?

i am getting less than 5% germination

i know they can be a little slow, but this is disappointing

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Comments (8)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
16 years ago
Like many native plants they need fluctuating temperatures. Direct sow in the fall or direct sow when temperatures day times are warm and cool off at night. Germination is from 10 to 20 days. Al
alley
16 years ago
I read that they need some cold first. The thing I was reading said to put in the fridge for about a week or 2. I winter sowed mine (and didn't put in the fridge) and I think every seed germinated. Hope that helps.
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How I grew the seeds: I planted them in trays outside. The trays were only taken in if a freeze was threatened. Burned in my memory is an old book on germination which discussed how some plants need significant weather fluctuations to germinate. It discussed Cleomes as it's prime example. Maryland and some other states call them invasive. So I guess if you can simulate the swings in Maryland's winter/spring temperatures you could get success. 715Rose 's point is excellent. I have two groups of cleomes grown from seed. One, the classic Queen cleome ; the second are seeds from the new Sparkle which is thorn-less. I plucked the seeds off a Sparkle plant, so my seeds are not the first generation of this F1, so will see if they produce thorns or not. Incidentally the young plants apparently grow slowly like pentas. Here is a link that might be useful: Sparkle This post was edited by bugbite on Sun, May 26, 13 at 15:53
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Seedings won't grow?
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To answer some of the questions above. Last year I installed some of the windows and now I'm remembering the seedlings didn't grow exactly that well last year against those new windows but ok, but I also remember that the weather was nicer and the windows were open more so that UV blocking wasn't as much as this year with the additional windows. Last year the tomatoes were in the old windows without UV blocking and grew fine. I think that the new thermal pane windows are the issue. Anyone here grow tomatoes/veggies/flowers in thermal/solar windows and are successful? I do have a cold frame that I can put together today and get them out there. I just thought that it was much warmer and sunny in the house compared to the cold frame and that they would grow better indoors than out, but I can see that I'm wrong now. Talonstorm, thanks for the offer on the tomato seedlings, but I only grow the Long Keeper variety in the house as you can't find them locally as plants, they store well into April for me so I plant them a lot. I normally buy all my other tomatoes so no problem purchasing. Yes, the second planting was a different bag and "type" of seed starter soil but both manufactured by Ferry-Morse. It's hard to believe that both bags would act the same. First batch I used bottled water, second batch I also added a little Captan. I'm going to run another test with tomato seeds in the house, in the cold frame, and outdoors. Just to prove the soil, water, and UV issues. Am I also wrong in starting to dislike these water retention soil mixes as they seem to never dryout quickly and may cause fungus problem that I didn't see before. This year's seedlings were not planted in water retention mix, just old fashion seed starter mix. Thanks for all the replies! Bob P.
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Cleome -- what did I do wrong?
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Columbines flower their second year, so you shouldn't expect any flowers this year. Their season is basically over; just let the foliage stay on and die out naturally, which they will do without any intervention or fault from you. They are done here in Zone 5, and we flower later than you. For us, cleomes flower naturally in August. Since you started them inside, you've sped up their flowering cycle. They may or may not re-flower. The summer is longer for you, so once you've dead-headed, give it some time to grow again. But, they are annuals, which mean don't be surprised if they don't. I hope you saved the seeds to spread in the garden for next year's crops. They self seed so readily that it's easier than starting indoors. Alternatively, start them later, like late April.
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Somewhat off topic but my seeds won't sprout!
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Looking in my 2007-2008 winter-sow database I sowed Heuchera on 12/22 and I had germination by 4/6. They weren't really slow to germinate but growth rate was VERY slow. By the time I transplanted them into individual containers to grow on they were still extremely tiny to work with. I didn't even get them planted into the garden until late September. Here is some pictures of progress; remember they started germination on April 6th! May 24th same day they were transplanted to these pots: June 12th June 26th November 6th
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vera_eastern_wa
15 years ago
I did mine the wintersow method on Mar. 24th and by Apr. 17th I had about 60 percent germination...a few more popped up afterwards :D

Vera
sergeantcuff
15 years ago
I never could get cleome to germinate. I finally just bought some plants and they reseeded aggressively.
macthayer
15 years ago
I have never been able to get Cleome to germinate indoors (Like Al, I think my temperatures were too constant.) I finally just threw the seeds into the garden last March, and they came up all over the place. Go figure. Guess they thrive on neglect. MacThayer
ginny12
15 years ago
They definitely seem to need cold to germinate. I had great luck with them when I sowed early indoors in late winter--and bad luck indoors in mid-spring. Cold is the secret to germination, I think.
enjoy
15 years ago
If you were close, you could have mine! They are everywhere in my garden now! Made the mistake of planting them last year. Right up there with forget-me-nots on the list of self sown weeds as far as I am concerned.
User
15 years ago
The secret is constant moisture.
I threw some seed last summer (in the middle of June) into a self watering pot, small, already had basil growing in it just to see what would happen.
Forgot about them, and about a week later, I had huge spider flowers getting bigger than the basil.
My friend took them home and planted them in her sunny bed under her kitchen window, they grew 5 feet tall.
Just keep them constantly wet, or get a self watering container from Walmart for about 8.00 and plant the seed in that.
I don't have any more self watering containers left, I got rid of mine because I didn't like them.
Great for starting seed in though.
Good Luck!

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help with cleome from seed..wont germinate

Comments (8)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9

alley

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