Congrats on returning VB seedlings! That's what I'm looking forward to NEXT year...LOL.

I tried indoor sowing on heat for earlier bloom. First try nada.

Read they might benefit from little chill in fridge or freezer to break dormancy. Sowed a 9 pack, chilled and then put on heat. Nada.

About a month ago I sowed some in the same large underbed container outside with Bachelor Buttons, Larkspur (7 sprouts finally) and Calendula. Voila...they germinated.

Thought I'd been very careful about how many little seeds I'd sown in a row. There's LOTS of them. Going to take a spoonful or two, separate them into cells and put under lights hoping for quicker growth which may be totally misguided but at least I'll have the outdoor sown ones to plant if indoor treatment fails.

I'm so happy to hear yours reseeded! I'm packing the beds this year so I can leave some bare soil for as much reseeding as possible.

Now you've got me hoping big time. :)

I hear ya Karen! I'm sure I'll be doing the same thing again this year too!
newbie_in_nj,
You might just be "hoping big time" that you don't get overrun by excessive reseeding (and work) if you introduce this to the garden!! It's really not a kind re-seeder I promise you that.

Vera's right- I need condolences, not congratulations. It is the single worst thing- most invasive- I have ever planted. I'd give anything to be rid of it.

I grew it for 2 years, last in 2007. I spent 2008 cullig out millions of volunteers with a hoe. These sprouting now have been in the garden soil for 2 years.

Karen

Is it possible someone could post a pic of the seedling for ID, Please??

Is that the Verbena "on a stick" plant? I have some sprouting and was gonna plant it but now I don't think I will. Maybe in a pot?

Sunny, mine reseeds, but it is certainly not the most invasive thing I ever planted. I have LONG list of those :)

Maybe it just really likes the north!

Lisa

My massive reseeder is purple perilla. Which I don't mind, since it just fills in all the empty spots I have.

Out of hundreds or thousands of seeds I wintersowed in the past couple of years, I got one Verbena B plant last year (from DS). Maybe it reseeded, and it can fight it out with my purple perilla.

My V bonariensis reseeds also, and I welcome it because the goldfinches love it and I love watching the antics of the goldfinches. Also, it blooms until frost kills it and it's a good "see through" plant because it blooms on tall, airy stems. Most of mine is in a bed all to itself but it will skip around and come up in unexpected places. I just leave it. This is one of my favorite plants.

Stage Rat...purple perilla...oh yeah!

Lisa

I liked the verbena when I had it- it's very pretty. It just seeds way too much, and for years to come. Those tiny seeds blow far and away and pop of everywhere. Now 2 years since I've grown them, they are literally carpeting some of my beds. Much of my time today was again spent removing them with my circle hoe. Unfortunately I ended up taking out some desireable volunteers, too.
Karen

Yeah it does get tiresome having to deal with the millions of babies that return....*like a carpet*
Like Karen, I haven't purposely planted out any seedlings since 2005 and 4 years later I'm still dealing with the seed bank. I have been allowing a manageable few to grow here and there since then also, but I get them out before seed sets....it's just too ridiculous.
Amaranthus 'Intense Purple' is next to be a goner. I hate to eliminate something so pretty but my ol' back can't hack it anymore!! Besides I'd rather enjoy my garden more than hump my *ss off keeping up with these 2 thugs :)

Vera

I'm with ya Vera! I haven't grown the intense purple but LLB did that for me. Last year tried amaranth Pygmy Torch. They were a flop- most didn't get past 4 or 5". I'm trying a few this year again.

Another wild reseeder for me is my dwarf cosmos. I'd hate to eliminate them but they're coming up everywhere, too. I didn't even sow any this year because I knew I'd have so many volunteers. Sure enough, they're showing up. I'm going to have to yank them earlier.

I have a LOT of rudbeckia volunteers this year, too. Will make a point to cut those back early this year, too.

Karen

My VB does reseed, but it's not to the point of being a "carpet". I would describe it as one of the heavier reseeders though (along with Cleome, Cilantro, Dill, etc.) Agastache foeniculum is the worst reseeder ever so far.

OhSIlly, here is a pic of a VB seedling -
{{gwi:382661}}

Doesn't re-seed enough for me. I do like to harvest the seeds. It's not on my list for heavy re-seeders.

Larkspur - another story. This would shock those who can't grow it.

I have missed it the last 2 years, I thought it might self-sow but it didn't. I sowed it this year and I hope I get some sprouts soon. The monarch butterflies just love this plant, and I love growing it.

Mary

Thank you Terrene, unfortunately it did not reseed for me - but I do have a batch in a jug along with cleome.