gladzoe, how long did your Datura take to sprout. Mine take anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks. They are just the regular white Datura.

Datura stramonium La Fleur Lilac is a datura that acts like a weed in my garden, if I don't cut back some of the thorn apple seed heads in the fall, I will have hundreds come up the following spring. They are the easiest out of the datura's to sow, they are also very easy to direct sow or wintersow.

The other Daturas like D. metel need to be started indoors and are sometimes finicky to germinate, especially the doubles.

Sharon

Here is a link that might be useful: Datura is a genus of nine species

Sharon, it is good to know they re-seed. I'm thinking of doing a little guerrilla gardening this year at the vacant house down the street and they will be better than the regular weeds.

stanly, my white daturas are taking a little longer to sprout than the La Fleur Lilac ones which sprouted in a few days. All of them were soaked in water overnight in my warm cupboard before being planted on the heat mat. I had them all surface sowed, but then dumped the bunch and scooped them back into the containers. I don't know which are the Belle Blanc and which are the burger king ones I found last fall, although they might be the same thing for all I know. At first I was distinguishing based on the seed pod attached to the sprout, but now I see the white ones have a hairy stem and different leaf while the purple are smooth. Yesterday I bought the golden queen along with another shop light. I tried the yellow double last year but it never flowered. Since that was such a weird summer I figured it was worth another try.

On a side note, I decided to dig up the dahlias that were parked in the laundry room area of the basement. It is probably around 17 in there, instead of the 5 or so in the pantry, but the roots just left in the dirt and rarely, if ever, watered are plump and healthier looking than any I have made the effort to store.

I have done about 8 flats wintersowing. The temperatures here will be about 8C by mid week with lots of rain. Hope that doesn't hurt my planting any. I'm going to go out and pile some more snow on top but also put some plywood on top of the flats so they don't get water logged.
Inside, I have Brachycomb, petunias & some gazanias up. I already had the ROS, geraniums & Hibiscus from last year. I had received some dahlias in a trade and just decided to plant them. Now I have about 10 of them up. I think it may have been to early but I still have some seeds left so I will plant them later. By the way, has anyone ever w/s Japanese Maples? Marg

I see a sprout or two in my begonia tray!!

Am I too late to start Begonia Show Angels? How do they stand up to the wind, and is morning sun enough for them? Also, will Nasturtiums stand up to lots of sun & heat, namely against a south facing brick wall?

I think you'd be fine to start the show angels. Do you have a heat mat? It speeds up the germination considerably. They might bloom a little later, July-Frost. Just save the tubers should any develop to get a head start next year. I took mine inside and stuck them under lights until November and when I dug them up they were nice, firm and healthy. I also had luck cutting the tops off my non-stops and rooting them in water. I'm curious to see if they grow tubers this summer.

Ok! Good to know, thanks! No, I don't have a heat mat but maybe if I set the seed trays on a shelf directly above another set of grow lights that will be enough heat. Are you saying you keep them under your lights through the winter or do they die back and have a rest period and then go under the lights?

I had one window box which I dug up in November and stored them in an envelop in my cold pantry. Since they didn't get killed by frost, the ones I dug up had their tops cut off at the soil level and the tops were stuck in water. Most of them have rooted and my hope is they will develop tubers this summer. I have left a few bulbs in terra cotta pots because they just keep sending up new growth and look very happy in the windows. Considering I had 13 plants from a $3 pack of seeds, while the garden centre's, ask $4 for one, I can afford to experiment.

I read in the stokes catalogue that a warm overhead light helps begonia's germinate.

Has anybody been planting anything lately? Thanks to a snow day Thursday, I got my petunias, statice, dahlias and other slow growers planted and under lights (Need more lights - time for another plant stand) and I got 14 milk jugs of assorted perennials put outside on Saturday. That was a beautiful day - +3 - then it was back into wind chills and poor visibility yesterday. -25 this morning, again. I hope spring comes soon and stays. We've been having to bring the youngest baby calves into the barn to warm them up and get the crusted snow off them. BRRRR!
Connie

I agree with needing more grow lights. I have petunias, snaps, salvia, hen and chicks (which I bought on a whim)and peppers up. Just did some lobelia and shooting stars today. I have no idea where I'm going to put all the tomatoes that I have planned for this year. But if it doesn't start getting nice soon the house is going to be a jungle. Maybe it will force (encourage)the hubby to help me figure out how to heat the greenhouse cheaply. Cheryl

Cheryl, I'm sure glad you mentioned snaps. I forgot to plant mine - the seed is still sitting there! I get to play in the dirt again tonight.
Connie

I want to do some wintersowing but heck it was -30 last night!!!! It's suppose to be mild this weekend and I got the weekend off, I guess I'll start with some perennials then.

I'll be taking cuttings soon from the Petunias, I need 100 of them ;)

Sharon

Yeah, it's cold out. -40 in the low places here this morning. I managed to sneak mine out on Saturday when we had a bit of a warm spell. I hope they were't too shocked when the temperature plunged again.
Connie

Today I managed to get started on some of my wintersowing since it was a nice mild day today.

Lathyrus vernus alboroseus
ASCLEPIAS purpurascens
Asclepias hirtella
Anacyclus depressus
Rudbeckia triloba

and I sowed Datura meteloides indoors.

Sharon

My seeds have finally arrived so i'm definitely late with some things! Today i sowed petunias, Primetime Red and Primetime White. Some will be for me and some will be for the school, whose colours are red and white. Hope they zip along so that i can be taking cuttings too in a month or so!

Of course, i forgot to bring in another bag of seed-starting mix and am now waiting on that to thaw out so that i can do some more sowing. :)

I got my second wind this evening and just finished sowing...
Indoors
Cyperus eragrostis Wind Dancer
Pennisetum setaceum Fountain Grass
Coleus blumei Chocolate Mint
Coleus Coral Sunrize Wizard
Coleus Kong Red

WS
Oxytropis splendens Showy Locoweed

Spring is in the air!

Sharon

I did the rest of my petunias today - the mix thawed out! Also sowed:
Impatiens Punch Mix
Impatiens Tempo Butterfly
Melinus 'Savannah'
Stipa 'Ponytails'
The aforementioned Mesenbryanthemum

I'll be doing some more WS tomorrow.

Today I WS'd
Oxytropis lambertii Purple Locoweed
Phacelia sericea 08
Primula cortusoides 05
Verbena hastata Blue Vervain 08

Sharon

Last year I got two sprouts from my blue flag iris seeds. So I put the baggie back in the fridge for the winter. I took it out a few days ago and already most of them have popped out roots!!

I WSed yellow flag iris last year but got nothing from them. I have the rest of the seeds soaking right now and was planning on indoor sowing them to see if i have better luck with them. I did leave that container outside, and maybe they'll sprout this spring - we'll see.

Today, I went to Lloyd to pick up a few supplies and I usually buy the big bales of Sunshine #4, however instead I'm trying the smaller compressed 2 Cu. Ft bales of PRO-MIX Potting & Seeding Mix that is suppose to be equivalent to the 4 Cu. Ft bales. Cheaper too.

So today, I did some cuttings on some Tidal Waves, transplanted the Bacopa and gave everything a good fertilized drink today.

Oh yeah, I also took a look down in the pumphouse today, I see some growth happening on some Lilies that I bought late last fall too, as well I think there are some daffodils that are putting up lots of green growth. I probably go down there tomorrow and bring those up indoors.

Sharon

You absolutely amaze me!!!!! I can only imagine how vast your gardens must be. I really think you would put the gardens in the magazines to shame. I hope some day to even have a quarter of what you must have. Cheryl

Ahhh, thanks Cheryl ;)

Today I sowed indoors...
Oryza sativa Black Madras Ornamental Grass (last year my cat ate the seedlings!)
Panicum violaceum Panic Grass
These will go in the whiskey barrels later.

Sharon

Got home to find my seedlings have been watered with a watered down vinegar spray. I never know what I'm going to come home to find my mother has done to my babies. Hopefully most of them are acid tolerating plants.

Sharon, I've been trying to get my cat to eat grass - not the fancy stuff - and he isn't interested at all. He'd much rather munch on christmas cactus, spiders, and my dragon's wing begonia, which has done very nicely indoors over winter. I've got quite a few babies started from it. He also loves a pond plant I brought in. It's down to 2 stems, and I don't think it's going to make it. You've got to love cats. I had one crawl in the window of the greenhouse and knock all sorts of stuff over, just to get to the catnip seedlings I had tried to hide in there. Next weekend it's going to be time to plant tomatoes, marigolds, and few other 6 - 8 week type plants.
Connie

Hi. I would like an idea of what 'tender' annuals you guys spring sow? I do not have a light set up, and am saving my good southwestern facing window for the cherry tomatoes I want to start, and my Golden Wave begonia, and perhaps the zinnia seed, but one packet of zinnia seed says to direct sow after frost, I am wondering whether to try that outside. I was thinking of seeding my allysum, marigold, and other quick growers indoors 2 weeks before last frost date, than move outside to grow in sheltered area in their little pots for a couple more weeks until I can get everything in. Seems to be some plants will do just as well direct sown into the ground as compared to growing indoors for a little bit, then transplanting (have read zinnias hate to be transplanted, but I see them in 4/6 packs in the nursery all the time). I've direct sown allysum, and marigolds, and they do eventually bloom, but don't really get going until late July, compared to when I used to start them under lights (gave those away when we moved to a place with no gardening area - boo hoo), then I was rewarded with blooming mounds much earlier (end of June perhaps).

Sharon, I purchased the coleus coral sunrise because you'd posted a photo of it a while back, and I so loved the shades of it, when I spied the seed packet, I just grabbed it (and payed for it of course)! That would be another I probably should get going in the windows.

Thanks you all. Oh, I was going to use the plastic slurpee cups my kids leave on the counter, they come with a dome snap on top, so I'll just drill a drain hole or two on the bottom. And I've been to the wintersowing forum, great ideas, but most seem to be in zone 5 or higher, so I'm guessing their recommendations of what to winter sow may not apply to me just yet (yard not ready for perennials).

prairerose, I sow plain old oats for my cats (whole oats from the feed store) they love it and don't get all wild as with catnip. Cheryl

Kioni, i winter sow all those things - marigolds, zinnia, alyssum, etc. Maybe it's more like spring sowing because i do them around mid-April. I use a lot of the clamshell type containers for this - they can be put into a tray of water to water them (and they do dry out fairly quickly), or taken out of the tray when it's wet out. I've had really good luck with this method.

gladzoe, why did your mom do that for? LOL

Kioni,I like to start the tenders indoors or start in the greenhouse to get a good head start, I find that wintersowing tenders takes forever and any bit of frost, they are gone. Begonias are really tender, they should be started around Jan/Feb, what does the pkg say?

Yes, you're going to love those Coleus Coral Sunrise, start them indoors now too, don't w/s those, those are really tender for our zone.

April will be a busy month for sowing, that's for sure Connie.

Don't forget the annual Gardens North seed sale ;)

Sharon

Seems that everything i've started indoors this year has popped up so quickly - two or three days! I hope i can keep them going strong and that the weather cooperates for getting them outside in May! Otherwise... LOL

As far as WSing tenders goes, i just don't have the room inside for everything, and it's easy to cover your containers if frost threatens. I lost some things to frost in the past, but not so much in the past few years because i've managed to remember to cover the containers when it's cold.

Thanks for your replies, Marcia and Sharon. I have very limited space, and am lucky my kids don't complain when I approach them "can mommy grow some lobelia on your windowsill?". I know the plants will be bigger grown inside, then hardened off compared to direct sowing outdoors near or after the last frost date. I figure if I 'spring sow' with the intention of bringing in at night if things dip down, than I'd be somewhere in between.

My other plan was to indoor sow late in April, let the seeds germinate and grow their first set of leaves, then set out in my clear sterlite containers in a sheltered spot during the warm days of May. Of course this becomes such a pain when cr@ppy weather hits and sits around for several weeks, then the seedlings don't get much grow time/light.

I need a light set up, something similiar to just one of your shelving units - Sharon - (I'm guessing you have several!) and that would keep me so happy.

I have 2 packets of zinnia, one is pinwheel, which says to start indoors 6-8 weeks before frost, the other says the same and adds the 'or direct sow outdoors after last frost'. I've direct sown marigolds first week of May one year, and had great plants by end of June, but most times kids' schedules and vegetable garden planting get in the way, and I end up direct seeding marigolds and allysum end of May or beginning of June, then it is such a long wait for blooms.

Two winters ago I seeded lobelia White Fountains in the kids' windowsills, and they grew great, big bushy white trailing plants - just what I wanted. I found the seeds on a Fothergill's Seed rack, so when fall came and I thought I'll save seed, then I thought 'don't be so cheap, those seed companies need to earn a living too', so I didn't. Couldn't find the seed on a rack anywhere the next year. Dang. But one of the pots they were growing in had been wintered over a huge spruce tree, and there were lots of protection all around, and the winter was mild, and that lobelia came back the next summer to bloom again.

If I find I have the time, I may try some indoors and some outside (spring sow) just to compare.

Cheryl, I've tried both oats and wheat for the cat. I've never had such a fussy one before. He's going outside more once summer hits, so maybe he'll learn to eat something other than houseplants. One can always hope!

Kioni, I usually start marigolds and sometimes pansies in the house, but they do alright wintersown. Annual asters and stocks do very well for me. Snapdragons tend to bloom later than I would like when I wintersow them. I usually sow my annuals in early to mid-April, in 4 liter milk jugs.

Connie

Sharon, she didn't realize what she was doing. We had a clear spray bottle with vinegar when our cat was peeing in the porch to drive away the tom who was spraying the outside front door. This was sitting in the kitchen. She assumed it was my spray bottle for water and filled it up and went to town. I asked if she smelled vinegar and she said she did, but figured I wanted them sprayed with it, lol. The two bottles weren't even the same shape though which is how I realized it was the wrong bottle when I went to spray. I soaked everything down with plain water and so far they look to be ok. The strawberries and geranium seedlings have really grown over the last day, so maybe they enjoyed it.

Sharon, I noticed you were also growing Pennisetum setaceum Fountain Grass. I was just looking at mine and wondering if when I transplant them, do I put only one in a pot like other transplants? I've never grown them before.

North, you transplant one per pot. Tedious but they will grow better in individual clumps.

Sharon

Thanks Sharon, That's what I'll do.

Sharon,
That was quite a show you have there in your downstairs.

Just wondering where you get those square pots, I've been looking for them for a while, and the tray underneath too. they can save a lot space for me. I only using the round pots, and I'm running out of window sill and dinning table space because of them lol.

Thank you!
Rick

Oh for sure Rick, the squares will save you alot of space.

Well, I've saved all my nursery containers from purchasing perennials/annuals over the many years of gardening, but they don't last forever.

I've bought in bulk from Wickham's in Lloydminster and they also sell/ship from Early's in Saskatoon.

Today I sowed indoors,
Gazania Kiss Orange Flame

and winter sowed...
Verbena bonariensis Finesse

Sharon

The other day I soaked the Castor Beans for 24hrs and sowed them yesterday.

The Petunia cuttings are coming along just fine. I have one plastic high-dome but do you think I can find another one around town to buy. Therefore I made a mini-greenhouse using an ex-large clear garbage bag and venetian blinds. Works great!

Sharon

Just unpotted some of my forced bulbs from Dec and every tulip and crocus has multiplied by 4. I plan to plant them and see if they bloom in 2 years. I'm also going to start some of my annuals and dahlia seeds.

Well couldn't wait any longer, the BIG Transplant started today. Did 6 trays of Wave Petunia (in 9 pack), 9 trays of reg. Petunia (in 6 packs). 2 trays of white & Blue Bacopa, Half tray of Coleus, 12 early Ox heart Tomato, 12 early cherry tomato,& 24 early sweet peppers. Also 32 mini Rose plants in 4" pots
Still got Strawberries, Amaranthus, Diascia, Parsley, couple 100 Lisianthus forever blue,pink,monkey flower,penny black,some diff. Daturas & a mess of Lobelia (red, white & blue) To Transplant
Plus I'm sure I forgot a few others. Still have other seeds to start also.
Boy o boy this gardening stuff is starting to turn into a lot of work. Good thing I had a helping hand, It makes things go a whole lot faster.

Got my first WS sprout today! Red lupines. The blue ones are about to sprout. I didn't do much for WS this year - started annuals this week but have a lot more to do and i ran out of steam this weekend. :)

Whoohoo Marcia, I got one sprout of Oxytropis lambertii Purple Locoweed a couple of days ago. I too only W/S a few perennials this year.

Sharon

Anyone WS Talinum panicalatum, was it you that grew this one year Marcia?

Sharon

No, it wasn't me, but it sounds familiar.

Hi! My name is Karen and I've posted some questions on the geranium forum and got some good advice, but noone is terribly chatty over there so I was wondering if this is a good forum for me to join. Are you taking new members??

I'm in IL and we started over 700 (agh!)pelargoniums, or whatever they are called. We call them geraniums. Anyway, I was told to pinch and went to town and I hope I did it right because I have some sad plants. And it's about time to start hardening off...and I haven't a clue what I'm doing! We have two portable greenhouses outside with heaters in them and we put the impatiens and pansies, I think, in there. But the geraniums are inside under grow lights and in sunny windows (as sunny as it gets during the long awaited IL 'Spring' if that's what you call it!) Can anyone help me keep them alive?

New members are always welcome here. :)

First question - what the heck are you going to do with 700 geraniums??? LOL

I'm no expert on geraniums, but i do have several that i've overwintered for quite a few years now. I don't know about pinching them, though i'm sure it helps them to branch out. I prune mine back in the spring and sometime in the fall as well before i bring them in. Depends on how they look. Yours should do fine.

Well, i enjoyed re-reading this thread, but how the heck did it get up here? LOL