Well, I will start another thread sime time soon and include pictures of the original 2 hibiscus once they got full sized about 2 years after planting, and what they look like now. The 3 that I am growing now are the same color flowers as the original plants, even though these came from seeds off of the old plants and were pollinated undoubtedly as a cross between the reds and pink flowers. They arent quite blooming yet, and that makes them at least 2-3 weeks later than many hardy varieties, but they make up for it with LOTS of huge blooms and a long bloom time. At this point they are on their 3rd season since I replanted them as volunteers 2 years ago. They were popping up all over different beds for at least 2 seasons, maybe 3. I didnt actually notice volunteers popping up until about 2 seasons after the original hibiscus plants were removed(because they were way too large and spread out much more than just about any hibiscus plants I had previously seen). Those original plants didnt survive the transplant due to too many roots being severed, because they grew outwards many feet in all directions, and it wasnt prudent to try and dig up a 5' to 8' root ball just to get the outward growing roots in one piece! I have cut back several stems on the largest plant, and yet there are still at least 12 or more very large, thick, long stems left, that are growing outwards in all directions. I had to practically remove an entire side just to prevent them from crushing the 5' Zinnias behind them. Thats another aspect to this story: The Burpee zinnia seeds I buy(Giant flower mix) also grow much larger than advertised, and this year they are getting even taller than last year, as I saw a couple flowers above my head by at least 8" just 3 days ago, and the rest are at least 4.5 to 5 feet tall now, even though they were 2 feet tall a month ago with hardly any significant lateral branches. They are advertised to grow to 30-36"....... These plants are in a front yard that gets at least 11-12 hours of direct sun per day right now, so shade isnt the cause of tall growth, besides, they are also very thick stemmed, which wouldnt be the case if there was a lack of sun.

I bought 2 False Indigo plants at the Home Depot this year. I have never had these plants before and was not familiar with them but knew them to be native to my area. They had purple/blue flowers on them and looked nice. However, after the flowers were spent, they formed seeds in fluffy pappus. Tiny seeds, not at all like the black leguminous seeds of the baptisia. When I took a closer look, I found that the flowers and seeds were on a separate stalk, apparently not part of the baptisia plant! Not knowing what it was, and not wanting it to self-seed, I pulled the flower stalks out. What remained are actually 2 very small baptisias. Now that I have learned that Baptisias don't bloom for a few years, I am thinking that these are very young plants and not yet blooming. The grower probably interplanted something, maybe an annual, with a flower stalk that would mimic the Baptisia so that they could deliver something to the nursery that would sell. So now I would like to identify the mystery plant - but all I have is the seed and pappus. If anyone had the same experience and knows what it is, and whether I should want to plant these seeds, I would appreciate hearing.Here's a photo of the seeds and pappus. The seeds are tiny - MUCH smaller than poppy seeds and more gray than black. The pappus is very downy. Do I want this plant or is it some nasty invasive I will regret for the rest of my life? Thanks for any thoughts.

It's quite easy. Boil water, pour water in a mug or cup, and place seeds in very hot water, and allow seeds to soak overnight. Seeds will germinated close to 100% within a week when sown in potting mix. This method works with almost any pea family member including Cercis, Baptisia, Thermopsis, Indigofera, etc.

Image by: wintersown Seed Storage Boxes That's a tough question to answer because some plants have seeds that will remain viable years and years, and some plants have seed that will be viable for a much shorter time, perhaps just a year or two. Plant varieties are genetically different and Mother Nature controls this aspect. So, we have to look at the question differently, and maybe even ask it differently. Let's change the question to: What can I do to make my seeds last as long as they can? There's several ways to do this. We must first assure that the seeds are ripe when we collect them and have been allowed to dry in an open and well ventilated area, the moisture will slowly evaporate from them. For some simple and general information on harvesting and drying seeds please see the Seed Saving Forum FAQ called: "Saving your own seeds is easy to do!" How can I store my seeds after they've been dried? There are many favorite methods. The most important aspects of seed storage is to assure that they're consistantly dry and away from severe fluctuations of heat. I store my seeds in cardboard file boxes. I even have alpha-sort cards in them so I can organize the seeds alphabetically....you could also use shoe-boxes for the same purpose, they work great and it's an excellent way to recycle too! I keep four boxes for my seeds, a box each for: Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Veggies and Trees and Bushes. I keep the boxes on a shelf in my house. The room has a comfortable temperature all year round, and the shelf is out of direct sun. Any sunlight streaming through the windows won't fall directly on the boxes and their contents won't heat inside from the warming sunshine. ============== Some of my seed-saving friends keep their seeds in recycled popcorn tins. These are very colorful and they have a tight fitting lid. After you eat the popcorn do wash the container and it's lid inside and out with hot soapy water. Rinse it well and dry it thoroughly. Any moisture left inside the can could foster rotting of the seeds, and it might cause the can to rust too ;-( They place their packets of seeds in zip bags, squeeze out as much air as they can, and zip them shut. Their seeds are organized bag by bag by their own preferences. The can goes out of direct light for storage. Place it in a closet, or under a table skirt, or up on a shelf....anywhere that it won't get fluctuating heat and won't be in direct sunshine streaming through a window. ===================== Another friend places his seeds in plastic boxes with tight fitting lids and stores them in the refrigerator. The refrigerator does not have fluctuating temperatures and the light only goes on when he's snacking or cooking ;-) ===================== Can I use something with my stored seeds to help absorb any moisture from the air that might linger in the container when I go into it for a pack of seeds? Yes you can! I use packets of silica gel and toss a few into each file-box of seeds I have. (They can go into baggies or tins or plastic boxes too.) Where do I get the silica packets? I save mine whenever I get a freebie pack. Sometimes when you buy shoes, or a wallet, or a handbag there's a pack of silica gel with the item to help absorb moisture. Another excellent freebie source is in vials of prescription drugs. Can I buy Silica Gel packets too? Yes you can! Ask for silica gel at luggage stores and shoe shops. Generally, wherever good leather products are sold you can find silica gel for sale too. =============== I hope this FAQ has been informative and that your seeds last for a very long time! Trudi