Delphinium Seeds- Why do people always start them inside?
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years ago
Seems all the advice on planting Delphinium seeds is about starting indoors.
Is that just to get blooms the first year?
What about direct sowing outside...you know...like nature does it?
Anyone out there do it that way?
If so, how did it go?
Below is a photo of Delphinium "Morning Lights" that I bought rooted, that had lots of seeds after it flowered in my garden.
Some fell and I collected some and later decided to put them back outside in late December to hopefully grow.
I'm zone 6b.
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FrozeBudd_z3/4
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years agoSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5Related Discussions
do you start cucumbers and squash inside, or direct seed?
Comments (25)Since I save seeds from most of my vegetables in a short-season climate, I try to get them started as early as possible. For cucurbits, as already mentioned, you can't keep them indoors long, unless you have a light source as intense as sunlight. I start them maybe 2-3 weeks before the target date for direct seeding (depending upon species), and put them outside in full sun as soon as they germinate. If the weather cooperates, they get transplanted as soon as they have their first true leaf. The main advantage is better & faster germination than I might get outside, with fewer losses due to slugs & bugs. This also allows me to get the plants started on time if the soil is late to dry out in Spring (which has been a common problem in recent years). I've had great luck using peat strips for squash, cucumbers, bitter melon, and various other gourds. Since the entire pot is planted, there is no root disturbance. But if the weather warms up early enough, I will sometimes direct seed. In warmer climates than mine, direct seeding should be the preferred method. The decision of whether or not to start something as transplants may depend upon species - and even variety. I will direct seed acorn squash (which has a short DTM) but usually start the long-DTM winter squashes as transplants. Gourds that are eaten immature (cucumbers, summer squash) should usually be direct seeded unless you intend to save seed. True gourds (not the warted ornamentals, which are related to zucchini) require warmer soil temps & often have long germination times, so they can benefit from being started indoors. There is one other advantage to starting squash & cukes as transplants, though. I've gardened in locations where some years, cucumber beetles were so bad that they would destroy seedlings as soon as they emerged. I would grow plants as seedlings, transplant them into the garden, and immediately cover them with floating row cover. The row cover needed to be removed when flowering began, to allow pollination... but it gave the plants a chance to get established. I've never tried floating row cover over seeds, because I assumed it would cool the soil & delay germination... but for those with serious bug issues, it might be worth trying....See MoreWhy do the bugs always take the gold medal?
Comments (5)I think I've made some progress in the bug/beetle problem. Last year they got my first planting of winter squash. Something like chipmunks chewed up the beautiful squash from my second planting. They must have had a burrow right under the squash bed. We found a big hole ... so I think a coyote got them. Hope so. I noticed a couple of years ago that for zucchini, costata romanesco is somewhat resistant to striped cucumber beetles but to be on the safe side, I covered the summer squash bed with garden fabric (Agribon) and didn't take it off until the squash were blossoming around July 4. (I'm in NH) I have a low tunnel covered with fabric that DH made for me. I planted some marigolds but I don't think they helped. Eventually the bugs did show up but the plants were in production size. I noticed the cuke beetles inside the female squash blossoms in the morning. I toured another garden where she had yellow buckets in her squash patch. They had some water in them. She said it was to trick the beetles. They would think the bucket was a squash flower and drown. I'll add that idea to my arsenal next year. I started going on patrol in the morning with a bowl of soapy water. Most of the eggs are on the underside of the leaves and it's hard to scrape them off when they are next to the big leaf veins. I was able to flip a couple of squash bugs into the soapy water. I may have purchased cucumber seed for a variety that was more resistant to beetles. I also started them indoors. Planted them in a young blueberry bed with some parsley and marigolds. One variety has down much better than the other. I planted a brand new winter squash bed on the other side of the house, hoping the bugs wouldn't find it this year. I did find a couple of striped cucumber beetles but I planted the squash quite late and I think we were in between hatches. Good luck. This year I don't have very many Japanese beetles but a friends said she gets 30-40 every morning and could get more but she has to go to work. But then, the tomato horn worms have arrived in my garden. One more thing. My pea fences stay up all year and this gives the birds a good place to perch. We feed birds in the winter but expect them to eat bugs in the summer. I know they're eating some of the bugs....See Morestarted seeds and can't put them in the ground yet...help!
Comments (4)I suppose the big question is whether or not the June 4th move will be to a place where they can go into the ground. What you really want to aim for is to reduce the number of times that you transplant but at the same time get them out of the pots they are in now. The current pots are far to small and will negatively impact future transplants if you leave them much longer. If you are unsure then go for the 6' pots. You can always leave them in there even after you move to a more permanent location until the plants are ready for another transplant. Try to keep them well watered in the meantime to discourage additional root development. Here is a link that might be useful: Irrigation Equipment...See MoreWhat seeds do you start indoors?
Comments (19)capecat, hate to beat a dead horse, but I spring sowed one packet of 50 seeds in a McD's salad tray, slits in bottom for drainage holes (should have burned bigger ones) and covered with a few slits in clear cover. Think I used MG potting soil and mixed in a little special seed starting mix I have (light brown and fluffy). It helped to separate out the seedlings without damaging their roots although I always ruin a few transplanting. I had them in the fridge for one day per instructions on pkt, and somebody on the perennials forum told me to take them out and set them outside in the shade. They germinated within 2 weeks or less. As soon as there are several germinated, I pop off the lid, mist and moved into slightly more sun, critical not to let them dry out at this stage. By the time they got their second leaves, I had 25 or so so started transplanting into deep cell 6 packs. Usually set the tray back for more germination & transplanting but lost the rest, downpour. Out of 25, I ended up with 15 I set in the ground last Sep early, bought two more packs of seeds, will do like I did last year because it worked so well for me. They never looked that great on the top, odd-weather, cool, rainy summer, but had good roots and put out a lot more healthy growth once I got them in the ground. Here's another method I might try with some of my fresh seeds (kept at room temp since purchased last year like the ones B4). Scoop out a depression in ground, fill with potting soil, sprinkle a few seeds in a small circle, press or cover (per directions), cover with a soda bottle w/bottom cut out, cap on if frost threatens or very cool and overcast, cap off if sunny and warmer and leave off. If you see moisture in the bottle, you don't need to water. Water only when they start to look a little dry and pour around the bottle well. When it seems safe to take the bottle off, be careful or you can uproot some seedlings, almost inevitable. On another thread, several recommend WS'ing delphs. I would if I didn't know my spring method worked so well. If I've bored you with this B4, pls forgive. I covered my "babies" with soda bottles, caps off to try to buy them more time to settle in B4 winter. Freaky fall, 2 lighter frosts didn't get them, so I look and see one has put out a little bloom shoot. Just B4 a hard freeze/snowstorm on December 3, I clipped it off and put it into a boquet of my last blooms. Out of that little cluster of buds, one burst into bloom 11 days later....See MoreSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years agoSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years agoSue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
4 years agoGargamel
4 years ago
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