And what if you grow them under light until a month before frost, then plant them. Would that guarantee a bloom the first year? Hhhmmmmm...

I would love to figure out how to speed things up more (so does everyone else, right?)...

Dani

So I think it's possible to speed things up. Just depends on how much effort you want to put into it.
Ed

Up to 6% of plant genes are rhythmically expressed around a day/night cycle.

There are exceptions in young seedlings and arctic plants. Also, plants that require very strong sunlight that cannot truly be achieved artificially (marijuana plants being an example).

Why not do the experiment and find the optimum hours of daylight for your conditions?

What is it, like $50 extra a month for your plants lights?

Dani

We use a bulb planter to make a perfect fit and just plop the rootball and soil in the ground. No disturbing the roots here.

With this amount of light we start getting blooms open on first year seedlings in August when the seeds are started germinating now. (3rd week of November). They are showing green the first week of December.

FWIW

Can well understand the growing of sdlng indoors for a winter project... something to make the season move along. But it really does not accomplish anything.. in the northern tier you won't get bloom the first summer growing.. and anything worth continuing on with will flower in summer two.

I do not soak seeds.. this is for over-dried poor quality seed. Mine are stored the winter in the fridge at 40F... I get over 90% germination on most crosses... a few have made 100%.. this for 80 some seeds. I have tried soaking some over dry crosses.. ones that I have purchased.. crosses from plants that produce sub par seeds. I am not sure this helps.. goes to what kind of mix you use for starting them.
My mix is reused annually.. a combination of good heavy soil AND some agent to lighten that mix and allow air in the soil. That is important.. too soggy makes for poor germination.. I've used coarse vermiculite, stryofoam via the bags I get at Lowes or Menards-- this used in concrete construction. I make sure the mix is wet enough... but not soggy.. learned from experience.

I cover the plastic shoe boxes (come with lids) I use.. having adopting the use of these containers from Melanie Mason's routine. I do not make drainage holes in these boxes.. the watering routine making sure to avoid getting too wet.. easily learned as the containers are clear color for soil observation. Lids of course are off when germination is well underway.. make sure NOT to allow the seeds to dry.. lite watering frequently is best.

I read comments per 'raisin seeds'... not good quality. Either harvesting too soon... from poor seed makers.. and/or over drying.

W/O measuring them.. seem to remember my boxes are 10 x 14".. max planting density is 81 here.. 9 rows of 9. At least one inch deep.. think mine go deeper most often. With some care one can tip the box over on a side and usually get the whole mass out w/o too much trouble. If your planting different crosses in rows... trim the tops in a pattern for indenification should they get mixed on the tip. I also have used paints for ID prior to tipping. With the airy mix I use shaking the plants apart is pretty easy.

My soil dries each yr in the garage.. bone dry.. I get no pests at this stage. Use the tree drench when watering early on it pests appear... that concentrate at 1/2 TBS per 2 gallons. I use a lite dose of Peters fert at each watering.. around 1/4 strength starting out... maybe 1/2 strenght later on.

THIS YR.. I am going to stradify some seeds/boxes.. their ready now. Planting the seeds just before freeze up.. covering and/or burying the covered boxes with soil.. set in a shaded area behind trees to avoid overwarming in thaws. A friend in NY z4 uses fall planting.. and sez 95% or so of what germinates in cold hardy. I am going this direction.. albeit in stages.

I lack the acres to do it much different.. space at a premium. But in the end my routines select what works well in z4.......

I've considered a frame on the southside of a building.. for the refracted and stored heat.. southern exposure.

As for the blocks.. I have NOT done that. My thinking has been a layer of them sitting with the air ways upwards and then the boxes onto them.. mostly trapping that air space. How much heat again is retained... who knows... again a fuction of daylight and frame tightness... one lacking any air exchange to cool inside temps. I'm thinking heating water with solar energy would store more heat... the tradeoff some electricity to circulate the water. But like many simple ideas.. the cost to make them work often consumes any real $$ gains.. not counting the labor etc to make them work.

I have much respect for the organic side and ideals. But be sure this route is very labor/time intensive.. I have observed that first hand. In the organic book culture I see the core group making a living selling the ideas and that culture. How practical these routines are in the real world go mostly NOT analyzed from an objective view point.