It is to early for me to start many seeds here yet.

The only thing I have started is martagon seeds. They need to be started early...while the seed is still fresh. There are lots of sprouts and some have a leaf.

Sierra

I just have some rose seeds stratifying in the fridge, there's a bunch of clematis seeds and other things NEEDING to be sown and given their cold treatment. In mid to late February, I'll be starting some hollyhocks that flower the first season from an EARLY sowing.

Terry

Have not as yet located any seed-starting mix, but i'll start some winter sowing as soon as i do. Like Sierra, it's too early to start anything here.

I do have geraniums overwintering in the porch's sunny west window, and some coleus, dichondra, and abuliton as well. However, the urge to plant is getting stronger! :)

I have just received my order from Stokes just yesterday but all I ordered were Wave and Tidal Wave petunias which are still to early to start. I do have some Datura seed pods that have split open and because they take 3-4 weeks to germinate I will start them mid Feb. I also got some "foxy" foxglove seeds that I will be starting in late Feb so they will bloom this year. It's a start! Stan

Sierra: I wasn't to sure how early to start the daylilies but I was hoping to get them flowering this year. Wishful thinking?

Terry: I w/s some hollyhock seeds last year and they flowered the first year for me.

Marciaz3: I will be starting my coleus in Mar. I am planning on planting them out in my hosta bed. I've tried overwintering them in the sunroom but they never survive.

Stanley: You will love the Foxy foxglove. I had it and it flowered the first year from seed. It died after a few years so I ordered more seeds, it's my favorite foxglove.

Marg, funny that your coleus don't survive the winter indoors. The first one i ever had was a grown as a houseplant. They don't do too badly inside now - get a little leggy, and some keep wanting to go to seed, but on the whole, they survive well and on into the next summer.

When I bring mine in, I treat the plant and pot with insecticidal soap to make sure I'm not bringing in any insects. I do this with my geraniums to. I also have to pinch them back. They do fine for a while but then they start to lose leaves from the bottom up, the growth stalls and then they die. I would love to know why this happens. I've ordered new seeds to try again. Sooner or later I'll figure out what is going on. Marg

Hi Marg,

Your daylilies will most likely take 2 or more years before they bloom. I really wouldn't expect to see a bloom before year 3. Of course there are some exceptions....so you just never know.

Sierra

Marg, i googled "growing coleus indoors" and it came up with a few sites. I looked at one and it said that the leaves might fall off if the potting soil dries out too much.

Thanks Marciaz3. The soil does dry out on top but when I do the 'finger' test, it is still moist below, I'm always worried about watering to much. Then I get those darned gnats. Marg

Siera, how did you sow your martagon seeds. I bought a pack of seeds, they just came (mail order), and I was going to W/S them.

I used large size baggies filled a quarter full will damp peat moss. I dumped a bunch of seed in each bag and shook. Left in my cool basement laundry room on a shelf. They need a 3 month warm period and a 3 month cool period. I remembered to look at them after about a month and many had sprouted. Now less than 2 months, many of them are showing the one grass like leaf.

I plan to pot some up and leave some in the bags to go into the fridge next month.

The last time I started martagons, I started them in pots and did the 3 month warm then in the fridge for 3 months...then planted outside......not very deep. It took a few years for them to get flowering good. These seeds that I started this year are from those plants I started several years ago.

...they are well worth the wait.

Sierra

Thank you Siera, I'll do the same. The pack's instructions say: Sow seeds...keep at 70 deg.F....germination occurs within 4-5 weeks. If not, put container inside in the fridge for 4 weeks. Then return to 70 deg. until germination occurs.

My concern was, if some will sprout at warm, and some will not, and they are in one container, that container can go in the fridge with those little seedlings? Your method with the bag is better, sort them up, pot the seedlings, and the rest will go in the fridge.

Martagons sound like good candidates for winter sowing. I planted three bulbs a few years ago. Only one came up, though. Maybe seeds would be more reliable.

I have some sweet cherries up, and more seeds in the fridge, waiting for them to sprout, so I can sow them. I have several sweet chestnut potted and a bunch of nut grafts made, but it's too early to see if they will take yet. There are red cedars potted in the porch, but they haven't come up yet, too cold still. Some of the little red cyclamens are up.

I have cyclamen envy! :)

Kind of put out about this but I don't think I'm starting anything this year. I won't be home most of the summer due to work and vacation timing :(

But I'm going to the stampedes and seeing Bon Jovi so it isn't all too sad

- Andrew

marciaz3, if you wish, I can save seeds for you when they bloom. They need to be sown as soon as you get them, if you want some.

JocelynPEI

Hi Andrew. When you said you were going to stampedes, did you mean the Calgary Stampede? I remembered that I had read in one of my greenhouse magazines that they had a 'seed to salad' exhibit there last year. It was mostly about vegies but maybe this year they will have flowers to. Maybe you can see some gardening while you're there? Marg

Jocelyn, thanks for the offer, but cyclamen are at least zone 5, aren't they? I doubt if they would survive here. They sure wouldn't have survived this winter!

Mariana, my guess would be that after 3 months of warm, if the seed does not sprout, it isn't viable. Don't expect every seed to sprout.

Hey Marcia, I am not sure about winter sowing martagons, just because they need the warm period first. I would think after the warm period you could winter sow. But then here they would freeze...soooooo maybe not. They just go in the fridge for the cold period.

I did sprinkle some on the ground and scuffed some dirt over them with my foot last fall.....will see how that goes. They survive in nature so this must work....we will see.

Martagons don't like to be transplanted. I have bought the bulbs too.....they don't always come up. I had one come up years after planting......I couldn't even remember what I had planted by then, till it bloomed. LOL! I have moved my seed started bulbs and it did not bother them or slow them down in the least. So who knows....shrug

Sierra

Well, i don't have any martagon seeds, so that's a moot point! LOL I think it's Sharon who sometimes does fall sowing using the winter sowing method. That might work for martagons, maybe, or other seeds that need a warm period first.

Marric,

yup Calgary here I come... T&T seeds on the way :)

Hoping to do a vineyard tour and check out some neat gardens too...

- Andrew

Marcia, opps guess I was typing out loud. LOL

Sierra

3 daylily seeds out of 16 sprouted. They are potted up and have about 4 leaves now. They were really just a trial run of more common daylilies.
I will now have to attempt the more expensive seeds I bought!
Am currently deciding varieties and quantities of tomato seeds to plant!

I have some begonias started, because they take quite awhile to germinate/grow, and also some licorice plant(same thing). I know lots of people prefer to just overwinter begonias by cuttings, but I don't like having to get someone to take care of them when we go away over Christmas, or have the heat mat and lights on all fall and winter. After the new year, we're usually home until spring. The rest of my stuff I won't start until March; wave petunias, some daylily seeds, violas, etc.

Weeper: I've been meaning to try begonias from seed. Are they hard to grow from seed? I now have a shady spot where I think they would do great. I think they will look nice with the hostas to!

marric: Nope, I've found them to be so far very easy. They do take awhile to germinate. Keep them quite wet before they germinate, keep your grow light on 16 + hours, and I'm using a heat mat. I've read that begonias pretty much require it, but I haven't tried otherwise, so I'm not sure how much of a "requirement" it is. But our house is kind of drafty, and they are very tropical, so I figured I had better. And keep the plastic cover on until they are germinated. That's all!

And yes, they would for sure look awesome with hosta! Next year I want to try the Dragon wing begonia, for a hanging basket..it is so neat!

Thanks weeper. I'll have to get some seeds and give it a try.

I guess the only thing is how long they take to grow; this is my first year trying them from seed, but I've heard that you have to start them in January to have decent sized plants by last frost.

I'm starting my begonia's tonight. This year I wasn't going to bother with seeds but my tubers are a little small and my begonia's last year were so fabulous I couldn't help myself. One thing I've noticed is not to separate them too soon, they grow faster when the leaves start touching.