|
Tue, Jul 21, 09 at 12:28
| I have questions about seed starting and care of the sprouts.
I acquire seeds from mature seed pods. The varieties are usually Mexican in origin (both red & blue flowered varieties). Once seed pods give up the seeds, are these seeds ready to be sown? I have good germination, usually above 50 percent, when I do the "collect and immediately sow" thing. Then, once I have little plants I pot them up in well-draining potting mix with some extra perlite added and water when necessary. They seem to be growing slowly though. I grow them in sun but with window screens providing some relief from the direct sun since they are babies. They do branch after I pinch but the leaves are small and growth seems slow. Are they just slow to grow naturally? Am I out of season? Things don't look bad, but I wonder if anyone has any tips to help me get these to thrive. Or any comments on my methods. I do have some nice s. rubesens that I grew from seed several years ago. Thanks for your consideration. Cheers! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by rich_dufresne z7 NC (My Page) on Tue, Jul 21, 09 at 13:55
| Fully ripened Salvia seed is either dark brown or black. It may be glossy or tuberculate (tiny depressions on the seed coat) The seed should be fat, and slightly shrunken when dried. I usually let them dry out for a few weeks before sowing. |
|
| But, ripe seeds from certain Oriental hybrids are often light brown! |
|
| Sorry, meant to say species, not hybrids. |
|
- Posted by hybridsage Zone 8 ,Austin,Texas (My Page) on Tue, Jul 21, 09 at 19:35
| The thing that takes the longest is getting the root system established.Once that happens your seedlings should grow nicely. It also depends on which species you grow the tropical species like the warmth and cooler weather species the opposite for growing conditions.I use a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus(P) to help get the roots set. Then once that occurs start pinching and putting on a more nitrogen(N) based fert. to push out growth. Art |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Salvia Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.