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starting salvia seeds
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Posted by voodoobrew 9 Bay Area, CA (My Page) on Fri, Nov 6, 09 at 15:19
| My garden is a "wildlife habitat". I specifically planned it that way (and it helps that I have native oaks, redwoods, etc). I have birds galore. Thus far I haven't much minded that they get many of the seeds that I plant, but lately I have been acquiring precious few seeds of salvias that are hard to come by. And they aren't cheap. So what shall I do? As much as I'd love a greenhouse/ potting shed, they aren't necessary in our mild winters. What are some simple ways of keeping my lovely birds out of my more prized seeds? Put Saran wrap over the top? Any other tips for insuring germination success of salvias, in general? thanks.
I also have plenty of other critters that probably enjoy the seed bounty in my yard. :) |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: starting salvia seeds
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| Surface sow your seeds in a pot and cover with plastic rap and put them in a warm place - this works for most. When they have several sets of true leaves transplant them into cell packs. Once the roots have filled the cells plant them in the garden. Since you haven't said what salvias you are trying to start it is hard to be more specific and if they are California species I am clueless. |
RE: starting salvia seeds
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| Hi wardda, I think the only seeds for CA species that I have are S. clevelandii. The most recent salvia seed acquisitions: S. nutans
villosa
yunnanensis
greggii Dancing Dolls
X Scarlet Spires
lavanduloides
curviflora
X Silke's Dream
holwayi
X Marwin Gardens
indica
disjuncta
pennellii
muirii I have quite a few others that I've been collecting from my garden. |
RE: starting salvia seeds
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Voodoobrew:
Your hybrids especially with my expereience from S x "Silkes Dream" is you may end up with a greggii like
plant with a longer corolla (like Silkes). Robin Middleton has one called S x "Penny's Smile" which is from Silkes Dream and is pink which is from the microphylla side
of Silkes Dream.Please let me know how you plants look and
any variation that you may have.
sincerely,
Art Petley |
RE: starting salvia seeds
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| Art, I tried to collect seed from Scarlet Spires this summer - a dozen plants and not one seed fully developed. Silke's Dream did make a few seeds and I am curious to grow them out and see what happens. Another interspecies hybrid Cherry Queen did make seedlings last year. They were left to survive on their own through our hard winter and one did. Unfortunatedly it struggled under a shrub all summer and didn't bloom. Yesterday after our big freeze it was dug up and brought onto the porch. Most likely it will bloom this winter and I will get to see if it is a keeper. |
RE: starting salvia seeds
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| I germinate my seeds outside under a oak tree here in Texas. I don't seem to have any bird problems. I have toads that jump up and hunker down into my 4" pots. This toad is not my friend but he crashes and acts like Goldilocks trying out first this bed and then that bed. I raised all the pots up off of the benches and have them on saw horses and that has solved the problem so far. 
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RE: starting salvia seeds
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| What a great picture!! Just this last week I finally saw my first frog here, also in a potted plant (S. roemeriana cutting). It's a Pacific tree frog. I had put in a small pond, specifically to lure these little guys. According to my wildlife gardening in the Bay Area book, the garden is healthy if you have this frog. Yay! :) |
RE: starting salvia seeds
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| Thank you....I think. I have too many Toads. and they LOVE the moist pots that I keep watering with all that soft friable soil. Compared to the hard dry hot rocky soil, it must be like a feather mattress in an air conditioned hotel room to a hobo. |
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