I'm a plant mother

For the first time I'm growing plants from seeds (hey, I've been a city girl most of my life) but now retired in a small area with a lot of great gardeners, so I'm learning....

So I have trays and trays all over the house with little containers (the kind you can just plant in the ground) all over by sunny windows.

I'm feeling a great sense of nurturing watching the wee seedlings poke their head above the growing medium.

I water them when needed and talk to them (mentally, not out-loud).

Feeling a good sense of accomplishment with this new project. Hope to save considerable $$ by growing my own. Have some herbs growing, too.

In a couple of weeks, I'll harden them off by taking them outside for a bit and then transplanting them into ground and containers. I've lots and lots of flower-pots.

Hints welcome!

Me too. I love growing plants from seeds and have them all over the house. I love watching the soil move as the little seed heads poke out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkytoe

Me too. I love growing plants from seeds and have them all over the house. I love watching the soil move as the little seed heads poke out.

---

Thanks! Good to know I'm not too wacky...lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkytoe

Me too. I love growing plants from seeds and have them all over the house. I love watching the soil move as the little seed heads poke out.

---

I remember you are really good with seeds.

I am not.I scatter annuals directly into the ground, hoping they will come up, but pretty much leaving them alone.

DH thinks I am nuts when I look for seeds or cuttings everywhere I go. I just did a dumb thing and signed myself up to be on a garden tour in August with just about all my plants grown from seed. Very difficult to garden here:(

This thread reminds me that I have a list of annuals I really have to get ordered:


the euphorbia snow on the mountain

at least one kind of cosmos

4 o’clocks

2-4 kinds of zinnias

Last year I tried growing a few plants from seed in my mudroom, which is northeast facing and unheated. I didn't hold out much hope but wanted to just give it a go. My horticulturist DIL loaned me a heat mat, but I didn't have any artificial light. Well, gosh darn it, if those little things didn't actually grow!!

So I went and bought more cells and seed starter as well as a couple of cheap lights, and 9 different vegetable and flower seed packets. I'll save quite a bit of money if I can get them to grow. I got a coupon to our local gardening supply when I went to the Vermont Flower Show, so my investment so far is $112.

You are all making me think I need to get started with some seeds. I usually don't have any luck at all, but am always game to try. Thanks for the motivation!

A previous resident of this house must have planted cosmos seeds. Every year, they pop up in my meadow area and create a sea of chaotic color.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkytoe

A previous resident of this house must have planted cosmos seeds. Every year, they pop up in my meadow area and create a sea of chaotic color.

---

That would be nice. I’ve never had them naturalized, but I had naturalized Larkspur in my city Gardens and hope to get that established here as well. The tricky thing with these guys is that I have to recognize their little seedlings as they come up or else I’ll pull them as weeds. I remember pulling quite a few poppies some years ago until I remembered oh! I have poppies planted here!

Here’s a photo of DH’s vegetable starts in our sunroom. He has only a few started.

Attachment 6276

Looking through the seed websites yesterday I NEARLY ordered a couple of the hybrid sunflowers that are so charming, but I stopped myself. I stopped because I remembered what a pain in the ass they are when they go to seed. They do not breed true and I fought them as weeds for years after planting them.

I suppose I could make an effort to clip their seed heads off when the bloom is mostly spent, but I’m afraid I would forget to do that.

I had a red hybrid celosia that went to seed for a few years, and each year the plants were further and further away from the original parents. They gradually became so scraggly I just pulled them out.

Since I like to save seeds, I no longer buy or plant hybrids unless it is a veggie that grows well here.

Now you have me thinking I need to start some, but the high school is having their plants for sale in late April, so I will wait until then. I got some stock, nasturium, snap dragons (to supplement the self seeded), zinnia, dianthus and lavender to replace those that have gotten old and died. I plant seeds for sweet peas and cosmos. Larkspur and 4 o'clocks have self seeded for several years in a messy flower bed so I just let them go. I've had flax come back for a few years, but It is not reliable. I had to learn what the larkspur looked like when starting or I would dig it out. Same with poppies. And they still don't like me much...I admire those of you who start from seed. I did for several years but just got discouraged. It is so uplifting to read about!!!

The first grown-from-seed giant sunflower opened today!! It's been a teasing process with a little more yellow showing each day..this morning it's fully open!

I feel a sense of accomplishment...though the sunflower did all the work. I was just the assistant/nurturer.

My indoor seedlings are doing great! I have peppers, egglant, big cukes, mini-cukes, zucchini, coreopsis, zinnia, cherry tomatoes. My biggest frustration right now is waiting to plant them! Up here in zone 5a, we have to wait until Memorial Day. Right now it's 47 degrees outside!

I made the mistake of buying a couple of herb plants from a nursery and now I have aphids and fungus gnats taking over the inside seedlings. I planted my seed grown tomatos last week and naturally it will be 34 tonight so covering them all. I am most tickled by the rugosa rose seeds that I collected them from a Trader Joe's parking lot last summer. They are getting big but..probably not the best plant for this region.

So I didn't start any seeds, but I did spend the day clearing out three boxes, adding some new soil and planting a tomato plant and jalapeno plant in one box along with leaving a plant that looks like it may be "something" and not a weed. I also tried something new and cut up some potatoes (pieces had "eyes") and put them under the plants in the big box. LOL. I also have a golden pepper and another tomato plant each in their own container.

Will be looking to plant some lettuce and other greens in the smallest box and not sure what to put in the other yet.

Anyway, Yay!!! lol. I hope things grow.