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Post by Chuckles on Apr 14, 2009 17:23:56 GMT
I wondered if anyone had attempted growing any notoriously difficult plants from seed. Some seeds seem to take forever to germinate, weeks ;D Seriously, some genuinely take months and months and then take several years before they flower or for you to have a strong enough to plant to put in the border even. One plant I've grown from seed is Dierama/Angel’s Fishing Rod. Back end of 2007 RF very kindly sent me some seeds and I sowed them in Nov 2007. They took 112 days to germinate  and today 16 months later I have potted on the 3 very small plants, they actual look like a grass and are about 3" high atm, the corms were the size of a Marrowfat pea. They say they take up to 5 years to flower from seed I still have a bit of a wait but feel they are worth it. Another plant I've heard are difficult from seed and I've had problems with is Aquilegia Chocolate Soldier variety. Why it's different to any other variety baffles me, I had a couple germinate but have only managed to keep one plant going. Also the blue Poppy which I can't remember the name of atm is one I've sown but had no success with. Would be good to share successes or failures, hints and tips for any seeds like these  |
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Post by Tig on Apr 14, 2009 19:05:09 GMT
It is pot luck with me for most seeds, or so it seems ... look at the game I had last year trying to get the tithonia to germinate, and again to start with this year! Then I just bunged them in roughly, watered them and away the blasted things went  I think I have one mecanopsis betonicifolia (Himalayan Blue Poppy) out of a whole packet of seed (and I will only believe it is one when/if it flowers!) I tried tricyrtis hirta this year and nothing came up! Got frustrated trying to get the geranium 'splish splish' going (up to 3 months for germination), put the seed outside, it froze like a brick for weeks on end and whilst still solid up popped the seeds! I was stunned. I have treated the dierama the same - and have loads of thick 'blades of grass' coming up. These crepe ginger seeds were quoted as 1-3 months to germinate, and again I was almost ready to quit (turned the heated prop off) just stuck a plastic bag on top of the pot and next minute I have a seedling! Sometimes I think the sowing instructions are not good enough, most seedlings do not want a constant temperature they need some fluctuations. Also the amount of light, or exclusion of it, and stratification, and soaking or not soaking, damp or dry compo (I always manage to rot cobea scandens seeds!) Any hints and tips would be most welcome .. I'm not much help am I with my slap-dash approach  x Tig |
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 14, 2009 20:12:12 GMT
The Cleome I sowed is still hiding and to be honest I never once managed to get a plant out of its seeds. Yet there are kids selling the plants at their school fest. They say the plants are easy just bung the seeds in a bit of compo on the windowsill. Well not on my windowsill, either of the available ones. So not on a North facing window with central heating underneath and not on a south facing window also with central heating Maybe they need a west or east facing window in a bathroom. Berkheya is said to be difficult but I have one on the go. Don't ask but maybe it is also mere luck that does it. It sure helps to know what temps seeds need. My toms are fine but the lady who had them in her GH said they were a disaster this year. Probably the temps varied too much there. I also heard on this special of GW that the compo can be the reason things don't grow. Whohee blame the compost go to the GC reclaim your money and buy the plant you tried sowing. |
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Post by Tig on Apr 14, 2009 22:29:51 GMT
And there was that Gardening Which report (I think they did it :  - where they found loads of seeds were not viable anyway, so we think we are failures, when all along the seeds were duds  That aside - my tips are do as much research as you can, hope others share their experience and have some idea of why they were successful And if all else fails, don't give up, try again! x Tig |
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Post by Auricula on Apr 14, 2009 22:59:52 GMT
I'm not very good with seeds (even the "easy" ones ) I think it's because I'm too lazy to go all the way to the house for tap water, so I use rain water and get damping off  Also my unheated greenhouse seems to have too variable a temperature. I really must shape up though as I love the idea of growing from scratch - my only success so far this year has been cosmos ...even I can't mess up those ;D |
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Post by Ladygardener on Apr 15, 2009 6:24:37 GMT
Monarda bees favourite one which have proved difficult to me. I tried several times last year without success. I'm trying again this year so keeping my fingers crossed I get at least a couple of the whole packet to germinate for me. This will be the last time I try, if nothing happens I'll just buy a plant next year. I totally agree that seed packets often don't give much in the way of germination help or enough info about either growing conditions. I've had a lot of failures really when I look at my notebook. Eryngium Bergamont and Nicotania did'nt do at all for me, no germination. |
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Post by bagpuss on Apr 15, 2009 11:37:14 GMT
I've had trouble with Foxglove "Milk Chocolate" in the past. This year my Petunia's that have germinated and haven't keeled over, look very pathetic. I can't seem to get the Marigold "La Bamba" to germinate very successfully indoors either. I have resorted to emptying the compost out at the allotment and watering it, to see if I have better success that way.
I agree with Tig, in that I think sometimes, the instructions given on the seed packet aren't necessarily that great, and I think sometimes they are just very general.
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 16, 2009 7:34:24 GMT
Bagpuss I don't know when you sowed your Foxglove but they work best when sown outside in pots, normal potting compost, in June/July. I just leave them to themselves in a shady corner of the garden and only check on moisture. So far that worked for me. Sowing in Spring gave much more failure. LadyGardener ( I still have to check my fingers for not automatically adding that defenitely no longer needed novice bit ). Nicotiana needs app 20* C and mild moisture. I just sprinkle the seeds on top of the compost and don't cover them. I do have a bit of plastic over the top till the first mini specs arrive and once those have 2nd leaves I remove the plastic. Usually new specs keep arriving although I must admit that this year I sowed them in with something else and they do less good. Could be the seeds the compost or the influence of the other seeds  |
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Post by Auricula on Apr 16, 2009 10:03:17 GMT
Thanks for the tip about foxgloves Dutchy. I'm hopeless with nicotiana - never had one seed germinate yet Will try your way |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 16, 2009 18:05:17 GMT
This year I've not had any success with begonia seed...two packets sown with no sign of germination. I've also sown some melianthus major seed.....nuffink so far but I'm not giving up on them yet.....had a peek and the seed cases have only just split so I think I might get a result eventually... .... Lantana...two packets sown...not a single one germinated. past failures include trillium, daphne, echium pininana and (until recently) echinacea...... On the other hand I've managed to grow banana plants (both musa and ensete) from seed and a trachycarpus fortunei.... |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 16, 2009 19:18:36 GMT
I've not had any luck with Echinacea Cheery, Plocket sent me some seed last year and I've tried saved seed too, not a oner Although I did get excited with one sowing a few weeks ago until they grew thier true leaves  and I realised they were Cosmos and Not Echinacea ;D Infact they were the Cosmos from you, I must have felt under pressure to get them to grow and misslabelled them ;D Somethings else that isn't usually difficult is Lobelia, until this year for some reason |
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Post by Tig on Apr 16, 2009 22:39:55 GMT
I've done rubbish with echinacea too, I did get some to germinate one year, but they didn't come back the year after!
I've sown lobelia straight into my pots this year, and it is coming up! Mad isn't it?
Tip for those wanting to grow Monarda (bergamot) - if you have no luck with seeds find someone who has them, pinch out a non-flowering tip and put it in water, you will soon have a rooted cutting!
x Tig
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Post by jean on Apr 17, 2009 21:34:05 GMT
Echinacea, I've had no problems with seedlings, also Monarda. I think sometimes you can just try too hard. The way I look at seeds is, the smaller they are don't cover, just let them settle into the compost and don't over water. Easy said I know  Mind you I haven't had one musa seedling germinate this year |
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Post by Ladygardener on Apr 20, 2009 20:10:39 GMT
Have to share my success, today after 7 days some of the monarda bee's favourite are germinated on the bedroom window. I'm over the moon. ;D I'm also scared still they're so small, I hope nothing happens to them.
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Post by Tig on Apr 23, 2009 19:20:41 GMT
Well done LG, fingers crossed they survive OK (mine did, so I'm sure yours will ) x Tig |
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Post by carolann on Jun 5, 2009 7:03:28 GMT
I have sown the Aquilegia Chocolate Soldier this year and got lots of them growing yet I cant seem to get the collected seeds to grow from the White and Blues one which I have in the garden  I have also managed to get a lot of Echinacea Magnus from seeds yet I cant seem to grow Lobelia maybe I shall just sow it straight into the pots like Tig has done. |
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Post by jean on Jun 12, 2009 20:45:53 GMT
What kind of lobelia are you trying to grow Carolann ? I tried out the perennial cardinal last autumn and they have been brilliant and I would recommend them as a plant worth trying from seed. I've had problems with the castor oil plant seeds this year. I sowed over 50 seeds and ended up with 7 spindly seedlings My supplier has very kindly sent me replacement seeds from fresh stock and they are germinating nicely |
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Post by carolann on Jun 18, 2009 8:58:35 GMT
Hi Jean its just the ordinary trailing sort, I can get it to germinate but then it just seem to die off for me. At my local GC they have the small square tubs for about 80p and you can split that last year I split it into 15 and got a wonderful display so for that price which is cheaper than a packet of seeds I will do it again. I missed them at the GC this year and had to buy them already in trays which was £2-00p for a 12 module tray.
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Post by Auricula on Jun 18, 2009 10:06:32 GMT
I can fail with any seeds Conversely, sometimes i am pleasantly surprised so I always keep trying I think my main trouble is that I water with rain water and the seeds suffer from damping off - and......I never seem to learn from this!! ;D |
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Post by Chuckles on Jun 18, 2009 17:55:36 GMT
Cheery recommended some stuf that you can spray on to help with damping off, I'll pop up the shed later and look what it's called, it won't come to me atm I know it is granuals and they are purple and it clears the nostrils too ;D |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Jun 18, 2009 19:23:19 GMT
Cheshunt Compound ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Jun 18, 2009 19:57:27 GMT
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Post by Missredhead on Jun 18, 2009 21:53:48 GMT
For the last two years I have tried to sow night scented stock, I religiously follow the instructions on the pack but nothing ever happens... not even one tiny seedling......  |
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Apr 28, 2010 20:42:12 GMT
This year I at least got my tuberous begonia seed to germinate.....but today I find that the weeny little blighters are all deaded....  I've had no luck this year with lantana, ensete ventricosum (but that might still show), bedding verbenas, primula bulleyana or aquilegia cameo..... I haven't given up....I'll just be astonished if owt germinates.... |
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Post by carolann on Apr 29, 2010 11:30:14 GMT
Well the Chocolate Soldier from last year have come up even after all that snow we had and I have my first flower also the Echinacea which I nearly dug up thinking it was a Dock the leaves do look the same when they are coming up so I'm well pleased even though I have sown some more seed thinking that I had lost them. ;D Got the little pots of Lobelia from GC and split them and have lots to plant out now its still cheaper than buying a packet of seed.
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Post by Tig on Apr 29, 2010 15:21:55 GMT
The tuberous begonia seedlings are just soooo tiny aren''t they Cheery. I did them last year (sowing dust springs to mind!) and I reckon I ended up with just 9 viable plants. I did lift and dry them and I've got two out of the nine growing again this year. I sowed abutilon seeds and got nothing, also various shrub seeds which I'm still waiting and watching patiently (a couple said up to 300 days for germination!) The phormium seeds I had sent last year haven't appeared and so far neither the centaurea macrocephala or elecampane seeds I scattered have germinated. Perhaps I should have tried some of those in trays I have several trays of recently sown annuals that may not like the impending cold weather |
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 29, 2010 15:26:52 GMT
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Post by Dutchy on Apr 29, 2010 17:21:45 GMT
I have decided that I know why no one is trying Clitoria ternatea or in more decent speak Buterfly Pea.
I got one on the go out of 10 seeds and they were not cheep.
You need to scathe them and soak for a night but still... Buying from a specialist annual grower is easier.
Erm Jas from fridge to boiler seems a bit much. Hellebore self sow in autumn and go through winter as a seed and then wait for things to warm up. Maybe just sow in a pot leave outside all winter and see what it does in Spring.
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Post by Missredhead on Apr 29, 2010 18:00:03 GMT
I did that with Hellebore seeds that Wee Terrier sent me, I stuck them in a pot and forgot about them, they got watered by the rain and fed with bird poo from the pigeons in the trees and they have done really well, This year the difficult seeds for me are the sunflowers, cant understand it I have never had a problem before |
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Post by Jasmine on Apr 29, 2010 18:32:12 GMT
On top of the boiler sounds a bit much doesn't it? It's only just slightly warm when the water is being heated.
I meant to do your plonk them up the garden, bird poo approach MRH but didn't get round to it.
Will try again with fresh seed in autumn - thanks for the tip Dutchy.
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and today 16 months later I have potted on the 3 very small plants, they actual look like a grass and are about 3" high atm, the corms were the size of a Marrowfat pea. They say they take up to 5 years to flower from seed 
- where they found loads of seeds were not viable anyway, so we think we are failures, when all along the seeds were duds 
and I realised they were Cosmos and Not Echinacea ;D Infact they were the Cosmos from you, I must have felt under pressure to get them to grow and misslabelled them ;D
Mind you I haven't had one musa seedling germinate this year 
