I have about 300 seed starter tray slots to fill. Some of these, like the cardinal flower, I have low confidence in. I didn’t realize that some of these seeds would basically be dust specs! I have no idea how I will get these into trays…
by Mocker-Nicholas
18 Comments
Exciting!!! I would surface sow the tiny seeds. Good Luck!!
If you feel the need to cover them. A very thin layer of vermiculite.
Very cool! Happy new year 😊
I’ve winter sown some of the same ones you are doing and had success. I used the jug method. (1g, ½g, 16oz soda bottles) For the tiny seeds, especially cardinal flower and great blue lobelia, I just put the seeds in a plastic container, pressed my pointer finger into them and rubbed it against my thumb over the jug/bottles to spread them out. Worked great. I do it that way for a lot of seeds. I’m not sure how that method would work for plug trays. Might have to be a little more careful.
Enjoy it! It’s very rewarding too see them finally germinate.
that’s so exciting! I am starting my seeds soon too!
I have not grown all these species, but make sure you check the instructions to make sure that none of them need to be refrigerated first (to simulate the winter). I have made that mistake before which lowers success rate quite a bit!
Also, some of these may prefer to go straight in the ground rather than a pot. The internet is better for this info than the package. The key is if the roots don’t like to be disturbed then it maybe should go straight in the ground. For example, California poppies hate being disturbed, I have not had success even in peat pots, so I put those right in the garden when it gets warmer.
Some seeds are fussy, some are not. Just be very careful with moisture and light levels while they are coming up.
Most importantly, don’t be hard on yourself if some of them don’t work out. Save some seed of each pack in case they don’t, and try those right in the dirt later 🙂
GL!
I’m more concerned with the taproot species like butterfly weed. They need deep containers; I always start mine outdoors in their permanent spot. They don’t emerge early, waiting for late spring to emerge. You might sow seed in their permanent spot in Feb or early spring. Plants with taproots don’t handle being transplanted well so it is best to avoid it. Common milkweed is one that I removed from my garden due to aggressive spreading after 2-3 years in the ground. It became a nuisance. The same is said of big bluestem. I have little bluestem and it is nice addition. If you are looking for tall plants, there are many species that fit that size; some have great seeds for bird food. (thinking of Rudbeckia laciniata, joepye weed, ironweed, Coreopsis tripteris and others!
Don’t give up on the Prairie dropseed, mine was so much slower than the rest of my winter sowing to grow, it needs really warm summer temps
uh, Thanks for the tip! I’ll definitely give that a shot for the tiny seeds. Excited to see what pops up…
If you have the patience, I have had a pretty easy time placing teensy seeds with a toothpick. Dip the end in water and it is easy to pick up individual seeds just by tapping them, and then touch them to the surface of moistened seed starter mix. I start them indoors, and I would rather spend the time initially carefully placing few seeds than sprinkle a bunch and have to separate tangled tiny seedlings later. If you are starting the seeds outdoors in trays, seed more generously since tiny seeds that need light to germinate will easily get inadvertently covered with soil when exposed to the elements.
Just a note about Jacob’s Ladder: the seeds form a sticky muculaginous coating once wet, which makes them more annoying the transfer after stratification. I also had one of the longest germination time for those. They took about 3 weeks to start sprouting and some popped up after almost 2 months. Most other seeds I started germinated within a few days indoors.
I’ve done a good number of these and haven’t had any failures! Cardinal flower is usually slower and I get way fewer plants than most other species. I always have great blue lobelia coming out of my ears though. I winter sow everything and just leave them be to see what happens. Sometimes nothing until well into spring, so don’t count them out too soon.
ng, Great tip! I’ll definitely try the finger method for those tiny seeds. Can’t wait to see what pops up…
The dust speck seeds need to be on the surface. They dont have the strength to push through much substrate.
Start this anytime between now and early March.
None of these should be tricky.
Get after it.
I’m doing the same – Happy New Year!
Aster is ruthless about where it eatablishes
Great tip! I’l definitely try that method for the tiny seeds. Can’t wait to see everything sprout…
I was going to try starting mine outside in a seed starting tray before the winter weather hit hard here
I’ve done the milk jug method a few times and it’s always worked wonderfully, especially because you can fill it a bit deeper. Successfully started hundreds of butterflyweed that way despite them being a taproot species and they transplanted just fine. Honestly, if you live somewhere cold, you can skin the fridge & throw them in jugs & put them outside now!
Love it, great choices too- best of luck this growing season 🌻🐝🦋
👏👏👏👏 I love to see blazing star (or Gayfeather as my preferred name) being used in people’s native landscapes. As a purple lover, it makes my soul feel so full!!
Great tips! I’ll definitely keep those deep containers in mind for the taproot plants. Excited to see how everything turns out!