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Germinating in baggies with vermiculite

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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 02:44 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Am wondering if anyone has germinated aquilegias using the baggie method.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Tony_willis  Send Tony_willis a private message!


Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 06:34 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Not me and I cannot think why you would want to. They seem to germinate well if sown and left outside until the weather warms up.I wolud always reserve the vermiculite method for more dificult choice items. This sounds like a snotty reply but I cannot seem to exspress it better and is meant to be helpful

Tony_willis - Lancashire, Zone "7"
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Cmmwiebe  Send Cmmwiebe a private message!




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Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 10:53 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Well I started mine last year in potting soil in 1 lb margarine (oleo) containers and then pricked them out and transplanted to paper pots. It worked very well and I had good sized plants to put out in spring. The draw back to all this early germination is space!!!!!! See the posts on my blog here ...http://aprairiejournal.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3 A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50

Good luck!

Clayton

Cmmwiebe - Saskatchewan, Zone "3a"
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Loretta  Send Loretta a private message!



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Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 07:17 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I have. I let my self sowers germinate in the garden but when dealing with old seed or a new type, I use the baggie method. Also I use those new clear plastic eggcrates for the easy warm germinators and load each cell with one type of seed and vermiculite. The seedlings grow in the right direction and it is less time consuming to check and prick out.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 07:40 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Tony, my main problem is space,and they have to be inside as it is still extremely cold outside plus there is 2 feet or more of snow.
If I was living in your climate they would be outdoors for sure.
Indoors, baggies take up less room and are much easier to handle.
Eg, yesterday I had an accident with a plastic container I had 9 pots of various clematis seeds .
I took the pots out of the baggies and into the bin as it was much easier to control the humidity, anyway, I knocked it over and lost the top inch of growing mix from all pots.
You can imagine the mess, not to mention mix up of seeds.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 07:47 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Clayton I did the same with my seeds last year, but started them later, I really don't have room left inside for more containers, although I probably could do them in the sunroom in another month or so.
When are you starting yours?

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 07:50 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Thanks Loretta, and the plastic eggcrate sounds like a good idea too.
I have been buying the cardboard ones for recycling reasons but a few of the plastic ones would certainly come in handy.
I tried some seed last year in the cardboard ones but they weren't successful, they either got too wet or dried out too fast.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Loretta  Send Loretta a private message!



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Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008 - 09:12 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Of course with the eggcrates, there is a chance to knock them over too but as the good weather approaches, I have less patience for baggies and tangled, crooked roots. The clamshells that berries come in works too. I put a coffee filter along the bottom to prevent leakage.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Monday, February 11, 2008 - 04:57 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Last year I used the plastic crates you get tomatoes in from costco, they worked well too, but would have been better if I had lined the bottom with some sort of paper too.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Terryk  Send Terryk a private message!



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Posted on Monday, February 11, 2008 - 05:57 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Helen, I have had success germinating outdoors with the ones that require a cold period. Sprinkled on the ground they should do it.

Also, maybe they can be treated like poppies. Sprinkle on the snow, let the seed melt into the snow and work their way down to the soil. They germinate when the temperatures warm up.

Terryk - NY, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 06:51 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Terry, that sounds like a very interesting way to sow seeds.
I would think you would lose some to birds?
There are a heck of a lot of ants at my place, I suspect they take a lot of seeds, although I don't know where ants go in winter, do they hibernate?
I noticed last year that tiny, self seeded aquilegias were there one day and gone the next, not sure what ate those.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Loretta  Send Loretta a private message!



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Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 10:43 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

If you have a lot of seed, you could always do it both ways.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 11:58 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Loretta, at the moment I can't even see where my garden starts or finishes, it is under 3-4 feet of snow and more expected tomorrow.
I am so ready for Spring!!

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Loretta  Send Loretta a private message!



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Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 12:09 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I just germinated Aquilegia viridiflora in the eggcrates. Took a week or less.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 07:22 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Wow Loretta, that was fast.
I hope mine don't germinate too fast or else I am going to be in big trouble.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 10:25 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Only the A. viridiflora did. They are so weak looking in the beginning that you wonder if they will make it. They took a long time to shed their coats and would probably dry out in a second. I am going to sow more as a back up.
Blue Star has not germinated and was sown at the same time. I might try some old GA-3 I have.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 10:30 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

I have had some viridiflora seeds that were given to me germinate, but a packet I bought all went mouldy blue.
The double pinks and blues have germinated but I haven't tried to start the species ones yet, I had just about forgotten them sitting in the fridge.
I don't know blue star.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Loretta  Send Loretta a private message!



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Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 09:43 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Blue Star is a larger flowered hybrid - white and blue - like this.

Loretta - NJ, Zone "6"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 03:11 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hmmmm I thought I replied to this days ago, I must have gone to preview and then closed off.
That is a very pretty aquilegia Loretta, I think I might have some of those, if not they are very similar.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Malgorzata  Send Malgorzata a private message!



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Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2008 - 06:58 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Helen, "Lime S." from you germinated in about 6 days in the vermiculite bags! I must instantly drop the seeds to pots or imagine repotting them one by one!

Malgorzata - Fukuoka-Kyushu, Zone "8/9"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Sunday, March 23, 2008 - 08:40 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Mine did too Malgorzata, but they were really easy to transfer into pots.
Bet yours flower before mine do!!

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"
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Flwrs4ever  Send Flwrs4ever a private message!


Posted on Monday, March 31, 2008 - 08:23 pm EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Magpie...have you ever thought to try wintersowing ? This is where you put the seeds and three or more inches of dirt in a milk jug and place them outside..and let mother nature do her thing. There is a great site with lots of info..I can send you if this interests you.

I have been doing this and it is working soo well and I dont have to worry about the space inside anymore !

Flwrs4ever - rhode Island, Zone "6/7"
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Maggiepie  Send Maggiepie a private message!


Posted on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 06:09 am EST :   Last Buddysize PhotosCopy highlighted text to new message Edit Post Delete Post Print Post

Hi Kym, I did think about trying some winter sowing this past winter, but didn't get around to it.
We still have 3-6 feet of snow here and is snowing as I type.
Mostly I have been playing with clematis seeds throughout this winter but decided to get a bit of a start on with some of my aquilegias.
I have to say it is a lot of fun looking in baggies every day to see what has germinated and potting them up.
Next year I won't be quite so ambitious with the amount of seed I sow.
Would appreciate the link to the site you mentioned.

Maggiepie - New Brunswick, Zone "4b"