: ) seeds you have, and seeds you want...

Discussion in 'Conversations Forum' started by The Hollyberry Lady, May 11, 2009.

  1. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Oh that's wonderful, Penny - now you will have a part of summer indoors, all winter! Hope you de-bugged it first though.

    I am totally bored with regular houseplants, and frankly, want nothing to do with them. So many people don't realize, that geraniums, pansy, marigolds, impatiens, lavatera, etc. are not just for the garden. They can bloom continuously all Winter long in a sunny window. I've been doing it for years, and have flowers blooming in my windows all year round, without fail.

    So many annuals perform wonderfully in a sunny Winter window - you wouldn't believe. I also love coleus, as a terrifically colorful "houseplant" in the winter. It is absolutely stunning, and should never just be grown in summer only.

    Problems with growing these plants inside? Yes, a couple. One is that annual flowers and produce plants can be very appealing to spider mites, aphids, and whitefly, and because there's no outdoor beneficial insects to keep down the populations, you can be over-run in no time flat.

    Marigolds are especially hard to grow indoors, and will require regular showers, to keep spider mites at bay. They just love marigolds, so be careful, Penny. By regularly showering your flowering beauties, you will have bug free plants all winter, no problem.

    Also, to keep things blooming and producing over winter, you must have some bright and sunny windows to keep them in. A table by the window, will not sustain these plants, so make sure you have some good light to offer them.

    I grow geraniums all year round and they bloom like crazy for me all of January, and February, too! I mean like crazy! They are one of my most favorite flowers to grow, I must admit. So reliable and easy to please. I know just how to treat them, and keep them blooming non-stop. The tenants will love it because I put a nice red one in the laundry room window, to bloom all Fall and Winter for us! They all just love my flowers. I do too - so cheerful.

    Something a lot of people don't know about Petunias is that after awhile they tend to get leggy and spindly, and if you prune them back hard, leaving only 4 -6 inches of growth, they will come back thicker and fuller than ever. So many people mistakenly throw them out when they get leggy, but if they only knew how they like to be treated, they'd have a new gorgeous plant in no time! When your Petunia gets leggy, it is saying, "please prune me"! Also, regular deadheading (removing spent flowers) will keep them blooming incessantly. They also love to be fertilized.


    : )

     
  2. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Thats the way with most plants HBL

    Also 10 2 1 if you re-pot a plant thats got dead flowers pick off the dead heads, re-pot and get more flowers.
     
  3. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    Thanks for all the tips and advice Sherry.
     
  4. tugo

    tugo Active Member

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    Woww, the lottery hit me today:))
    Received a very nice looking envelope from the post with 11 different seeds, hot peppers and others, all packed separately in different colored packs with all the sowing and growing instructions written on neatly.

    Thanks a lot HBL, Sherry, not only for the seeds but also for the loving care you gave to their preparation. You are without borders regarding plants. You made me happy today. They will have the best corner of my home/garden.

    I have different types of Nelumbo seeds for you ready, as promised, but I am expecting also N.Komarovii seeds to arrive nowadays. Waiting for them to post you all together.

    Thank you one more time:))
     
  5. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Oh Tugrul, so happy you got the seeds, my Turkish friend! This is wonderful news, and I am so glad you like them. This makes me happy too.

    As far as the Nelumbo seeds - I am soooooo appreciative. I love them as much as you, and want to grow them every year. I was in love with this aquatice plant from the moment I laid eyes on it, and knew that it would be a plant I would forever grow. Thank you so very much for sharing your seeds with me - you are awesome.



    Penny, you are most welcome. A lot of people are not sure how to treat Petunias, so I thought I would share those tips. They very much love to be pruned, so don't be afraid. Petunias are wonderful inside because they put wonderful sweet fragrance in the air, which is so amazing indoors! Here's my Strawberry Sundae Petunias on my plant shelf, when they just began to bloom in April...


    : )
     

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  6. Claudia6

    Claudia6 Member

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    Good morning everyone, wow that petunia looks soo nice :) I found petunia and daisy planted in the garden so i took it and planted in pots. Petunia looks so so maybe needs that trim u are talking about mmmmmm i can always try
     
  7. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Yes, give that a try with your Petunias, Claudia.


    Gonna be collecting tons of seeds from this geranium I grew also from seed, right in my living room window. It has been blooming for 7 months straight! I intend on keeping it blooming all Fall and Winter too.

    When geranium leaves turn yellowish, they want to be pulled off, so new leaves can grow to replace them. I just pulled a bunch of old yellowing leaves off of mine, and look at all the new, green leaves now growing. They become full again in no time...


    : )
     

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  8. Claudia6

    Claudia6 Member

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    I will take a pic of the petunia later so u can see, thats a beautiful geranium....oh man i am moving in with u so i can learn all about gardening lol I dont have to many plants but i am already thinking on where am i going to b putting them when winter comes? mmm cause is getting cooler at night time now, going down to 10C
     
  9. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Yeah - us too. It's freezing here at night now.

    LoL, about moving in with me! Too funny. I can teach ya whatever you want to learn about - just ask, ok? I enjoy letting others know about what they can grow indoors, in a container.

    I am also growing some snapdragons and impatiens indoors as well, which should be blooming for me in another month! They will bloom all winter long and into Spring and summer of next year too! Oh, I love Winter.


    : )
     
  10. ShearMe

    ShearMe Active Member

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    I've found yet another melon growing on my plant today! not a little guy, but an actual promising size (there ARE loads of little ones which are promising too). I had to throw about half the plant over the fence to tie the melon to the trellis - it was on the ground ready for rodents to take a bite or a stranger to steal/squish it!

    In doing the deed, I noticed the plants have become a hive for lady bugs, and I only transported a few onto the plants (the things breed like crazy).

    I've also dug up some peony pics for Blake, and figured I might as well share. :)

    HBL, do these look like gypsy peppers?

    My Ensete ventricosum Maurelii is actually red now!!!

    Some sedums I'll be sending off to certain friends...

    Finally, my goji berry seedling is getting munched on! Any way to get this thing growing faster HBL?

    HBL and Penny, I received both of your seed packages today, and WOW! You have both made my day with the great seed selections you've sent. Unfortunately, I awoke too late this morning to pack up your plants/seeds and get to the post office, so I'll have to try packaging them tomorrow and sending them on Monday. You should both be getting some cuttings of the pink/purple sedum below that has flower buds on them, but have not opened yet (this is the plan anyways) and they will probably be rooted already as well. I should also include at least 5 others to each of you plus those seeds you wanted, penny. Would either of you like an aloe vera cutting as well?
     

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  11. robv187

    robv187 Member

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    Hey everyone, how are you today? I noticed the weather has gotten a lot colder out now too, rain today and a storm on monday. The storm on monday is from the north, so to HBL and penny, it will bring in a lot cooler air, so get ready for 5-10 C temperatures, especially at night time, 'maybe' lower at times. The rain is a good thing though, we definately need it.

    HBL, do you have any experience with amur maple trees? They grow to about 15-20 feet or so. I bought two trees from ebay a while ago and they should be in soon, was wondering if you had any care tips? I think its seedlings I bought, not sure how big, probably small ones. Maybe their care is the same as any other maple tree. Here is a picture of some:
     

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  12. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Yes Zac, those are definitely gypsy peppers! They look wonderful. If you wait for them to turn red, they will be super sweet.

    As far as the Goji berry shrub seedling, you must put my spice concoctions in a circle around the base and keep the bugs off. This will be the number one way, at this point, to make it grow faster. A light fertilizing helps too, but get rid of the bugs first.


    : )
     
  13. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Beautiful trees, Rob!

    By the way - I soaked your dwarf pink banana seeds in water for a day and 1/2 and now they are in soil on my heat mat! I am optimistic that within 90 dayS (three months) we may see sprouts. Fingers crossed.

    I am presently trying to geminate Japanes red maple seeds, given to me by Tugo, and I had to give them a three month stratification period in the fridge, but now they are on my heat mat, and I hope to see a sprout soon. Although I do not have any personal experience with growing maples yet, I am hoping to get some.

    Here is some information I found for you...



    : )
     
  14. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    By the way, Zac...



    Your banana plant is gorgeous! Which kind is that?


    : O
     
  15. robv187

    robv187 Member

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    Thank you so much hbl :D I'm really excited, i bet you are too, just waiting to see if they'll sprout. I know that there is a chance that they won't due to the seeds not being viable, but i have faith in you. How are the japanese magnolias coming along? Did you start any other seeds btw? If you can get more then 1 seed to sprout, i would like you to keep it for yourself, or even share with anyone, even shearme as I owe him still and i'm sure he'd like a dwarf pink banana.

    Question by the way :P I did something i never tried before...my garden bed in my backyard, its a very hard clay soil now (a long time ago it was probably top soil), and there are things still growing in it, but.... if i started a seed i know the roots couldn't penetrate or establish. I have about 10 black cherry seeds, and what i did is i took about a few inches of good soil, and placed it in the garden, and buried the seeds 1/2 inch in it like the instructions said. Normally it needs cool moist statification for 4 weeks, then 1-3 months in warm 70 F conditions, But it said it can be directly sown in fall for a spring sprout. I don't know if what i did is right lol, its only one seed so i thought, why not try it? Even though its fall, did i do this too early? With all the rain were getting now (as i type this even), i hope it wont wash the seed away. Any thoughts anyone? Black cherry tree would be too cool.
     
  16. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    What you did is great, Rob! There's a good chance they may come up in Spring. If you can bury them in a more sheltered area where they won't get washed away by rains, this would be ideal.

    You could even lay some burlap over the area, or better yet, some mulch, then it doesn't matter where they're sown, because they will be protected. Remove the mulch in Spring and the seeds will likely pop. Fall leaves are an excellent mulch cover, so feel free to pile some over the area where your cherry seeds are.

    Yes, I am very excited to see your seeds sprout, and I have sown all of the banana seeds, all of the magnolia, and half of the Venus flytrap seeds too. So thrilling. I hope the Venus seeds pop no problem. You never know with eBay seeds, but we might get lucky let's hope.

    Yes, when and if some seeds sprout, we can work out exactly what you want, and I will send them along to you. Thank you for sharing with me.

    The magnolia tree seeds are in the fridge until October 25th, then they come out of the fridge and go on the heat mat. I understand they can take a couple of months too, so we have a bit of a wait for all of the seeds, but good things can come to those who wait - let's hope...


    : )
     
  17. ShearMe

    ShearMe Active Member

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    Rob, that is how it is done in the wild, but most people do it under controlled circumstances as to make absolute certain they will keep the plant and be able to move it to the right location once grown big and tall. I have some every-day maples that have grown in our backyard this year, but this was an especially good year - all types of things grew! I have one of those maples in a tin can, another in an old tea pot I would not have ever used for tea and another I had in a pot for awhile before I put it in another spot to fend for itself (it is still alive). Trees can survive and prosper even on their own power. I had a maple for several years growing on its own in a pot tossed aside - half filled with dirt - which grew with completely no human interaction. It was as straight as a ruler when I finally moved it to my backyard and finally into an ex-girlfriend's parents' backyard. I will be checking on it tomorrow as I drop some things off for her and use their scanner for my school band's website.

    HBL, that is the Ensete ventricosum Maurelii, I guess you didn't read all of what I posted; I asked if you wanted some aloe vera cuttings. Well? ;P

    I don't think the bay leaves are send-able through mail, no smell could be found held up to my nose nor could and taste be determined. Thanks for trying though. :)
     
  18. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    You must rub the leaves to release the smell, and the flavor is released when cooked in a dish for a couple hours. How did you taste it? The smell and flavor of my leaves is unmistakable so you are not doing something right.

    I think I might have seeds for that Ensete ventricosum Maurelii!!!! If I had known it was that gorgeous, I would have sown them sooner! Wow - ever look like a banana plant too. Just stunningly gorgeous.

    Yes, a number of tree seeds drop to the ground and germinate with or without our intervention, Rob, like ShearMe said, but if you're like me, and you like to mollycoddle all your seedling and plants, taking the time and making a special effort can really pay off.

    I like to make sure that things are just perfect, so that is how I approach my gardening, and I take the time to dote on everything and spoil things rotton. I find that squirrels can stomp on a lot of seedlings, and I now take measures so my seedlings are no longer destroyed by them.

    Be careful the same thing doesn't happen to your little tree sprouts next Spring. I would pot one up too, just for fun, to watch one grow in a container as well. I am hoping my JRM seeds pop soon...


    : )
     
  19. robv187

    robv187 Member

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    Thank you both for the advice, happy what i did is right. I never thought of mulch, that's a really smart idea actually, i have some red woodchip mulch in my garage i can put on it for protection.

    Funny you would mention squirrels HBL, i have a family of squirrels living in my backyard. They absolutely love my yard. We have a big pond and they like to crawl through the holes, they must have a network of tunnels. Could they possibly dig up and eat my black cherry seed? Or they more then likely like to nibble on a seedling? Those squirrels are cute but are up to no good, little devils, lol.
     
  20. ShearMe

    ShearMe Active Member

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    I'm not so sure they would eat up a cherry seed or seedling, but I guess you'll end up being your own judge of that in the end, Rob.

    HBL, I had my mom said she could smell them, maybe I'm just weird. :F
     
  21. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    Hi everyone,

    Popping in to say Hi.

    I am sooooo glad that you got my seeds Zac, thats great and enjoy.
    I would love an aloe cutting, if its not too much trouble, thats one plant i dont have.

    Hope everyone has a nice Sunday.
     
  22. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Oh yeah Zac, no I wouldn't need an aloe vera cutting, but thank you just the same.

    Ok, well I am glad your mom could smell them, because they are quite fragrant, and they can flavor up a dish beautifully. I send them to my grandmother all the time.

    : )
     
  23. Claudia6

    Claudia6 Member

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    Good morning everyone, It was supposed to start raining tomorrow but now has change for this afternoon :( so i have been working on my plants yesterday, i planted my palm tree and blueberry tree in bigger pots. I am getting ready for winter cause is coming then we think. How is everyone?
     
  24. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    And a very good afternoon from me lol 15.41 GMT

    One of those days when my appetite just won't be quelled..roll on tea-time lolol
     
  25. robv187

    robv187 Member

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    katalina, hi, long time since we last chatted. I'm at my college at the moment, just waiting for the shuttle bus and the long ride home. Just letting you know i haven't forgotten about you, the palm tree seeds havent come in yet, but i'm hoping that they will be in today when I arrive home. I'm really sorry for the wait, you too shearme but shearme's seeds will be in sooner. I promise to keep you updated, my mistake was buying from australia as its so far away from Canada.

    I'm alright claudia, and yourself? I'm a bit worried, todays weather has warnings on the weather network, my tree has enough water as it is and i am afraid the extra rain is more harm then good. What scares me the most is the wind, possibility of wind gusts up to 100 km/h at times, thats too strong for my tree as the roots havent had a chance to establish, when i get home i dont know what i have available, but I may need to look for something to stake the tree too. I noticed 20 minutes ago the wind was kind of choppy now even, maybe 40 Km/h.
     

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