Seeds Sown

[ralphrmartin]

Well, the warm weather prompted me to get out and sow my seeds this weekend. There's about 160 packets gone in, and only one pot tipped all over the floor in my excitement...

Propagator

Seeds in pots

[SpikyMike]

Well, the warm weather prompted me to get out and sow my seeds this weekend....

WOW!!!

[Tony R]

Well done, Ralph!
How are last year's set coming along?

[el48tel]

What-a-lot-of-pots!

[uzbeck]

Wonderful, such an exciting time. I only ever managed to sow 24 pots each year. Have stopped for a few years - the consequence of potting on about 5 years worth of seedlings in an 8 x 8 greenhouse. It is a bit of a squeeze.

[Peter]

Just think, Ralph - so many labels written to date, but so very many in the future!

[ralphrmartin]

How are last year's set coming along?

Some of the seed was up to 3 years old, and not kept in ideal conditions, so I only had germination in about 1/2 the pots. I'm hoping for rather better this year.

However, the ones which did germinate have generally done pretty well. Some of them did so well they have already been distributed via my sales and swaps page, and I am wondering if I might even get some flowers on some of the Rebutias at just over a year old...

They really took off after I transferred them out of the propagator in a mineral mix, into the fresh air and my "usual" mix.

[ralphrmartin]

Just think, Ralph - so many labels written to date, but so very many in the future!

These were all printed on my P-Touch printer - but the spares will have hand-written labels. Time to go and buy another box of pens.

Is it just me - or do other people think Sharpie pens are not as good as they used to be? Labels written with them seem to fade quite quickly these days, and I think they used to last better. Or is it just "good old days" syndrome at work? Can anyone recommend a brand of pen which produces long-lasting labels? (Yes, I know, get a pencil, but they don't write too well on the glossy labels I buy).

[Tony R]

Can anyone recommend a brand of pen which produces long-lasting labels? (Yes, I know, get a pencil, but they don't write too well on the glossy labels I buy).

I use STABILO® Write-4-all® Permanent Marker - Black F when I need an 'inked-label'.

[MikeDom]

I went off in a similar vein on Saturday afternoon after 48 varieties of seed arrived in 2 orders in the morning. Mainly succulents, of course. I'm pleased to report that this morning the Hoodia parviflora and Adenium obesum have started coming up, less than 48 hours after sowing. The difference I think that works (similar to that which Ralph mentioned in the Germination Chamber post) is that the soil is sopping wet and kept in a bag for the first 2 days, then the bag is removed and the pot allowed to slowly dry at 24 Deg C. Works very well for me, I don't go with keeping the soil just damp. I tend to think it mimics that first heavy rain of the growing season. It's many years since I had any damping off using this method.

That's Phase 4 of seed sowing completed. The Othonna and Tylecodon seeds are basking in night time temperatures that dropped to 2.8 Deg C last night and rose to 17.2 Deg C today in the unheated greenhouse. They have plants of both species growing alongside them and doing very well, as long as the frosts are not too severe they don't mind. Repeat again tonight and we should see some germination soon.