When to Start Seeds Indoors

I'm sure you've been getting seed catalogs since December as I have, and it's time to make decisions on what, if any, seeds you'll start indoors. If you don't have a lot of space, one packet might be more than you need. If so, partner up with a family member, friend or neighbor and swap seed packets once you've taken out what you need. Below are suggested times for starting various flowers, herbs and vegetables. Use this to give you an idea of what you may want to sow indoors this year.

January:

-Lisianthus takes up to 17 weeks indoors...it has beautiful blooms in white, and various shades of pink, lavender, or deep purple. It's also known as Texas bluebell, Prairie Gentian or simply bluebells. Gerbera daisies also need a lot of time to grow, and should be started in January.

Early February:
-geraniums, pansies, violas or wax begonias

-onions, leeks

Mid February:
-impatiens, larkspur, fountain grass, lobelia and stocks

-celery

Early March:
-coleus, dahlia, gazania, heliotrope, petunias, rudbeckia, snapdragons, verbena

-broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, head lettuce

Mid March:
-bells of Ireland, candytuft, cleome, pinks, hollyhock, African marigold, nicotiana, phlox, salvia, statice, strawflower, sweet alyssum

-peppers, eggplant

Early April:

aster, babys breath, bachelor buttons, balsam, calendula, cornflower, four o'clocks, marigolds, morning glory, nasturtium, moss rose

Tomatoes

Mid-April:
cosmos, sweet peas, zinnias,

Obviously I didn't include all flowers, herbs and vegetables in this list. I tried to get the most popular plants included. I do have to say that there are flowers I always sow outside without fail as soon as the heavy frosts have left. They are: nasturtium, morning glory, calendula, bachelor buttons, sunflowers, and zinnias.

This should give you an idea of which seeds you can start indoors and when you need to do it. I've also blogged on previously on seed starting:

Seed Starting Tips

Starting Tomato Seeds Indoors

Damping Off Solutions

Sowing Tiny Seeds

~Brenda

Great Grandmothers in the Garden

Last week I didn't post because my husband's grandmother passed away, and we were staying with his parents for the funeral and afterwards. She was 88 years old, loved to cook, garden and read, which meant we had a lot in common. We didn't always agree on things, but after I got to know her, I was able to tease her about it rather than feel insulted or hurt. She gave me one of my first herb plants and told me it was chamomile. Later, I figured out it was feverfew, but I could never convince her of that. She loved her spearmint, and let it run wild by her back door. She also loved Tall Phlox, which she grew on one entire side of her garage.


The day after the funeral, I was given one of her old garden books that she kept on a side table in her living room. It's well worn with use, and I'm sure she picked it up at a thrift store because she loved finding bargains. The book is The Old Dirt Dobber's Garden Book by Thomas A. Williams, copyright 1944. I wanted to share a few of the tips today in honor of Grandma Dorothy. I will miss our garden talks more than anything else. These are from a chapter entitled Just Rambling Around.

Evergreens

In spite of good care, an occasional arborvitae, juniper, pine or cedar will become so ragged and ill-shaped that it destroys the beauty of planting. These trees are not generally pruned severely, but in cases like this a drastic treatment is the only recourse. If you decide to prune these, don't stop half-way; cut the top on-third out and prune the side growth at least half way back.

Irises Indoors

Any of the dwarf or intermediate bearded irises may be dug in late winter when the ground is frozen hard, put into pots and brought into excellent bloom in the window garden. Pack the soil well into the pot when it thaws out indoors, put them in a sunny window and water well every three days. One gardener wrote that by following this method she had twelve kinds in bloom at Easter.

Snapdragons

Many reports have come from different parts of the country telling how gardeners protect the plants of snapdragons during the winter so that they will bloom much earlier the next year. In the south and midsouth a heavy covering of leaves is piled over the pruned plants and left until late spring. In colder sections, a box, basket or hamper in turned over the plants, stuffed with leaves and soil and then hilled around with a mound of soil to keep the air from getting underneath. This protection if taken off in early spring. A few degrees of frost do not damage the plants.

Morning Glories in Winter

Every window gardens needs trailing vines, and the regular morning glories may be brought into fine bloom during winter. Plant the seeds in pots of good soil during late summer. Given them plenty of moisture and heat and they will come up in a few days. Set the pots in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden, where they will continue to grow until time to take them indoors. Don't wait too long; carry them in a week or two before frost is expected.

Years ago I had asked Grandma Dorothy if I could share a few of her recipes on OFL, and she agreed. These were the only ones she could give me exact measurements on:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/grandma-recipes.html

~Brenda

Buying Bargain Blooms & Deadheading

This time of the summer you're going to find many markdown prices and clearances on plants. It's a great time to take advantage of inexpensive annuals that will perk up your landscape from now until late fall. Don't buy annuals that aren't hardy to your area that won't keep blooming. If you aren't sure, then ask someone at the nursery or store. Here are a few things to watch out for when choosing bargain plants:

1. Buy only for your location-- don't buy shade plants for a flower bed in the full sun. This time of year the sun is hot, and they'll do terribly.

2. A little bit of brown that can be cut off the plant is okay, but don't buy a plant that is too wilted or has more than a few brown leaves.

3. Don't buy plants that have any sign of disease like black on the leaves/stems or a white powdery substance on the plant.

3. Bring home your plant and cut off the brown leaves, deadhead the blooms and plant immediately, but as gently as possible, using plenty of water in the hole. Fill in the dirt without packing it too tightly, and water well.

Last week I bought petunias and snapdragons on sale. I brought them home, deadheaded, trimmed off the brown and planted them the same day I bought them. I took pictures of the seedpods, and buds to show you the difference.

This picture is a petunia that needs to be snipped off the part of the plant that has already bloomed and it's forming seeds. See that area in the middle of the four leaf sections? That's where the seed forms, so it needs to be pinched or cut off. The top of the picture shows a bud that is almost ready to open and next to it a small green bud that still has a ways to go. Notice the green at the base of those are closed, not open like the one where the seed is forming.


This next picture is a snapdragon seed pod. These are very easy to distinguish from the buds forming because they have that odd "antenna" on the top of each one. These need to be pinched off of the plant. If they aren't, then once the buds that have formed have bloomed, the plant will stop making flowers and only make seeds. Even if the entire plant is full of the "antenna" pods, once you pinch them all off it will start forming buds again, right up until a hard frost in the fall.

There is a lot of time left for annuals to bloom, and it's a shame not to take advantage of the great prices out there. Spend a little time inspecting the plants before you buy them, and a little more time deadheading and cleaning them up at home. You'll have a lot of added color for very little money.

If anyone has questions on deadheading certain plants please leave a comment or email me.

~Brenda

Flowering Plants Grown From Corms

Last week we talked about the different types of "bulbs", including corms, which are about the size of a bulb and very similar. When buying corms try to get ones that look full, rather than those that are flattened and very dry.

Flowers that come from corms include:

Gladiola
Crocosmia
Brodiaea (clusterlily)
Crocus
Freesia
Liatris

Today I have a few quick tips on a few of the corms on the list.

Gladiola: I grow gladiolas every year, and love the beautiful colors. They are fairly inexpensive to buy as well. It's important you wait until ALL frost has passed, and the soil has warmed before planting. Work the soil up and plant the glad corms about 4 inches deep. I plant mine next to a wooden fence because sometimes they do need to be held up if it's too windy. Don't let the soil dry out completely, but don't keep the ground soggy either. Mulch can help keep the soil from drying out. Glads prefer full sun, and don't do well is shade.

Liatris: Blazing Star is a tall thin flower with many small, usually lavender colored blooms that open from the top down. Butterflies love liatris, which is one reason it's so popular. It's also very drought tolerant, and hardy to Zone 5. It can be grown from seed or you can buy corms and plant them in the spring for summer bloom. They are very easy to grow, in a fairly fertile soil, where they aren't soggy. Plant the corms in loose soil about 4 inches deep, water and mulch. Liatris also prefer full sun.

Crocosmia: Is also known as Montbretia, and is tropical in appearance with bright colors in oranges and yellows much like Cannas. The corms can be planted in the spring after all frost has passed for a summer bloom. They are hardy to Zone 5 when planted in a more sheltered spot and mulched. Like Liatris and glads the soil needs to be fertile and worked so it's loose. It should never be soggy nor so dry it cracks. Add compost to the soil to loosen it before planting the corms. Many gardeners combine them with liatris.

All three of these flowers are easy to grow, and a welcome addition to any garden, whether in the city or the country.

~Brenda

Bulbs, Tubers, Rhyzomes & Corms, Oh My.

Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day. ~W. Earl Hall

Many of us are still patiently waiting for our fall planted bulbs to bloom. While we wait, it's time to plan spring planting of summer blooming flowers. Many of these flowers are not hardy, which means they don't survive the cold winters under normal circumstances. It's also time to determine whether you want to divide or add to your supply of hardy bulbs, corms, tubers or rhizomes this year. What is the difference between bulbs and these other plant types?

Why aren't they all just called bulbs? A "bulb" is what a tulip or daffodil grows from. It's the rounded thing (for lack of a better word) that stores the flower which will eventually bloom. The pointy part is what the stem grows out of, and the flat bottom is where the roots will form. This is a simple definition for the others:

A corm is what a gladiola grows from each season. It looks like a bulb but has an indentation at the top, and a flattened part with roots at the bottom like a bulb.

A tuber is thinner and looks kind of like a carrot in some ways. The roots are at the bottom again, and the stem grows out of the top. If you've pulled up Queen Anne's lace it looks like this as do daylilies, both wild and cultivated.

A rhizome is what we plant to obtain the Iris. It's an ugly, long, thick root that lays sideways with one end bending upwards, which is where the stem appears. Rhizomes should always be planted fairly close the surface, unlike bulbs or corms which need to be planted fairly deep.

You don't really need to know these definitions to grow these type of flowers, but it helps to know the terms if you are reading articles or books on landscaping or planting instructions. Below are some of the most common type of summer blooming flowers that grow from bulbs, tubers, rhizomes or corms.

TENDER:
Caladiums
Cannas
Dahlias
Gladiola
Tuberous Begonias
Elephant's ear (Colocasia esculenta)

HARDY:
Lilies (Lilium spp.)
Rhizomatous Iris
Daylilies(Hemerocallis)
Lily of the-valley (Convallaria)
Blazing Star (Liatris)

You'll notice that most stores have large displays of these out for purchase already. I have planted and divided daylilies as early as April in my Zone 5 landscape, but most of the others should be planted AFTER the last frost in your area. Even if you can work the soil, the tender varieties should be planted after the frosts have finished. It's hard to be patient, but it is important to do so.

Next Monday I'll post more on planting and selecting the summer blooming flowers I've mentioned today.

On OFL we have an article on growing gladiolas.

~Brenda

Tomato Seed Starting Tips

I love the garden, and I love gardening. I feel about gardening the way I feel about stirring a pot of soup, canoeing in the rain, singing in a large group, holding a child in my arms, or swimming in the dark. It makes me feel human. ~Neenah Ellis

Depending on where you live, it's time to start your tomato seeds indoors. You can grow heirloom varieties in so many varied colors, shapes and sizes that it's worth the extra effort. Seeds will keep for about 3 years if you store them in a cool place, so you don't have to use an entire packet. Remember that some seeds may not germinate, or the seedlings may be weak, so plant extra, and you can thin them to save the strong ones.

You will want to start your seeds 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart in a sterile potting mix. Moisten the soil an hour or two before you start planting. Also, make sure you've washed and rinsed your flat or container in hot water. Cover the seeds lightly after pushing them in 1/4 inch. Either place the container in a plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap. The seeds will germinate in a week or so if the temperature is about 75 degrees-longer if it's cooler. A sunny window works well if you have room to place the containers there, otherwise you can use florescent lights and keep the room warm. One tidbit I discovered is that you need to keep tomato seedlings away from ALL natural gas. Don't place them near a gas stove or furnace. Even a tiny amount can kill young plants.

Once the seeds germinate and sprout keep the temperature around 70 degrees, remove the plastic and water regularly. When the second set of leaves appear on your seedlings transplant them to 4" peat pots, planting them a little deeper than they had been- you can also use yogurt containers or small pots. If they seem a little spindly to you then plant them quite deep-almost up to the leaves. Give the seedlings as much sun or light as possible. If you are using florescent lights keep them about 6 inches from the plants, turning on for about 18 hours or so a day. Don't use a full strength fertilizer-cut it by half or use a natural one. I like using fish water from our fish tank to water. You can buy fish emulsion also.

Frugal notes: you don't need fancy flats with domes on them. You can use egg cartons, salad or bakery container, etc. Just make sure to poke holes for drainage and set them on trays! Drainage is super important before and after they are transplanted.

MORE: Planting information and tomato recipes!
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/tomato.html