Winter Sowing Update #3: Pansies

Pansy ('Super Chalon Giants' mix)

Of all my winter sown seedlings, the pansies gave me the most insight about the pros and cons of my winter sowing methods. The seeds were planted back in January, and the seedlings languished far too long in their flats before being hastily plugged into a layer of bark mulch in April. (Not to mention that in between, they were accidentally baked in their trays-- twice-- which killed off about 75% of the original quantity). By all rights, these plants probably should have been healthy and blooming back in late spring, but instead, it took them until mid-August to recover.

What I learned: 1) Pansies are easy to germinate via winter sowing, and seeds can be sowed thinly, provided they're relatively fresh, 2) but the seedlings have zero tolerance for the slightest bit of direct sunlight under plastic, and 3) one-and-a-half inches of soil just isn't enough!

Hindsight aside, the germination rate on these seeds was fantastic, and they're putting on a nice show now as the hydrangeas are fading. The two varieties I planted were 'Super Chalon Giants' mix (above, and at Flickr here and here) and 'Swiss Giants' mix. Despite the hardships I put them through, my $2 investment for two sale packets of seed paid off in over $40 worth of plants-- ordinary bedding pansies may only cost $1 - $2 each, but the cost can add up, and there are many unique varieties available from seed, all easy to grow.

Next year, I'll be more careful with my seedlings, and will plan on enjoying these colorful (and edible!) blooms from spring into early winter.

Winter Sowing Update #2: Delphinium 'Blue Bird'

Delphinium 'Blue Bird'

You may remember these delphiniums from back in March, when they were mere specks of green in a plastic deli rotisserie tray. Four months later, those tiny seedlings have turned into healthy plants-- almost 30 of them-- that are now sending up spires of these gorgeous blue-and-white flowers. I can't get the color in the photo just right-- it's much more vibrant in person.

I've always loved the name "delphinium," which sounds so much more elegant than the common name for the genus (larkspur). Getting prepared to post this photo gave me the opportunity to learn about the etymology, which I thought lovely: as it turns out, the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides saw dolphins in the shape of the flower buds, and named the plant "delphinion" accordingly. (The Latin name for the genus was later derived from the original Greek). Personally, I think of dolphins as graceful creatures, and wonder if Dioscorides found a kindred grace in the form of the delphinium. I believe I do.

On a less fanciful note, delphiniums are toxic to humans and animals, which is why they are not recommended for gardeners with pets or small children. Ingestion is likely to cause vomiting, respiratory and cardiac distress, motor system impairment, and in large quantities, death from asphyxia.

The moral of that morbid bit of trivia is (of course): enjoy your delphiniums in a vase, not on your dinner plate (like the one I used as a backdrop for this photo)!

Winter Sowing Update #1: Alpine Strawberries

Alpine Strawberries - 7/23/07

These poor strawberries never even received a passing mention here, so it's time to give them their due. Back in April, after most of my other winter sown seedlings had been transplanted to larger pots, I picked up a packet of alpine strawberry seeds at the store on impulse. I'd tried growing strawberries from seed before (with poor results), but thought they might be good candidates for winter sowing. It could have been a disaster if a heatwave had hit, but our April was quite cold and rainy, and the seeds germinated in about two weeks, to my delight.

It was a month before I transplanted the seedlings to a larger pot (the strawberry pot seen here), by which time it was almost too late; the roots had really taken off in the shallow bakery tray in which they'd been planted. To untangle the seedlings from one another, the roots had to be almost completely exposed. I spread the roots out as best I could in the fresh soil and hoped I hadn't killed my new babies.

Their fate seemed uncertain, but I kept the faith by watering the seedlings carefully and daily, and am pleased to say that about six weeks after transplant, they seem to have made a full recovery. I really love this container! Given, since alpine strawberries don't produce runners, the point of planting them in a strawberry pot is probably lost-- but the plants seem happy, so I'm happy, too!

P.S. You can see what they looked like one month ago here.

Upgrade time

Wintersown larkspur seedling

Remember all those wintersown containers that I started back in January and revisited in March? Well, I finally got around to transplanting them into larger containers this past week. They're so much happier now, and they're already starting to take advantage of the extra root space. I can't wait to plant them out in the garden.

The wintersown plants weren't the only ones to receive an upgrade. Some petunias that were outgrowing their plug trays have been moved to 4" pots, along with about 10 extra parsley seedlings (I have a feeling I'll be giving away parsley this year, along with the extra cabbage starts). My second batch of tomato seedlings were upgraded to quart-sized yogurt containers, and actualy looks as if they might catch up to their older siblings being hardened off outside.

I neglected to mention that the majority of my vegetable seedlings are out in the garden now, with only the truly tender summer plants (tomatoes, peppers, and squash) still being hardened off or sheltered indoors. For some reason, it just hasn't sunk in that tomorrow is our "safe date" for planting-- even those crops will have to be planted out this week.

Where does the time go?