I started my geranium and pansy seeds right before Christmas and had an excellent germination rate on the geraniums and so-so on the pansies. So, I know Spring is on its way now. It is only a matter of 3 more months...as long as we survive the extreme cold coming this next week. new seed geraniums for spring ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Pansies pansies for Spring ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Geraniums geraniums 2014 ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden )
As the search for spring wades its way through the foot high snow and bundles against the biting cold I will remind new seedlings of what they should aspire to be with your picture. Jerry
Now I'm itching to start planting seeds too. However, I know if I do it now they'll never survive so I'd best wait for a few weeks yet. I'll sit on my hands to resist the temptation.
Those Geraniums look fabulous! I have never grown them from seed, only cuttings. Will they bloom as quickly as a cutting would?
It's only 15 degrees here, but I'm chopping at the bit to start seeds. Need to check cold frame and see what survived.
Jerry, I hear that is becoming an increasingly popular thing to do. I heard about it hear on the stew... Jane was going to do that for her girls on an egg she saw here. Cheryl...They are an easy start seed, even your sheltered lean to would keep them warm enough, but as soon as you have decent weather you could start them on a heating pad on and get them going. It is much more economical than buying a bunch of geraniums, unless you are looking for a bunch of different colors, or you can find a packet of one called "paintbox mix" or similar. I found them one time a few years ago on a seed rack somewhere. Thanks droopy...the coldest weather ever (for our area) is coming....-15f for Monday night. Netty, Seed geraniums are easy and germinate well. The seeds must be fresh. I buy new ones each year and try to only buy what I need. I normally buy them by the 100 per variety.. They are not as early to bloom as cuttings, but I don't have to worry about having a propagation license. so starting this way and growing for a few extra months is worth the effort for me. In the large tray there are about 500 seedlings. in the other tray there is a little less than 100. Donna, I totally understand. It is wahoo...12f here right now, but with wind chills of -0 today from the wind. and colder yet to get here. I am thinking anything in the unheated greenhouses won't survive this monday-wed. weather.
Carolyn: I have been around gardenstew sometime ago and am just coming back. Please excuse my question if there are repeatative, I'm in Mich did you start these geranium in a heated greenhouse? if so hats off to you. I have a glass greenhouse and an open greenhouse, neither of which I can get to at the moment. I start any and all my seeds inside the house. I have started 3 herbs from seed and so far they seem to be doing well under grow lights. Will you be selling these as well as I see you have started many of them? Please excuse the questions, just trying to catch up. moderator's note: corrected Chatspeak see point 3.2 of usage rules
Hi Petunia...ask away! I have 3 greenhouses and 3 high tunnels that I grow in. I have one of my greenhouses as a leanto greenhouse attached to my house. We have a glass block window that we knocked out and put a fan in to blow the warmer air from the basement (where the wood burning furnace is at) into the greenhouse. We don't have any access from the house to the greenhouse other than to go outside and through the door into the greenhouse. We then wired a 220 outlet into there for a 220v heater to supplement the heat for night time. So,yes, it is heated but kept on the cool side. Usually not over50 unless the sun is shining. I grow plants to sell in the spring from a roadside stand and I also do farmers markets all summer long. My husband (who never gardened willingly before in his life) seems to enjoy finding the used structures on the internet (usually Craigs list) taking them down and putting them back up for me. We have gone from Cleveland to Columbus for houses so far. So, I get to grow almost year round here in northern Ohio. Last year we picked 300 pints of strawberries from the high tunnel before the strawberries even had green berries on them outside. I picked the last of the tomatoes in the greenhouse in November and had about a bushel of tomatoes to do something with, but most of them were green and I ended up making green tomato salsa..it was fabulous. I will make that again. Don't hesitate to go look through my garden albums. There are many pictures in there that you can "catch up" with. Don't hesitate to ask questions on anything in there either.
That is so neat that you can grow things like that in the winter. I'd like to have a greenhouse someday, but I don't think my backyard could hold both a greenhouse and a garden. I'd buy some in the spring if I was around there.
Looking good, C. You are getting a good start there. I always look with interest at how your gardening will develop and what all you harvest to sell at the markets. I especially like it when you show shots of the markets. the stalls, the folks--I like getting a 'feel" of the atmosphere there at the markets. Anyway--great begin. I will be ordering seeds later on this month. Til now, I have to be content with my Bocking 14 cuttings.
Thanks S, Maybe this year I will do better at getting mote photos up for you to see. (I am not familiar with your bocking cuttings, but I did just see a hugelculture video on Youtube and the man was talking about using comfry in the process and that eventually in the forest it would die out from the shade. It sounds like I don't want to take my chances though, huh?)
Looking very good carolyn keiper. I didn't start my seeds yet. I didn't realize that you did it that early. Guess I can still do it for I am not going to sell them. They will be just for me. Agreeeee, more pics please. Wanna see the glass greenhouses...Please??
