Transplanted Seedlings

Transplanted seedlings

Last Thursday on the 15th I transplanted some seedlings. I really wanted to have these trailing plants to mix with other containers but everything else is full. For now they will be together until new homes open up for them. Soon there should be some free containers. These by the way are lobelia crystal palace and rock soapwort. There are still a few seedlings in the trays. I'm just waiting for them to get a tad bigger before I go on vacation on Friday.

Before transplanting:

Lobelia

Lobelia

Rock Soapwort

Rock Soapwort


Knotweed seedling

Like I mentioned above there are some containers about to free up. The snapdragons are looking drab and their leaves are a pale color. The Grape Hyacinths have stopped blooming, and if they haven't their blooms aren't looking good anymore. The pansies are still blooming but it's just looking scraggly and worn down. The one pot with heavenly angles mix peony poppy seedlings will be emptied since the seedlings are not making it. That's all. That frees up about 6 containers for me to put new things in. Most of the containers are 4" though but it's still more containers and more space to fill up.

The Seedling Gang

Statice Sinuata Blend seedlings in their tray before being transplanted.

I really wanted to post today about the great surprises I got over the past couple of days. Instead I'll update on the seedlings since some have been transplanted yesterday into bigger containers. I know if I don't post now about the seedlings then soon you will all see them grown up and wonder when did that happen and so will I in the future when I look back.

Statice was transplanted into it's own pot. I transplanted all but 2 which were smaller then the others. I thought I would give them some time to grow up and maybe they will get in a pot with some lobelia or rock soapwort once they are bigger. The Statice got big fast. It seemed everyday they were just growing and growing. I couldn't procrastinate any longer on transplanted them. They clearly needed a bigger space to grow better.

After work yesterday since I was close to my favorite nursery and bookstore I went shopping. First stop was half price books to see if they had anything I might want that was not too expensive. I found a wonderful book after much searching. It's called smallgarden: ideas for balconies, terraces & backyards by john brookes. Really it's just more about the small backyards then balconies and terraces. I loved all the pictures in the book that provides a lot of inspiration and ideas. I wish it had more on balconies though. It had two pages and the balconies were those bare ones with a few pots of 1 or 2 plants. Sure it looks good for like a hotel or something but not for a gardener.

Then I went to my nursery and looked around at plants. This has to be the first time I didn't buy any plants but just what I intended on getting in the first place. I didn't even buy seeds! I got some potting soil. They had a new brand from Austin that is organic and all that jazz. I purchased it to try it out because anything made locally is a good thing, right? Well so far it looks like good potting soil I'll have to see how the plants like it. And I got some perlite too since I ran out. I really need soil moist for when I go on vacation for about 2 weeks. I was about to get a hummingbird feeder since I have seen them around. Now I am wishing I had and not passed it by.


Bunny Tails Grass

Enough about that, back to the seedlings. The Bunny Tails Grass is starting to grow faster and get more blades going. I transplanted it into a rectangular pot with the nemesia and laurentia. I'm hoping it will do okay but it really had hardly any roots at all. I'm not even sure how it is standing in the soil right now.


Nemesia

The Nemesia has long been overdue for a transplant. I think where I put the pot that I transplanted it in is not a good location for it. The Nemesia is dry at the end of it's leaves and I assume maybe from the sun. I don't think it will make it in the container but at least I try.


Rock Soapwort

These did not get tranplanted. They are still small but are starting to grow more now. The Rock Soapwort was stalled for a bit. It takes a while for these seeds to germinate. I had sown more after the first time because I didn't get anything to sprout. Now I have about 6 of them and every once in awhile another one will germinate. I do have a surprise seed in one of the cells that is not a rocksoapwort and I'm not sure what it could be. It might have been something I previously had sown in those cells that did not germinate at all. I can't remember what I had in it's place, maybe cascade petunia or gazania kiss rose?


Lobelia Crystal Palace

I'm in love with these little Lobelia seedlings. Their little round leaves are just so cute. They were also slow to germinate but now I keep getting new little sprouts. Each cells has around 2 when before I only had 2 or 3 to begin with. These did not get transplanted either since they are still tiny.


Big Mountain Parsley

Here are the big boys. This parsley has really taken off in the month that it has been in it's new container. I swear everyday these look bigger and bigger. I tasted some and they are great but haven't used them to cook yet. I just don't have the heart to cut their growing when they are doing so good.

Wordless Wednesday: Seedlings

Phlox seedlings growing slowly in the forest of grape hyacinth foliage.

Seedling Update: Green Thumb Sunday

Dimorphotheca African Moon all grown up.

I'm going to start with the big guys. This post is mainly for myself so I can have the dates down for my seeds in one place. Plus I'll give some information because I tend to forget after a while. The seedlings that were once small are now huge. The Dimorphotheca African Moon first seedling is huge. The others that were transplanted are getting there but not as big yet. Dimorphotheca aurantiaca African Moon likes dry areas and good for containers. It's an annual and attracts bees and butterflies. Also it self sows it's self and will flower in late spring/summer. Dimorphotheca aurantica likes full sun and will get around 12" tall.


Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Mix all grown up.

The Gaillardia's are large now. They are the same size as the Dimorphotheca. The 2 or 3 pots are looking good but one is pot the Gaillardias are larger. They seems to like their section in the partial shadow of some pots. Gaillardia pulchellsa gets around 20" tall, likes full sun and hot areas, is good for containers and cut flowers.


Myrtle Spurge

My Myrtle Spurge is starting to get new leaves. I'm surprised I got the turn out I did from them. I wasn't expecting many or any seeds to sprout. For some reason I just thought that. Now I have around 7 seedlings. Euphorbia myrsinites likes full sun, likes it dry, gets around 12" tall or shorter, self seeds, blooms march - april, is a perennial, and is considered invasive in some areas. Planted in bonsai pots on 3-26-08 and sprouted on 3-30-08.


Rock Soapwort.

I purchased the Rock Soapwort because I wanted some trailing plants. I seemed to always pick the plants that are fillers and not thrillers or spillers. It took a while for the seeds to germinate but now there are 3 sprouts and probably more on the way. Saponaria ocymoides is a perennial that normally blooms in it's second year, it likes full sun to part shade. Good for rock gardens, hillsides, ground cover, containers, and hanging baskets. Saponaria ocymoides gets around 12" high or shorter, can withstand dry periods, likes light well drained soil, and reseeds. planted in flat on 3-28-08 and sprouted 4-7-08. Planted more on 4-6-08 has not yet sprouted.

I'll leave the rest for next time. This has taken me longer then I thought it would. Happy GTS!


Join

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

New Seeds Have Sprouted

Mt Fuji Morning Glory

I planted many seeds on 3-28-08. There were new seed packets I bought and seed packets from the end of last year. I planted some seeds of seedlings that didn't make it over the winter and some that didn't germinate a few months ago.

The Mr Fuji Morning Glory I sowed popped up on 4-1-08. It only took a few days. I do have some growing but when they were inside something happened and they lost all their leaves. Since then they haven't really showed any sign of being good plants one day. Now I get to see what this new seedling will do. Hopefully it will fair better since it doesn't have to be inside.


Statice Sinuata Blend

My statice seedlings were the first of the new seeds to sprout. I'm excited one of my taller plants germinated. I have a habit of picking short plants for my balcony. That doesn't make a lot of interest so I made an effort to pick taller plants to grow. I've never heard of Statice or seen it. I'm not sure that I really like the appearance of the plant. All I know is that it is tall, drought tolerant, heat tolerant, likes full sun, good for cut flowers, and is a perennial here. I'm surprised so many germinated. I might have to do some trading of these extra plants.


Heavenly Angels Peony Poppy Mix

One little sprout has shown up of the Peony Poppy 4-2-08. I bought a mix that had a dark purple, white, pink, and red mix. I did grow these before but something happened to them inside while awaited the danger of frost to pass. They were doing good and growing well even though slowly then one day they just all dried up. I think they don't like to be disturbed. There were a few instances that the little peat pot fell over and the seedlings were disturbed.


Venus Poppy

There are many sprouts of Venus Poppy 4-2-08. This is another one that did well but it didn't make it. Possibly for the same reasons of being tipped over and disturbed. Now that the Poppies have a nice home outside in pots that shouldn't be in danger they should do fine, hopefully.


Nemesia Mello Red and White

This is strange. The Nemesia is doing well. The small seedling was actually the first to germinate. The largest seedling was the last one to germinate. I'm not sure what happened to have one grow so rapidly and the other not so much. The first to germinate also go really long and I'm not sure why.


Myrtle Spurge

Many of Myrtle Spurge seedlings came up. I'm excited to see how these transform into the grown plant. I never would have guessed that the seedlings would look like this. The Myrtle Spurge seeds were sown on 3-26-08 and sprouted 3-30-08

Other seeds that have germinated but don't have the pictures uploaded for:

Hare's Tail Grass- Sprouted on 4-3-08

Hyacinth Bean- planted on 3-27-08 and sprouted on 4-2-08...another seed planted on 4-2-08

Lavender Dwarf Hidcote- Sprouted on 4-4-08

Green Thumb Sunday Seedling Update

Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Mix seedlings

My seedlings have been coming along. It's been almost a month now since they have been planted. I really should get the bigger ones out of there and into something bigger. I only have 4 pots, 3 small 4 inch, and one 6 or 8 inch. Really that should be enough to pot what I have. I'm thinking I'll do that in a bit and see how it goes.


Dimorphotheca seedlings

My African Daisies (Dimorphotheca aurantiaca) are doing great. I got the one big seedling that has been growing for 1 month now. A week ago I believe I planted some more. The one seedling was the only one that germinated so I decided to try again. This time I followed what I read online and just very slightly covered them so they wouldn't get blown away. Now I have many more seedlings popping up and getting ready to grow. The first time I planted them I think I stuck them in too deep.


Nemesia seedling

The Nemesia is growing slowly. I have 3 seedlings of Nemesia. One seedling is quite elongated and I'm not sure why. Maybe it just needs to go into a bigger pot but it's not that big. It looks like the one pictured but with a longer stem on it.


Parsley seedlings

My Parsley seedlings have their true leaves now. They are funny frilly edged leaves. I'm glad that I got these as a freebie. I love parsley and use it constantly on my pasta. Pasta just doesn't taste right if it doesn't have parsley. I hope that these do well once the heat and sun get going.


Laurentia seedlings

Never did anything come from the first batch of laurentia I planted. I tried again when I replanted the Dimorphotheca seeds. There are two little seedlings in this one plug. None of the other have come out. I'll try again another month when it gets warmer.


Join

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

Good Morning!

Good Morning Grasshopper!

Out on my balcony many things were out and already enjoying the day. I looked out at the sunny but windy day and saw the world awakening. Many of the plants around my apartment are growing already. There are tons of weeds in the grass that are multiplying fast. There is one weed I don't know the name of that I find rather pretty. It has interesting round leaves with a frilly edge. Then these little purple flowers come out but disappear quickly. I'm all for having naturalized native plants since my containers don't really allow them to spread as if I had a yard. The Evening Primrose is a weed here that I always look for on my morning walks. I don't see it as much as I used to.

Even though it was windy last night none of my plants tipped over like they usually do. I did the quick glance around and spotted the grasshopper on my window screen. Well good morning grasshopper. At least it will be a good morning if you don't fly at me! And it didn't, so it was a good morning. Large flying insects coming at me are not something I enjoy. I'm still getting used to the bees that like to get way to close for comfort. Now instead of giving a little squeal when a bee gets close to my head, I just stay there and wait it out hoping I don't get smacked in the eye.


Good Morning Grape Hyacinths!

Well after hoping that a grasshopper didn't fly at me I looked at my little seedlings. As I always do many times a day inspect the seedlings for any new growth. All those that are up are growing fast now. The fastest seedlings of them all are the sweet peas. They are just about 2 pushing on 3 inches tall. Yesterday I spotted my Parsley Big Mountain seeds growing. I had reseeded some of my seed flat since somethings were not popping up. Parsley was one that I reseeded a few seeds and they appeared the next day. Now I have around 4 parsley seedlings. I'm still wishing the Delphinium would pop up, but nothing. I reseeded some gazania and got a sprout about to pop out of the dirt. There was a gazania seedling before but something happened to it and it didn't make it for very long.


Peaking out of the foliage.

My Grape Hyacinths are getting ready to put on a great show. Some are showing some of their blooms already and others are just peaking out of their foliage. The ones I planted in the bowl for forcing aren't showing anything yet. I'm just guess their timers for blooming got set back from not having adequate light inside. Maybe they will put on a show after the others have started up.


Good Morning plants! Keep growing!

Green Thumb Sunday Seedlings

Osteospermum African Moon

Love seedlings more then anything about gardening. I check on my seed flat and other pots obsessively all day long. Already today I have check them about 5 times and I've only been awake for 4 hours. Those little sprouts of life captivate me in ways I can't explain. Seeing them grow one day to the next gets me even more excited for the next day. Yet it's always heartbreaking when I can't get seeds to grow. The first seedling I see from the batch of seeds I have sown gives me a great feeling. My husband never understand why I get so thrilled when I see a seed pop up. He especially doesn't understand why I must tell him and show him when he really doesn't care. I don't care if he doesn't care I'll show him and drag him to it anyways.

My one seedling of Osteospermum African Moon has got it's true leaves. There is another sprout about to pop out. The other 7 plugs of Osteospermum African Moon have no sign of growing. My thought is I planted the seeds to deep. I have plenty more seeds to plant of those though. There came bunches in the package more then any other seeds I have received. Maybe they just don't have a high germination rate which is why they provide so many in the package.


Nemesia Mello Red and White

My nemesia has one large seedling and 3 others starting to sprout up. They are slowing making there way up and maybe more will sprout soon. I'm surprised these sprouted at all really since they showed no signs for a few weeks. Now they are peaking their heads out of the soil. I really should have researched these before purchasing them because I'm not sure if they will do well in this weather. I'm still such a newbie and know that I really should read up more then just the zone that things live in. My balcony is a hot box gets SW sun pretty much all day. It really starts to sizzle by 1pm and most things I don't think will survive the heat. I'm always making an effort to look for things that are heat and drought tolerant. My containers dry up faster then I ever thought they would. I need to invest in some water retaining stuff to add to my containers so I don't have to water them 2 times a day or everyday. I don't mind though it just gives me an excuse to inspect my seedlings and plants.


Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Mix Seedlings

Most of my 9 Gaillardia plugs in the flat have sprouted. As you can see there is even more then one per plug. I really should thin them out but I'm a wuss. I might just do it later when they are larger and actually plant those extra ones somewhere else. I can't bear to through out perfectly good seedlings. For my Herbaceous Plants class when we had to thin out our seedlings I knew I had a feeling to wait longer. But I went with what the teacher said and what everyone else did and thinned out my flat. Well the next week when I check on my seeds I only had 3 Laura Bush Petunias when I had many more before. I guess I didn't thin out the strongest one. I suspect that it was more the lack of water my flat gets because the caretakers don't water mine enough. Sad.


Join
Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.