#seed germination

[balkanradfem]

Growing seeds in my apartment continued post! Click here if you want to read the last one.

Last time I left off with putting tons of seeds in damp paper towels, and I also posted a guide on how I prepare the soil for them. This is how the germination process went:

I checked the paper towels the next day, and basil was already germinating, so I just transported it to a cup quickly, nothing else had germinated yet. Then, 2 days later, we had a lot of random germination!

I found some germinated okra, kale, basil, few big tomatoes, and a whole lot of cherry tomatoes. You can see me here planting 2 seeds of okra in a 6-pot container. I didn't take a picture, but I had also planted one seed of basil, one of kale, and 3 of big tomatoes in there, I also planted an entire container of cherry tomatoes! Almost all of them germinated at once, in only 2 days, it was surprising how fast it happened! Keeping the bag of seeds on a radiator speeds things up considerably, I've never had germination this fast.

Also, since it's now a few days later, I can show you how these 2 containers came up:

Mostly everything came up, some cherry tomatoes might still push their way up, though I'd be perfectly happy with 8 cherry tomato plants in total. That tall grass-like thing is not something I planted on purpose, it could be a wheat seed that got lost in the compost, or something I just brought in from the forest, I'm leaving it in due to curiosity, I wanna see what happens.

Next day, the rest of okra germinated, and I put them into individual cups, was very surprised by the fact that my okra had 100% germination rate! It was seeds taken out of an okra I grew myself. We'll see how good they do.

So what happened next, is I had a very stressful day, filled with chores, to the point I didn't get to the seeds until late evening, when I remembered I was supposed to check. And of course, during that day, absolutely everything germinated, and not only that, but the roots grew so quickly they became entangled with the paper towels. Not ideal! It means I missed the optimal planting time, and the seeds might have a bit of trouble getting used to the soil and taking root in there, instead of paper towel. Stressed, I quickly planted everything.

Picture is dark because it was very late, and I was doing this on my kitchen floor. See how all of the roots are very long already, and some cups even have paper towels in them, because I couldn't wrench them out without breaking the roots? Some seeds will still make it and be alright, some of them started coming up the next day, so it wasn't a disaster.

The cup with many seeds in it is yellow tomatoes, I put them all together because at this point, I was already running out of soil, and I don't need lots of these plants, if 2-3 make it I'll be happy. The big container is planted full of big tomatoes, but there's also some kale, eggplant, and a ground cherry in there. I can transplant them out when they grow a few leaves. The rest of cups are basil, principe borghese (sauce tomato), cabbage, and kale.

The big tomatoes are my most important and treasured plant, and these were not planted ideally, so, just in case they did badly, I put a new batch of big tomato seeds germinate, I can never have too many because once they grow into transplants, I can share them around. Everyone wants big tomato plants if they're healthy.

So the only thing that had not yet germinated here in 4 days were peppers, and my batch of yellow pepper seeds did not germinate at all, which makes me a bit grumpy (not that I could germinate them any year), because they're capable of producing early, and I wanted to have some.

On the 5th day, however, red peppers started germinating! And ground cherries, finally. Here you can see me plant 2 varieties of red peppers, ground cherries, and some eggplant. The next day a whole lot more of red peppers germinated, so here I planted an entire big container of them. (at this point I already had prepared a new bucket of soil.)

(note: all of the seeds you see in this post had soil peppered on top of them afterwards, and were covered up, I only took pictures like this to show you the spacing!)

I've never grown eggplant very successfully, so I have nothing smart to say on it, but I am going to talk about ground cherries because I've strUGGLED with having them come out of the soil. The thing is, ground cherry seeds are teensy tinesy tiny, they're the tiniest little seed, so you can't plant them deep, right, that can't really push its way up a lot of soil. So you can only pepper a little bit of soil on top. But, this makes them vulnerable to drying out, the top of the soil is the first thing to dry out. So you have to keep spraying them, multiple times a day. They are literally so sensitive to drying out, if they're dry for 1 hour it's over. They're dead.

And the thing is, basil also has tiny seeds, right? But basil germinates and comes out of the soil rapidly. If you watch over it for 1 day, it's out and you're golden, it's makin roots down there, getting that water, all is good. But ground cherries take DAYS. They are fickly and even once they come out, if you leave them in the sun for 2 hours and they start feeling dry, they will also die. I can't even remember the amount of times I had a ground cherry seedling come out after meticulous care, only for it to die at the first sight of sun.

A good work-around for this, is to plant them in a sealed container, so the soil can't dry out, and your plant is good and happy in the damp conditions, unti it starts growing true leaves. (True leaves are sensitive to catching diseases when wet, so you want them to be in the clear air). However,, I forgot,, to ensure I had closed containers for this purpose,,, so now,,,  I have to be on strict ground-cherry watch if I want it to live.

So, everything I put to germination succeeded, except for yellow peppers, which never succeed, maybe the seeds I have are just too old or something, I'll try putting some directly in the soil to see if they prefer that. I still have a second batch of big tomatoes to plant, and then I'll start germinating herbs and flowers!

Here's how my plant shelf looks like now, with all of the plants that are out of the soil and need the sunlight:

It's still going very slow, since it's February and there's very limited amount of light in the day, but the last week we had sunny afternoons, and I've been bringing the plants in the direct sunlight in my bedroom, and it helped them a lot! Even just few hours of sunlight a day makes them stronger.

#gardening #growing from seed #growing food #seed germination #sowing seeds #growing transplants #plant starts #homegrown food

[awkward-fallen-angel]

I further document how quickly my seeds are growing. The cukes are going crazy.

#vegetables #home garden #home gown #gardening #seed germination #seedlings #plants #food

[cselandscapearchitect]

Unveiling the Desert's Charm: Growing Penstemons and Wildflowers in Queen Creek, Arizona

Transforming Arid Landscapes into Blossoming Gardens In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, amidst the dry, rugged landscape of Queen Creek, Arizona, lies the potential for a blooming oasis. The key to this transformation? A brilliant array of penstemons and native wildflowers. This article will guide you through selecting the best penstemons for the low desert and companion wildflowers to create a…

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#Desert Beardtongue #desert gardening #Desert Landscaping #Drought-Tolerant Plants #Eco-Friendly Gardening #Firecracker Penstemon #Garden Design #Growing Wildflowers #Hummingbird-Friendly Gardening #Native Plants #Penstemon Cultivation #Penstemon eatonii #Penstemon parryi #Penstemon pseudospectabilis #Pollinator Gardens #Queen Creek Arizona #Seed Germination #Sustainable Gardening #Xeriscaping

[wildrungarden]

3/7/24 ~ They got sweaty sunnin’ today! ☀️🌱 Ft Martin

#indoor garden #container gardening #sustainable gardening #vegetable gardening #starting seeds #growing food #plant life #cat lady #rescue cats #grow organic #grow your own food #seed germination #greenhouse nursery #spring garden #food not lawns #sustainable agriculture #permaculture

[punkgardener]

I am now on a quest.

On my drive home today I noticed that one of the largest, oldest oaks in my town had fallen. It narrowly avoided the small business it sat in front of and left a massive hole in its wake

This was probably a 200 year old oak tree and while it's sad that it's gone, there's still hope for its lineage.

I have 2 viable acorns that I took from that tree, you can check to see if acorns are viable by placing them in a glass of water, if they sunk to the bottom they're good.

I took those 2 acorns and placed them in a bag mixed with potting soil and the clay dirt from the woods behind my house, they are currently stratifying in my fridge and will be for at least the next 35 days

I hope this works, these specifically are water oak acorns and I couldn't find any information on this species exactly, so i hope they still germinate

My goal is that if they germinate I want to grow them, and then when they're old enough, return the saplings to the business that lost it's tree

If any of you guys are interested in the specifics of germinating oak trees let me know, I'd be happy to share what I know

#oak tree #nature #plantblr #seed germination #wish me luck!

[arthooooor]

Gardening Log 1

I've never done one of these before, but I'm really proud of this project and I wanted to share my progress.

BACKSTORY TIME:

My dream of several years has been to start a garden. It never really got off the ground (haha, ground... gardening puns are fun) until this past year. I started breaking the ground up and turning it into a dirt patch sometime this past winter, before The Big Cold, or afterwards on a really warm day-- I really don't remember because my sense of time is completely off. Anyways, now that it's warm and I'm currently unemployed, I have a lot of time to really focus in on that dirt patch. Really make something out of it. For a while it looked like this:

not pictured, but there was cardboard keeping the grass from growing in on those spots for a while. Twas a gardening tip I gathered from youtube. It's also a great way of killing your lawn! I read an article about that while writing this while I was trying to fact check what I did:

https://www.treepeople.org/2014/07/16/sheet-mulch/#:~:text=After%202%20months%2C%20dig%20through,remove%20it%20and%20the%20grass.

Today I set out to make the dirt patch dirt-ier. I don't have a fancy tiller like some folks, just a shovel, a rake, and some kind of hand-tiller I got ages ago. I don't have a good relationship with the hand tiller, it's a little annoying to use and I am not very strong. That said, I got a lot done using all three tools together. Perhaps, with time, we will learn to work together a little more harmoniously.

Anyways, here's the finished product:

I threw some seeds down in the dirt kind of haphazardly as an experiment a few days ago. They might not germinate, or they might. We'll see! I was feeling like an eager beaver. Trying not to be attached to the outcome of that particular pet project.

The other half of this project has been seed germination. I was really unsure of how this would turn out. The only plant I've ever kept alive before was a ficus and unfortunately I had a little bit of an oopsie (psychosis) and I neglected him until he died. RIP Killer Joe, you are missed.

But! I'm in a new chapter of my life and I think my emotional wellbeing is now somewhat tied to whether or not I can keep plants alive.

In all seriousness, if you're in a place where you can and you think gardening will help you, I recommend it. It gives me good feelings inside, which are not always easy to come by.

This is my seed germination set-up. Despite how discouraged I was feeling about this side of the project, I am happy to say my first seeds have sprouted! I would like to include a photo, but tumblr keeps changing that photo to another one. Not sure why... The sprouts are really hard to see anyways.

I am proud of my seeds. I'm not sure if anyone else has ever experienced this, but I find myself whispering when I'm talking to them. Like it I talk too loud, it might scare them (Silly as that may be).

Germinating seeds seemed really intimidating when I first started. I ended up using cardboard and an old cat litter tray filled with potting soil. Obviously, I had many anxieties about how this would go (and will go) given my history with plants, but today's sprouts filled me with joy I was not expecting. The best thing to do seems to be keeping the soil moist throughout the day. I forgot to for a day when I firs started and that sent me into panic mode, but my fears were unfounded.

I am also germinating a single seed using the wet paper towel in a plastic bag method. We will see how that one progresses. It actually sprouted in the tray, but I accidentally pulled it up and I felt bad about just discarding it.

Outside of The Big Project, I am also trying to keep a Lavender plant alive. I don't think she's going to hold on for much longer, but one can always hope.

My current plan is to grow a combination of flowers and vegetables. The first seed tray is all vegetables. The second one is going to be herbs. After the last frost date passes and as long as I can stay patient, I'll worry about flowers.

That about wraps it up! I hope you've enjoyed my first gardening log. I'll update more as I go along and talk more about my plans, which plants I'm growing, and anything else gardening related.

- Art-Marigold

#garden #gardening #seed germination #vegetable garden #beginner gardening #gardening blog #online diary #plant diary #schizophrenia #mental health #garden diary #cottagecore #nature

[therudegarden]

Heliamphora (minor) seed close up. Hopefully I can get it to germinate.

#carnivorousplants #plants #carnivorous #carnivorousplant #carnivore #plant #plantaddict #nature #heliamphora #seedlings #seed #seed germination

[covenawhite66]

236 Danish natural areas studied with 8,859 samples collected.

Both

Healthy Weeds Growth happens when animals disturb plants.

Plant Seeds get larger with smaller leaves to compete with each other

#botany #environment #seed germination #grasslands #danish #scientific research

[fison265]

Heating Incubator

A heating incubator is a piece of laboratory equipment designed to provide a controlled environment for the incubation of biological samples at a specific temperature. Recovery function at power failure.

#Cell culture #Humidity control #Safety features #Cell biology #Seed germination

[walcoseedcleaningsblog]

#seed germination #cleaning service #seed dressing in halbury #seed dressing #seed dressing australia #walco seed cleaning #grain cleaning #seed treatment #seed cleaning #seed

[awkward-fallen-angel]

I further document how quickly my seeds are growing. The cukes are going crazy.

#vegetables #home garden #home gown #gardening #seed germination #seedlings #plants #food

[tenth-sentence]

In January 2019, thanks to the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, humans germinated a seed on the Moon.

"Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy" - Matthew Evans

#book quote #soil #matthew evans #nonfiction #january #10s #2010s #21st century #chinese lunar exploration program #germination #seed germination #moon #plant growth

[cselandscapearchitect]

Growing Encelia farinosa (Brittlebush) from Seed: A Home Gardener's Guide

Encelia farinosa, commonly known as Brittlebush, is a beautiful and hardy desert shrub that can add a touch of vibrant color and resilience to your home garden. If you’re a home gardener looking to cultivate this charming plant from seed, you’re in for a rewarding experience. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of starting Encelia farinosa from seed, ensuring a…

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#Arid Garden Techniques #Brittlebush Propagation #desert gardening #Drought-Tolerant Plants #Ecosystem Support #Encelia farinosa #Gardening in Dry Climates #Gardening Tips #Low Maintenance Gardening #Native Plants #Plant Growth #Pollinator-Friendly Plants #Seed Collection #Seed Germination #Soil Adaptation #Sustainable Landscaping #water conservation

[my-patron-saint-is-jimmy]

Started germinating my blueberry, grandmother cedar, and paper birch seeds :D They all need a few months in the freezer before I can start to sprout them but I am excited :D

#seed germination #im trying to plant things that ahould be here but have a hard time getting started #we dont get cold enough anymore consistently for blueberries to germinate naturally #which breaks my heart because they were so important to my people and plentiful that they we kinda like currency #so im gonna go plant a fuck ton on my property and guerilla garden some too :)

[ediblegardenspointloma]

How Long Do Seeds Last?

Are you wondering if your seeds will germinate for the coming season? You could plant and then wait, or you could test their viability. Read how to store vegetable seeds to optimize seed life and how to test viability in my blog post from earlier this year: Seed Life and Testing Viability

Check the chart below to see how long you can expect properly stored vegetable seed to remain viable.

The years of viability in my chart above, then (citing Fedco and Johnny’s Selected Seed catalogs, and the Iowa State and Virginia Tech extensions) are averages, not guarantees—and all presume responsible storage tactics (not that you left the packet in a wheelbarrow in the garage all summer, or in your overalls pocket). A Way to Garden

#seed viability #seed germination #A Way to Garden #testing seed viability

[therudegarden]

Flower stalk

Time to sow some sarracenia purpurea.

#carnivorousplants #plants #carnivorous #carnivorousplant #carnivore #plant #plantaddict #nature #seedlings #sarracenia #seed germination #seed