Re-starting warm sowings

Minuartia michauxii, Stiff sandwort, germinated, fast elongated seedlings in the Fafard mix (all vanished in 2 days)

A weird phenomenon is happening with my indoor sowings one species after another: the seedlings would start to elongate excessively right away after germination, just to vanish in a blink of an eye afterwards (exemplified with Minuartia michauxii). Species like Minuartia, Silene, Luetkea and others like them have done the worst; a few more vigorous ones like Campanula alliarifolia and C. glomerata have surviving seedlings that will be pricked out soon.

It is not the regular damping off of seedlings; I had it happening as well over the years, albeit very rarely. You can read in the following post, how to avoid the damping off for indoor sowing: https://www.gardenmyths.com/damping-off-disease-prevention-treatment/#Preventing_Damping_Off_Disease

I started to analyze what’s different than in the previous years. I am using the same method of sowing, clean pots, the same indoor lights (set at the same height) and the room temperature is as usual.

There is only one thing different: the sowing mix! This year, not having my usual around I used a Fafard I recently purchased. I went to look at the bag more closely. My usual sowing media in the last years has been the Miracle Gro or Pro Mix, to which I added vermiculite or perlite. Comparing the two, we can see the ratio of fertilizers the Fafard mix has. Another difference is that it contains coconut husk but that usually improves the mix drainage and aeration and it shouldn’t be a problem.

Fertilizers ratio comparison (N:P:K) I think this Fafard mix should read: Soil mix for sprouts to eat, like they show in the picture.

I see no other explanation for the excessive and rapid elongation of newly germinated seedlings: the excess of nitrogen and the salt concentration in the little sowing pot cause the fast ‘melting’ of the seedlings. When the concentration of fertilizer is too high in a larger pot, it can be washed out and reduced with each watering, but newly germinated seedlings do not need a lot of watering.

I do not want to waste my time investigating further. In Canada, unfortunately, we do not have standards for the bagged sowing and potting soils, anything goes. It is of course also my fault for not watching closely what’s written on the bag. How many people are doing it? You just grab the bag on the way to the check-out.

Newly germinated seedlings, talking mostly perennials for rockery here not tomatoes and petunias, do not actually need any fertilizer for a while. The introduction of a diluted fertilizer is welcomed later after they have grown up a while, or after pricking. What can one do  besides complaining? I sowed again yesterday in Miracle Gro (where seeds still were still available) plus we can learn from my mistake. I will post an update later.

I mentioned before that it is not good to sow a whole pck. of seeds (keep ½ in case ‘accidents’ happen), now I will add the following to the general sowing advice: have a good look at the added fertilizers in the sowing mix and before sowing a whole flat of pots, better do a trial with a few seeds that germinate very fast. Wait a week to see how the seedlings do and only go full blown sowing after that.

To finish on the bright side, the first seeds of Hepatica are starting to germinate (kept outdoors) and Hepatica transsilvanica is starting to bloom :)

Timing the sowing in springtime

The Crocuses, snowdrops, the first Hepatica in bloom and others announce that spring is in the air, a bit too early this year. It is an exciting time with renewed hope when we all think about new plants to add to the garden and new ones to start from seeds.

Some people plan well ahead about what to grow from seeds; others purchase seeds and plants on the impulse of the moment or after they see nice spring flowering pictures. Then, there are always seeds arriving late from seed exchanges.

Usually late spring orders have in common a combination of species, warm and cold germinators, so I feel obliged to repeat how to proceed at this time in order to obtain the best results with minimum effort. Good timing for sowing is important because seeds can also enter sometimes a second dormancy if not handled improperly.

This is a repeat of an older post with some updates. If you don’t need advice, jump to the end of the post for the first flowers of spring 2024 :-)

Species that are indicated to germinate at warm (15-20C) can be sown right away if you use indoor lighting for growing seedlings or later (April/early May) if you intend to keep the pots outdoors, or to sow the seeds directly on the ground (‘in situ’).
Species that can be sowed ‘in situ’ (Papaver, Lobelia, Campanulastrum, some Viola species.…) – wait until April/early May and cast the seeds in place, incorporating lightly (most such seeds are fine and need light to germinate), keep the area moist and if there are too many critters around you have to place a mesh on top of the sowing location.

Various Fabaceae can be treated with the ‘hot water treatment’ and considered warm germinators. Testing gave good to excellent results  for Hedysarum, Oxytropis, Astragalus, Baptisia, Thermopsis, Lupinus*. It seems that Anthyllis and Lespedeza violacea seeds also reacts to this treatment, only that it has to be repeated many times.
See in the pictures below, how large the Lespedeza seeds that imbibe with water look like; only one seed from that batch is ready to be sown. The roots appear in about a week after that.

Lespedeza violacea after HWT

Lespedeza violacea germination start

The alternative to the HWT is of course the old fashioned method of scarification using sheets of sandpaper.

Species indicated: sow in the fall/winter or as cold/moist stratification – I advise you to keep the seeds packets in the fridge until fall, and then proceed with sowing (in pots or ‘in situ’). You can of course try to provide cold/moist stratification in the fridge, but don’t expect the same good results. Also, you may end up with seeds germinating in June/July and young seedlings by late fall which will withstand poorly the winter cold.

Species indicated to have double dormancy which require first a slightly warm cycle, followed by a cold one in order to germinate (like Hydrophyllum, Euonymus, Actaea and most peonies species) should be sown later in the summer (late June/July/August). This will give them more than enough time to develop the roots until late fall, before the cold cycle begins in the winter. The same goes for two stage warm germinating Lilium species (L. michiganense, L. canadense, L. kesselringianum…).
Again, these cycles can be provided in the house + fridge, but it is too late now to obtain good seedlings by late fall. It is of course anyone’s choice, I can only recommend the best method.

Moist packed seeds: are not sold at this time of the year, with the exception of two years germinators (Caulophyllum, Medeola, when stock supply and temperatures allow). When to sow and how to handle them has been outlined in other posts.

Orchids and other mycorrhizals (Chimaphila, Conopholis): if not using ‘in vitro’ equipment, there is a slight chance that by incorporating the seeds in the garden close to where other orchids/preferred hosts thrive will be successful. This method gave good results also for Castilleja but with the seeds sowed in late fall.

An early March garden walk dedicated to the Women’s Day!

Crocus 2024

Cyclamen coum March 7

Hepatica americana 2024

Hepatica japonica March 7

Helleborus niger

Helleborus purpurascens

Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’

Helleborus x hybridus

Iris reticulata

Updates and Dobrogea self-guided tour

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An update to the HWT treatments of last week: Anthyllis montana and Astragalus missourinesis seeds were the first ones to react; they were sown and the first Anthyllis montana seedling showed up this morning!

It seems that not all Anthyllis are equal, Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea seeds were slower to imbibe, and are still receiving boiled water ‘showers’ at times; the same applies for Lespedeza violacea.

The first warm germinators are also showing up, with the fast germinating (less than one week) seeds of Dianthus nardiformis and Salvia canescens var. daghestanica.
This year I sowed less ‘rarities’ and more leftover seeds of species that I would like to have in greater numbers, and of which would be also good to have more seeds to share with the world.

I praised the Salvia canescens var. daghestanica many times. It is a short lived species here, but very easy to grow from seeds. If you are a sucker for silvery foliage like me this one should not miss from your rockery, scree garden or any other, dry and sunny area.

Dianthus nardiformis in wild habitat, Dobrogea region, Romania

The other species to praise is Dianthus nardiformis ex. Dobrogea, a late summer flowering Dianthus with very fine foliage. It is long lived but got shaded by other plants and didn’t flower well lately.

That’s why we always keep some ‘reserve’ seeds ;) The form grown from wild coll. seeds in Dobrogea is worth taking care of being slightly different than what usually goes around under this name (which I have also grown).

The seedlings of Dianthus nardiformis took me back the memory lane to their sunny and wind swept home, in Dobrogea region of Romania, close to the Black Sea.

Few other species like Centaurea jankae, Paronychia cephalotes and Thymus zygioides are adorning my garden now as a good remembrance token. Those interested are invited to have a self-guided tour of the region and explore some of its plants treasures.

Winter getaway – Dobrogea I

Winter getaway – Dobrogea I

Winter getaway – Dobrogea II

Winter getaway – Dobrogea II

Plant portrait: Centaurea jankae

Plant portrait: Centaurea jankae D. Brândză

 

Something old and something new for 2024

Winter returned yesterday and the kettle was on for tea; the perfect day to start the warm sowings and to test the hot water treatment (HWT) on more species. A customer asked me more details about Lespedeza violacea, Violet bush-clover, seeds recently and I realized that I forgot to check it with the HWT, so it was the first on the list.

Longitudinal section through Lespedeza japonica seed: notice the fully developed embryo, only waiting for proper germination conditions. A thin but very hard seedcoat.

Then, something that I had and never got to grow again: Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea; nothing very special about the kidney vetch, just that I like it and is short lived. I acquired a few seeds from a seedex (and for good measure also Anthyllis montana).
Plus, the new Astragalus missouriensis, which was offered new on the fall Seeds List. I always try to test some of the new seeds additions, which I suspect by association with similar species, to be warm germinators.

For those unfamiliar, please read about the HWT on the Germination page, or use the Search tab looking for ‘hot water  treatment’. I first started to look at this method (in use a long time ago) for species in Fabaceae family, because I dislike the scarification with sandpaper.

Species in this family have only physical dormancy, ie. the embryo is ready to germinate in proper conditions (water imbibition, temperature) but cannot do so because of the hard, impermeable seedcoat. I found an image with a sectioned seed of Lespedeza japonica in an old book, which illustrates well the ‘situation’ inside the seed; those of other Lespedeza including L. violacea are similar.

For many species it is necessary to repeat the treatment because not all seeds will imbibe well after a first soak, and it seems based on the picture that Lespedeza seeds didn’t change much in size and will need a HWT repeat.
See pictures with the fruits (one seeded, indehiscent pods) and seeds and one taken today after the first hot water treatment.

Lespedeza violacea fruits and seeds: 1mm grid

Lespedeza violacea seeds after one HWT

Keep in mind that we cannot generalize that ALL Fabaceae species will react to HWT and germinate at room temperature, but it is definitely worth trying.
The other good alternative is to sow these species in late fall-winter outdoors and let the weather naturally wear down the hard seedcoats.

For the proper warm germinators, a whole batch of Campanula species was sowed (+ few others like Luetkea and Potentilla). I love the bellflowers and try to increase their diversity in my garden. There is one fitted to any location, from sun to shade and from moist to dry; the pollinators know where to find them :)
Something old: Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea in 2017 and something new: Campanula cochlearifolia first time flowering last summer in July.

Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea, 2017

Campanula cochlearifolia, July 2023

*Reminder: if you try to germinate something at room temperature and nothing happens after 3-4 weeks, move the pot in a cold location for 1 (2) months and then bring it back to warmth. I never had good results and the patience to wait 3 months for something to germinate at room temperature (like some sources are suggesting).

 

Friday’s seeds: the curious case of Leptarrhena pyrolifolia

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia seeds: light brown, fusiform and partially ribbed with long tails at both ends.

I first wrote a very short post on Leptarrhena pyrolifolia seeds in 2018, after receiving a small package of seeds from a friend. I was wondering that time about the particular shape of the seeds, different than any other seeds of the Saxifragaceae family I’ve seen.

In a way it makes sense, Leptarrhena pyrolifolia (Leatherleaf saxifrage) is the only species of its genus. The name comes from: Greek leptos, slender, and arrhen, male, alluding to stamen filaments (FNA).

So, seeds-wise I knew what to expect when I had the chance to see it for the first time last summer during a trip to BC. What I didn’t expect was how much more handsome this species is in reality, more than pictures can show. It often happens, nothing beats seeing a plant in ‘situ’ among its companions.

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia is a cold hardy, evergreen perennial plant species that inhabiting wet meadows and wet cliffs, usually found around stream banks and seepage areas. It grows in mountaineous areas of AB, BC, NWT and Yukon (Canada) and the US.

Leptarrheena pyrolifolia fruits in foreground, along an alpine stream

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia in habitat, a moist meadow

The Leatherleaf saxifrage grows from a rhizome and like the common name implies, it has attractive, leathery, shiny and toothed leaves, similar in shape and texture to those of most Pyrola species.
From the compact carpet of glossy leaves, arises a tall flowering stem up to 25-30 cm bearing clusters of white/pinkish flowers in mid-summer. Easy to observe later are the conspicuous red fruits, a very nice addition to the overall aspect of the plant (the red capsules resemble a lot those of Triantha glutinosa, another moisture loving plant).

I wonder why this species is not more widespread into cultivation, especially considering that it has evergreen foliage and it is a very cold hardy species; qualities that those living in cold climates always appreciate in a plant.

Mats of Leatherleaf saxifrage foliage in a rocky, moist meadow, BC.

Maybe we can change this situation. Why not consider going beyond the more ‘regular’ saxifrages and also grow Leptarrrhena? It will do well in a slightly moist place, in the rockery or elsewhere in the garden, with other moisture loving species like for example: Zigadenus, Lobelia cardinalis, Gentiana andrewsii, Primulas, Silene pusilla, various sedges….. Due to its rhizomatous nature, it can be used as a small scale, evergreen groundcover.

It is a bit late to sow species requiring cold/moist stratification (unless provide stratification in the fridge), but I have it on my list for next year. For now I will give it a try with GA3 as soon as I ‘turn on the lights’ just to see how it goes.

*There are reports of medicinal usage of Leptarrhena among the Aleuts of Alaska and Indigenous People of British Columbia, most commonly applying a poultice of chewed leaves to wounds.
So, keep this in mind, you never know when the leatherleaf saxifrage will come in handy :)

Ready, start, go – 2024!

Species started indoors last year in February and taken outdoors in April for acclimation: Draba, Bukiniczia, various Campanula.

This is the almost traditional post for this time in February when the washing of the pots for indoor sowing starts!
I never wash the pots for outdoors sowing, but you may want to avoid bringing indoors eggs of various insects which can remain attached to pots, and who knows what else. It is enough that we have to deal with the fungus gnats, which are almost impossible to avoid indoors.

More than ever a varied array of indoor lighting is available for all budgets. Beginners can even start with just a simple lamp, sufficient to cover 4-6 small pots kept on a table/desk corner. Plants wise, I repeated many times, start with easy to germinate and grow species before trying others more challenging.

You can find a whole, updated list of warm germinating species in last’s year post: Ready, start, go 2023!
Some species will germinate with no treatments, for others you can apply various treatments like GA3; more details and links are given in the same post.
In the gallery below, timelines for Gentiana asclepiadea started in Feb. with GA3; by Nov. the grown-up seedlings were already planted in the ground!

Gentiana asclepiadea germination Feb13, 2023

Gentiana asclepiadea seedlings Apr. 24, 2023

Gentiana asclepiadea seedlings Nov. 15, 2023

While the purpose of this early seeds starting is to extend the growing time in our cold climate, where otherwise sowing directly outdoors is not possible sooner than mid-April (or May), it is also a great winter pastime when crazy gardeners crave the feel and smell of the potting soil, fresh growth and there is nothing to do outdoors :) Not all our seedlings will survive (and it’s a good thing!). But most will grow and thrive, and we’ll be proud of them, even if they are very easy from seeds, like all Gypsophila species for example.

Gypsophila cerastioides seedlings Feb. 17, 2023

Gypsophila cerastioides April 21, 2023

Ziziphora clinopodioides grown-up seedlings; a drought resistant, aromatic species that requires very good drainage.

Otherwise, it is perfectly fine to sow all the warm germinators outdoors when the temperatures allow according with your locality.

Again, for those who don’t like to go back and read older postings or the Germination page ;) I recommend to amend any sowing mix you purchase with vermiculite (even my favourites brands, Fafard and Promix, contain too much peat). For more ‘pretentious’ species I even add a bit of perlite to the mix to obtain a ‘stellar’ drainage.

My 2024 sowing list contains: species from previous years I didn’t get to sow, a few new ones from friends, few from this summer BC collection; plus some that should arrive from a seeds exchange.
I must redo Potentilla porphyrantha which I lost, Salvia daghestanica and Phyteuma orbiculare, and I am looking forward to sowing for the first time Nepeta multifida, Campanula glomerata, Allium wallichii, Luetkea pectinata……to mention just a few. I am sure I’ll have to draw the line somewhere and the rest will be switched to the sowing list of 2025!

Let the February fun begin!

 

January thaw

This year we are experiencing a classic January thaw in Ontario. Not only we have above 0°C temperatures, it is also raining. It is a welcome respite from frigid temperatures for both people and plants, and also on this occasion the snow cover gets diminished (where applicable), with nice surprises showing up!

The jump to an unseasonable warm weather in mid to late January, is a weather phenomenon most usual observed in specific Northern Hemisphere regions called January thaw; also called ‘bonspiel thaw’ on the Prairies provinces. Actually it lacks a formal recognition as being a meteorological event and it is not even happening every year (or it can be a February thaw).

Seeds-wise, at the end of January we are at a crossroad. We can still sow species that require cold/moist stratification (fingers crossed it remains cold enough until March) and also start sowing species that require only a short cold/moist stratification or even warm germinating species (with good indoor lighting systems).

Sowings of Gaultheria humifusa and Oenothera macrocarpa: the bundled up pots are in the fridge for about 1 month of cold/moist stratification; the front row pots are kept at room temperature (+/- 20C enclosed in a plastic bag).

I personally wait a bit more for sowing the straightforward warm germinators, but two recently packed species in a couple of orders caught my attention. Both Gaultheria humifusa and Oenothera macrocarpa, are considered warm germinators and allegedly may germinate better after a short cold/moist stratification period. I never had the occasion to sow them before and had to trust the germination advice from other sources.

It is a good occasion for a little experiment!
For comparison, I have to try them both ways: 1) direct germination at room temp., and 2) with 1 month of cold/moist stratification (in the fridge). We’ll see which ones germinate better and I’ll show the results later….

It is well known that various species that otherwise qualify as warm germinators (seeds only have physical dormancy) may benefit from a period of cold/moist stratification, which allows for a more rapid breakdown of the seedcoats and start of the biochemical processes involved in the germination initiation.

In some cases, instead of a slow germination of 1-3 months at room temperature, we may obtain a more rapid and uniform germination after a short cold/moist stratification; so it is worth trying it.
For the same reason, if you like to do just one sowing for all your seeds in late fall/winter, it is OK. The warm germinators will germinate in the spring with the raise of temperature, usually with a greater uniformity. 

Let’s keep in mind that germination patterns for any given species can vary depending on the collection locality and mother-plant characteristics (epigenetic factors), so do not be surprised if your results don’t match sometimes the generally claimed germination requirements.
Winter time is best for learning more about propagating various species from seeds and about germination in general. Not to mention that we also end up with nice plants for our gardens!

Greens and golds

We are all tired of the extreme cold and cleaning snow by now and dreaming of greens and other colors. When selecting a few spring pictures for a short garden walk to enjoy bright, warm colors I stumbled upon the cheerful flowers of Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer’s form.

Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer form

It is a good occasion to spread the joy about Chrysogonum virginianum (green and gold, goldenstar), particularly about the Norman Singer form, which was named after a North American Rock Garden Society founding member (nowadays remarketed as Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Superstar’).
You can read an excellent plant portrait on the Ontario Rock Garden Society website, by Robert Pavlis, from whom I also received a division few years ago:
https://onrockgarden.com/index.php/plant-of-the-month?view=article&id=88:chrysogonum-virginianum-norman-singer&catid=22

I have nothing much to add to the plant portrait, except for the fact of being indeed an excellent  low-growing, mat forming plant that every garden should have! You won’t know until you try it.

Almost evergreen, with large, bright yellow flowers (reblooming sometimes), Chrysogonum virginianum Norman Singer form is one of the best edging/groundcovering  species for a sunny to part-shade location. Mat forming doesn’t have a bad connotation in this case, because the rhizomes are short and it grows very compact. I even had a division growing in a full shade location for a while, just that it didn’t flower so well.
Join the ORG&HP Society and participate in the Spring plant sale, maybe you’ll get lucky and find a division for yourself!

Degenia velebitica

A question on everyone’s mind is how will some of our plants fare through this low temperatures period? Most will be OK, it is not the first time it’s been so cold in this region (after all we are zone 5).

More damaging than the cold are the winter rain periods of which we got quite a few in December; so I worry more about some of the rockery plants, like the young Degenia velebitica shown here, which require excellent drainage and ideally would spend the whole winter under snow. We’ll have to wait for spring to see the results.

 

Until then, a few green and golds and other spring warm colors.

Primula macrocalyx

Primula sibthorpii

Hepatica americana pink form

Lathyrus vernus pink

Odontarrhena obtusifolia (syn. Allysum borzaeanum)

Pulsatilla ex. styriaca pink, April

Uvularia grandiflora

Paeonia peregrina

Linum capitatum, June 2022

Incarvillea delavayi

Fritillaria collina

Dianthus deltoides ‘Deep Confetti Red’

 

Adonis: a slow, beautiful affair

What else better for a January gloomy day than the last April’s bright Adonis ramosa flowers? Interested to know more about early flowering perennial Adonis species? I organized my material worth a few years and will share my adventures on growing a couple of them from seeds.

Adonis ramosa starting to flower, April 1st, 2023

Not everyone may be familiar with these wonderful early spring harbingers; most early spring flowering Adonis species are native from Europe to Far Eastern regions and Japan, and only occasional they end up in our Canadian gardens. The most cultivated species are Adonis vernalis, Adonis amurensis and Adonis ramosa. They are all very cold hardy and grow from a rhizome, being long lived plants.

The flower buds start pushing through the ground as soon as the snow melts and the sun starts shining stronger in early spring when nothing else attempts to flower, except the snowdrops. The large, bright yellow flowers are delightful, both for us and the first early spring pollinators. Beautiful ferny-like foliage in various degrees develops soon and it will grow until early summer; afterwards the plants will enter dormancy.

Usually these species are not available for us mortal ;) gardeners in Canada. When and if it happens, be prepared to spend a considerable amount. There is an explanation for this.

Being more familiar with  Adonis vernalis and knowing it would be more adaptable to our dry summers, years ago I embarked on finding seeds of this species for sowing. I managed to acquire a few dry Adonis vernalis seeds twice. They were just a few months old, but unfortunately they didn’t germinate although I kept the pots for 3 years, allowing multiple cycles of warm/cold.

Adonis vernalis pictured here many years ago at the Wrightman Alpines’ former location. Keep an eye on their coming 2024 catalogue, maybe it will be listed.

Like in many other members of Ranunculaceae family, Adonis seeds* are hydrophilic and fresh seeds are required for successful germination. This is something very hard to find mostly because the seeds are dispersed while still green and are hard to catch (similar with Hepatica; see explanations in the last gallery below).

More than this, similar again to Hepatica and other Ranunculaceae, the green seeds have an underdeveloped embryo at the time of dispersal. So, the seeds exhibit morpho-physiological dormancy and they need an after-ripening period to form cotyledon stage embryos.
*The seeds are actually achenes (just like those of Hepatica), so more correctly should be called fruits, but for the sake of easiness I’ll go with the term seeds.

 

Then, a few years ago a friend sent me fresh seeds of Adonis amurensis :) “Fresh” meaning 2-3 weeks old. I sowed them right away and the germination was fantastic in the spring of 2019.

In the first season the seedlings grow only with cotyledon leaves (a trait common for many rhizomatous species), then they go dormant in the summer and restart to grow next spring; again a short growing season…and so on… For this reason, the bulking up of the rhizome is a slow affair with Adonis. The seedlings need to be grown in the same pot for 2-3 years before being planted in the ground (when dormant).

Adonis amurensis one year old seedlings, 2019

Adonis amurensis foliage, 2022

In 2021, I kept a few seedlings in a pot, and a couple were planted in the ground. I lost a few to the drought of 2021/2022. Fast forward to spring of 2023, a few young plants were alive and growing but none flowered; maybe this spring?!
So, you do the math….and here’s the explanation for the rarity in cultivation and the price.

I was also lucky to also receive a division of Adonis ramosa from another gardening friend in the fall of 2020. Planted dormant in the fall, it promptly showed up next spring with two flowers, and they even formed a few seeds (which I promptly sown).
Last April, we had an uneventful spring, so the flowering was exquisite and also nice seeds were formed. Of course, I sowed them again for myself and also shared a few of them to spread the joy. Notice the seeds aspect and the catching method with organza bags, the same used for Hepatica.

Adonis ramosa fruit heads-seeds, May 2023

Catching Adonis ramosa seeds, 2023

Adonis ramosa 2 years-old seedlings, 2023

Conclusions for growing Adonis amurensis and A. ramosa from seeds, from my personal experience:

Sow only fresh seeds! (meaning only a few weeks old) in pots or directly in the ground.
Allow the natural variations in temperature (summer/fall/winter; the seeds may not germinate in the first spring if the embryos do not develop well or if the cold period in winter is insufficient! so do not cuddle them in a greenhouse).
Grow the seedlings in the same pot for 2-3 years (no pricking); water well and use a light fertilizer when in growth to maximize their growing season.
Transplant only when dormant (late summer-fall) in a well-drained but with moisture retentive substrate, in a sunny to part-shade location. If your region has hot, dry summers, a location with afternoon shade is a must.
Be patient, eventually the seedlings will flower after 4+ years. Meanwhile, grow many other companion plants for them!

Once again, my gratitude to all who are sharing with me their precious seeds and treasured plants divisions!

Green hedgehogs addendum

Dianthus nardiformis, winter look

Lacking inspiration, I thought let’s see what was published in January of previous years; and the Green hedgehogs post from Jan 2022 was just what I needed. It seems we have longer and longer snowless periods in the winter, so all perennials and shrubs that retain their ‘good looks’ all year long are now more precious than ever.
*All pictures shown in these posts are from early spring or late fall/winter.

Those who had the curiosity to open the post, noticed that I was talking mainly about perennials which have more or less a dome shaped growing habit and more or less linear/acicular leaves; usually grown in rockeries. Various Dianthus species, that many people are familiar with, are the best examples for this category.

I already expanded on the term ‘hedgehogs’ by including other types of foliage, akin more to porcupines and various other creatures, the term hedgehog being used in regards with a mounding or dome shape growth habit.

Expanding on the term ‘green’, colorful foliage will be an extra bonus. Quite a few Dianthus species have bluish foliage, in many Androsace, the rosettes will take a ‘winter mood’, in the spring reverting to green. A group of Saxifrages have silvery rosettes, also Vitaliana primuliflora ssp. cinerea (in the feature image); even Veronica incana retains a nice silvery foliage over the winter. And these are just a few examples from my small rockery.

Dianthus moravicus foliage

Androsace villosa ssp. taurica winter look

Armeria maritima Rubrifolia copy

Orostachys ‘Strawberry Spring’

Then, we can talk about individual hedgehogs or herd-like creatures, like in the case of many Androsace species, Draba and Saxifraga, Jovibarba, Sedums and Sempervivums and the recently presented Luetkea pectinata.
Size wise, we can have very tiny hedgehogs, like Kernera saxatilis and Sedum atratum to very large ones if we jump into the shrubs realm with Daphne ‘Lauwrence Crocker’ (note to myself to try again some small size Daphne species/cultivars) and Paxistima canbyi, Canby’s mountain lover (Read about it here: Winter Joys).

Kernera saxatilis rosette

Sedum atratum self-sown on Erinus alpinus

Daphne ‘Lawrence Crocker’

Other plants with a winter presence not often talked about are Polygala species.
Polygala chamaebuxus, the shrubby milkwort of European origin, which can be taken for a small Daphne from the distance ;) deserves a mention. I previously shown the beautiful Polygala major; its winter foliage also takes a purple hue (the same goes for our native Polygala paucifolia).

Polygala chamaebuxus, December

Polygala major Dec. 25, 2023

Even more, we can form green mounds in the garden by letting groundcovering species, a thyme in the picture, to trail over larger boulders. It just happened in this case, but we also can plan in the advance for such ‘accidents’.

Plus let’s not forget that rocks covered in moss also make for great green ‘hedgehogs’ (Winter joys III) and in proper conditions you can even establish other species on top of them! (see Saxifraga cuneifolia ssp. robusta).

Thyme with Dianthus deltoides on top

A mossy rock!

Again, there is so much to do in the winter time, both plants and garden-wise: learn about new species and how to grow them, make new plans for your garden and, of course, don’t forget to sow more seeds!

 

Onward to 2024!

Galanthus elwesii Dec. 28, 2023, SW Ontario

Due to mild weather a particularly early snowdrop is already above the ground; on the same time, snowdrops seedlings are growing under lights! Such events need to be captured for record keeping.
So, instead of the regular year-end flowers review, I’ll write a bit about the excitement of first time collecting and sowing seeds from my own snowdrops this year.

It is not that such seeds will find their way in the Seed List in the near future (I have plenty of garden space to fill in with these treasures), but there is always something to learn from the process. I already wrote this season about snowdrops and Cyclamen capsules in this July post for those who missed it: Summertime capsules.

The snowdrops are the true spring harbingers, forget about Crocus and Eranthis. True that sometimes they are a bit too early in our climate and will spend time under snow, but snow will come and go while the flower buds remain. Under their delicate appearance, they are very tough little things.

I’ve been working hard to increase their presence in the garden: bought bulbs from the garden centers (usually low quality), received seeds from with friends, and I even bought a few seeds one year. Besides dividing the clumps every few years, sowing seeds is a good method to increase their numbers and also to obtain a good variability.

One particular Galanthus elwesii (or a hybrid?) is the earliest among all other snowdrops every year. It is fascinating to see any flower buds in the winter in our climate! Only Helleborus foetidus, H. niger and Cyclamen coum can also claim this status.
Here it is pictured last year on January 1 2023, then at the beginning of February, beginning  and ending of March!

Galanthus elwesii Jan.1, 2023

Galanthus elwesii Feb. 8, 2023

Galanthus elwesii March 1,2023

Galanthus elwesii March 26, 2023

With the exception of years with heavy snow and extreme temperatures, by late February other snowdrops will start to peek through the snow, or leaves (depending on the sun exposure), and by late March more will be in flower. After emerging they will often spend time again under the snow, but they always rebound; nothing beats these little snowdrops.

Galanthus 2023

Galanthus nivalis 2023

Galanthus April 2023

Having had a very nice spring in 2023, meaning no late snow or frosts, some flowers were pollinated and fruits developed. By mid-June I was going around collecting fatty, yellow ‘drops’. The fruits (fleshy capsules) will lay on the ground when mature and open to release the seeds which will be carried away by ants attracted by their elaiosomes. For this reason, it is best to collect the capsules gradually when you see that they start turning yellow.

Galanthus green capsule 2023

Galanthus mature capsules 2023

Galanthus seeds June 15 2023

Galanthus seeds are hydrophilic and they will germinate best when sown soon after collecting, just like it happens naturally. Dry kept seeds sown later, will also germinate but usually in the second spring after sowing (depending how dry they get and maybe not 100%).

Due to the very large squirrel population in our neighborhood, which are going through the garden beds like wild boars, especially in early spring when young seedlings show up, I sowed some of the seeds in pots somewhere towards the end of June to give them a better chance. You can see the results!

There is no other better message of hope for 2024 than newly germinated seedlings!

We can start dreaming about a more peaceful year, with all people being able to enjoy a garden, the flowers and all other beautiful things that nature offers to us!

Onward to 2024 and don’t forget to sow a few seeds in the New Year!

 Last seeds of the season

We somehow arrived at the last seeds announcement of the year!

As it happens, all species are warm germinators or require first a warm/moist stratification period. Because someone once told me that he couldn’t grow a certain species from lack of indoor lights – I should, once again, write an explanation.

All species indicated as warm germinators, including those that require first a warm/moist stratification, can be started by:
Sowing indoors at any time (some may require cold/moist stratification in the fridge afterwards);
OR by sowing in pots outdoors in early spring or summer and allowed to follow the natural variations in temperature (my preferred method for Lilium and Paeonia).

On to the last seeds in alphabetical order:
Bukiniczia cabulica  (yes, I finally sorted them out)
Lilium martagon ‘Album’
Maackia amurensis
Pinus parvilfora ‘Glauca’

                                                                     Examples for warm germinators:
Buckiniczia cabulica –  the seeds germinate at room temperature without any additional treatment.
Sow indoors in late Feb-March if you want to gain a bit of extra growing time;
OR sow outdoors in late April- May (depending on location).

Lilium martagon ‘Album’ – the seeds require first a warm/moist stratification followed by a cold/moist stratification for complete germination.
Sow indoors at any time – preferably in a Ziploc bag with moist media to easily notice the bulbils formations (+/- 2 months,) and then provide cold stratification in the fridge;
OR sow outdoors in pots in late summer, and take care of the pots as usual.

Processing and sorting out newly collected seeds is always slowed down during the high selling season – both time-intensive activities happening simultaneously during the fall.

Therefore, double thanks to all the customers who not only purchased seeds this season, but also patiently waited for new species to be added to the Seeds List, placing successive orders.

Bukiniczia cabulica flowering/fruiting stems




 

 

Pussytoes and winter sowing

Winter has arrived and with it a bit more time to look after a few postponed seeds. There were a couple of wild collected Antennaria species put ‘on hold’ for good reason. They are difficult to identify, sometimes even specialists may encounter problems because of the widespread polyploidy and apomixy among them.

Erythranthe lewisii

Most Antennaria species are excellent plants for rockeries, especially due to their silvery foliage and we cannot pass the occasion growing them from wild collected seeds when they are available.

A third species put on hold until I was sure how many seeds can be offered was Erythranthe lewisii. Lewis Monketflower or Pink monkey-flower (syn. Mimulus lewisii), is a showy inhabitant of moist streambanks, seepage areas and avalanche tracks of the montane and lower alpine zones.

All species can be found in the Seed List now.

Antennaria rosea spp. pulvinata

The first Antennaria was found in a meadow at the edge of the woods along the Bow Valley in the Banff area. The silvery foliage forms mats at the ground level (see the gallery) and the flowering stems are up to about 15 cm.  After looking over various details many times, I may stand to be corrected, but all characters of the mother-plants fit in with the A. rosea group. The subspecies has been assigned considering the collection place: Antennaria rosea ssp. pulvinata.

Plants under the name of Antennaria rosea can differ morphologically because it has a wide distribution and grows in a variety of habitats. For this reason, it is best to keep in your records the collection place.

The second Antennaria species from which I collected a few seeds at a much higher altitude is Antennaria lanata, woolly pussytoes. This species belongs to the pussytoes group with erect, longer leaves, together with A. pulcherrima and A. anaphaloides.

Antennaria lanata, woolly pussytoes

It was seen in various locations, in the company of Cassiope and Luetkea pectinata, which suggests the need for an acidic substrate. Factoring in the elevation, meaning a thick layer of snow present until late spring followed by plenty of moisture, makes this species less compatible with the hot & super dry summers of SW Ontario (this will not stop me from trying it out!).

More pictures showing companion species are presented in the gallery below.

By tradition, I always sow on Dec. 1st part of the species in need of cold/moist stratification; this time the pussytoes and some of their companions.

Those who are preparing to do the same, please review this post where I briefly outlined why sowing in late Nov/December it is different than sowing in September and how to handle the sowings: Practical advice for sowing in the winter.

Pictures taken in the wild will sometimes not catch the plants at their best time, but we can always draw inspiration for our gardens from them, especially by noticing the companion species growing in the same place.

Antennaria rosea ssp. pulvinata habitat

Antennaria rosea ssp. pulvinata foliage

Cirsium hookerianum in grassland community with Antennaria rosea, Castilleja, Oxytropis monticola and other species

Luetkea pectinata with Antennaria lanata in an alpine meadow

Pulsatilla occidentalis, Castilleja, Antennaria lanata

Erigeron peregrinus mix

Erigeron peregrinus ssp. callianthemus

Plant community along an alpine stream

Leptarrhena pyrolifolia in habitat, a moist meadow

November seeds and learn to ID your Phytolacca

Latest native species added to the Seeds List: from the well-known by now Asclepias exaltata to new donations from friends, always thankful for them:
Rudbeckia maxima, Giant coneflower
Phytolacca americana ‘Variegata’, Variegated pokeweed
and Musineon divaricatum, Leafy wild parsley

I had somewhere an older picture with Rudbeckia maxima but cannot find it. If we look on google images here: Rudbeckia maxima, we see an extremely tall Black-eyes Susan, with a particular large, glaucous foliage; a truly striking species.
Musineon divaricatum, leafy wild parsley was a completely new species to me. What better occasion to learn about new plants than through their seeds?! We are always in need of hardy, drought resistant species for our gardens.

Everyone knows Phytolacca americana, the American pokeweed. It also has a variegated form, with creamy splashed foliage which adds more interest and provides a nice background for the black fruits in the fall. Back again to google images, which most times are useful: Phytolacca americana ‘Variegata’.

However, it was disturbing to see that if someone looks on google after typing Phytolacca americana, there are a LOT of wrongly identified fruits images, coming from all sides of the life: seeds sellers, images sellers, food bloggers… you name it.

Phytolacca acinosa, Chinese pokeweed

We can look at our American pokeweed as an ornamental plant, and also, as its common name implies, a weed (outside of North America). On the fact that is a native species, we accept that will reseed around and maybe spread in undesirable places, as it happens with Solidago canadensis.

However, we always have to be aware of ‘impersonators’ of the same genus which have different origins. In our regions they can easily become invasive weeds. This is not the case yet for the Chinese and Indian Phytolacca species, but we have to be cautious with all species producing abundant fruits & reseeding around easily.

Phytolacca acinosa, a Chinese species, is morphologically very similar to the native Phytolacca americana. The most visible differences are the erect inflorescences and the fruits.
In Phytolacca acinosa the carpels are free, and thus the fruit looks deeply furrowed when ripe; the seeds are reniform, ca. 3 mm, 3-angulate and smooth.

In Phytolacca americana, the carpels are fused, and therefore the fruits are round berries (at maturity) with the seeds lenticular, about the same size, black and shiny. Go Botany (https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/) is a website that you can always trust to provide true images for NA native species.

Phytolacca americana shown on Go Botany website

The differences in fruits between P. americana and P. acinosa (and probably others) are very easy to observe in my opinion. Negligence, copy-paste from one site to another without discernment may be the cause of so many mistakes.

I don’t have the intention to openly bash other websites, but mistakes have to be shown in order to learn from them. Open and browse the gallery where I give just a few examples and notice the label ‘wrong’, meaning ‘not Phytolacca americana’ (probably P. acinosa or P. polyandra?).

The conclusion is: google images for plants is usually useful, gathering info from many educational or other purposes websites, but never take for ‘true’ everything you see. Try to do more research and, in general, be cautious about websites that try to sell you something.

New seeds and Glaucium flavum portrait

I’ve been busy preparing the garden and seedlings for the winter, so only two new species, both drought resistant, were added to the Seeds List this week.
Campanula alliariifolia – a vigorous and floriferous bellflower with large white flowers. I intend to grow it for the edge of the woodland beds.

Glaucium flavum, the Sea poppy, or Yellow horned poppy – a biennial or short-lived perennial for sunny, dry areas of the garden.

Glaucium flavum, sea poppy in wild habitat (Spain) showing mature fruits

And because there is a story behind the seeds of the horn poppy, a short portrait for it.
Glaucium flavum has a large geographical distribution from N. Africa to Europe and Caucasus, and it is also naturalized in other regions, but has become endangered in many of its native habitats on the shorelines and coastal cliffs of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

I had the occasion to see it growing wild years back, on the shorelines of the Mediterranean Sea in Cabo de Gata, Spain.
Glaucium flavum wild type displays rosettes of blue-grey, deeply sectate leaves covered in long, white hairs, an adaptation to the harsh, dry and windy conditions it grows in, like many other species that occur in the same habitat.

The flower stems are erect and bear bright, yellow flowers, which are followed by narrow, 20-30 cm long capsules – the ‘horns’ from the common name, horned poppy.

I collected a few seeds but didn’t try to germinate them for a few years thinking that due to the origin, it would have no chance of surviving in Ontario.

But two years ago I gave them a try during the winter sowing experiments time. The germination was easy, the seedlings grew well, and were successfully transplanted in the garden.

Winter came, then spring arrived and the rosettes were still OK; I even transplanted a couple (it forms a taproots, I recommend to plant it in the final location).

Glaucium flavum December 2022

Glaucium flavum

Glaucium flavum, 25 Sept. 2023

It started flowering in the summer and it continued sporadically into the fall. It grew taller and a bit more sprawling, as opposed to its mother-plant. This can be explained of course by the different climate here, with more rain during the summer, plus that it hasn’t been too hot this year and it wasn’t planted in pure sand.

Glaucium flavum is an interesting addition for a xeric garden, standing out the whole season due to its beautiful silvery foliage and bright, yellow flowers. Even if biennial, it is worth to repeat the sowing because it is very easy to grow, plus, it can also reseed by itself. In out climate although it formed many capsules, they didn’t contain too many seeds.

Propagation by seeds
It is easy to germinate after a few weeks of cold/moist stratification in the dark at 5-10 C; after the first signs of seedlings, bring the pot under the lights. Or you can germinate the seeds naturally outdoors by sowing in early spring (in our cold climate).

 

Glaucidium palmatum – experimenting on germination 2

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Glaucidium palmatum germination wrapping-up and latest seeds (jump to the end of article)

One of the orders this week asking for Glaucidium seeds, reminded me that I haven’t posted my latest adventures regarding Glaucidium germination. I’ll do it now as a final revision for the Germination page.

Glaucidium germinating seeds after GA3 treatment

Having a bit too many older seeds left (2 & 3 years old), last winter I decided to see how they would germinate using GA3. Two and 3 years old seeds are not considered really ‘old’ for most species, but it was good to clarify the matter.
I wrapped all seeds in moist paper towels imbibed with GA3 solution 1000 ppm and left them like that for 1 day (inside a Ziploc bag). After that, I transferred the seeds into other moist paper towels (water), inside a Ziploc bag and kept them on the kitchen countertop. There were too many seeds and I considered this to be the easiest one in order to see what happens.

After about a week, some seeds were starting to germinate (featured image, Feb. 6). Great, I said, I’ll have a pot with seedlings, which is fine. But things were starting to accelerate and by Feb. 13, ALL the seeds were germinating, with the roots growing at the speed of light!

What to do? How to throw them away?! I learned my lesson about keeping too many seedlings of the same species….Still, I potted them up crowding 10+ seeds/pot. They grew for a while like it’s their habit only with cotyledon leaves, and then somewhere in late March/April they started to become dormant (again their habit).  At this point the pots will not look very nice but we have to let them enter dormancy in a ‘normal’ way.

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings March 1, 2023

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings May 10, 2023

Glaucidium dormant seedlings; if you remove a bit of mix from the top, future growing buds are visible.

Sometimes, after a short dormancy, a few seedlings will start to grow the true leaf; it didn’t happen this time probably due to the lack of soil in pots. ‘Empty’ looking pots were kept relatively moist (but not wet) and in late spring they were put outdoors in a shaded location. At some point in late June, I had a look to see what’s happening – all was well: seedlings in happy dormancy.

In early fall I assumed responsibility for the crowded seedlings, removed all from pots and replanted some in a large rectangle container, and some in other pots. Next spring the seedlings will start growing true leaves and they really need more space.

It is always a wonder how during only a few months of active growth the cotyledon leaves can support the growth of such large rootlets!

Some seedlings were shared bareroot with a friend in the fall, and more will follow next year. I do not plan opening a nursery ;)

So, this is method 1 of germinating Glaucidium palmatum using GA3; easily done. Do not start the seeds too early in the winter like I did.

Glaucidium palmatum dormant seedlings, August, 2023 – bareroot to be transplanted; every group shows how many seedlings grew in a 4 in pot!

Method 2:

GA3 is not absolutely necessary – I posted on another occasion the picture below with the note “a picture is worth a thousand words”. You just need more time for all seeds to germinate.

Glaucidium palmatum 1 and 2 years-old seedlings

The image is self-explanatory: for seeds sown regularly in pots in late fall/winter – some will germinate in the first spring (after cold/moist stratification); the rest of the seeds will germinate only after a warm cycle/followed by cold  – ie. the second spring.

For this reason, you can observe seedlings with cotyledon leaves only and seedlings with the true leaf in the same pot. Do not prick out the germinated seeds in the first year!

In all cases, the seedlings can be repotted easily when dormant in bigger pots. In the 3th year they should be planted in the ground. All rhizomatous species grow much better when they have more space to grow their root system.

The only phase when Glaucidium young seedlings can be lost is during dormancy if they receive too much water (from rains or overwatering).
To avoid this, keep the pots in a box with a lid, close to the house under eavestrough, in a shaded cold frame, or use any other method that would prevent the pots from drying too much (and encourage you to overwater) or to be rained on a lot.

This concludes once and for all experimenting with Glaucidium seeds from various sources. My first experiments were done in 2014!  Nothing else remains to be said.

With or without GA3, Glaucidium seeds are not more difficult to germinate than other rhizomatous species; sometimes they require 2 years for complete germination = patience. You don’t even need super fresh seeds as according with a germination myth about Glaucidium.

Latest seeds:

Two easy to grow perennials: Polemonium caeruleum and Polemonium yezoense ex. ‘Purple Rain Strain’

Two a bit more challenging shrubs, best to be sown asap: Rosa rubrifolia (syn. R. glauca) and Sorbus scopulina var. cascadensis

Polemonium caeruleum

Rosa glauca

Sorbus scopulina var. cascadensis