NOTE TO SELF ….
(1) – Karen, you do not have to sow every seed that comes in a seed packet.
(2) – Karen, you do not have to prick out every seedling that germinates.
I am having a few days at home – catching up with my own garden.
So in addition to the seeds in the greenhouse, and the “drifts” of Angelica gigas, Black cow parsley, Digitalis ‘Stewartii’, Digitalis ‘Suttons Apricot’, and Eryngium giganteum ‘Silver Ghost’ that I have planted this week – I still seem to have a lot of seedlings.
From now on, I am only going to sow half a dozen (or so) seeds of each variety – and half a dozen in case they don’t germinate, and half a dozen to make up for the ones that will be eaten or die – oh yes, plus half a dozen to give to friends!
This really made me laugh. I have exactly the same problem and I was reading some where that you only need to sow a few but like you say what happens if they dont germinate or if something eats them, as has happened to my Viola seedlings. Such dilemmas!
Hi PG – Yes I thought this might resonate with you!
Thanks for commenting
Karen
I guess you will have a multitude of plants next season Karen. lol I do the same thing.
Hi PGL, It is so good to know that I am not the only one! Fingers crossed for lots of plants next season!
Karen
Hello Karen – we didn’t wake up to frost after all, thank goodness! But, I’ll be putting the tarps on at night pretty often.
I had a good laugh while reading your post. I have the same trouble with sowing too many seeds. The weird part is that I feel so guilty not using them all…rather like a plant murderer!
Hi Amy – glad about the frost. You are right the guilt – the guilt – I feel so wasteful if I throw them away.
Karen
You’re advised to keep the strong seedlings and throw the weak ones away – but that’s so cruel and they look at you so pathetically, promising to grow up big and strong if you give them a chance. And you do – And they do – And you’re in trouble again.
Hi Easygardener – this has made me laugh so much – it makes a lovely picture – and I so agree with you!
Karen
What a dilemma! And then there’s the self sown seedlings by the hundreds:)! I usually let them grow for awhile.
Hi Chey – Oh the self sown seedlings – let us not even GO there …..
Thanks for visiting
Karen
It’s clearly a labour of love and results in flowers of appreciation.
/krys
Ahhh – bless you Krys for taking the time to leave a nice comment.
Karen
I agree with Krys — it is a labor of love and your garden shows the results!
Nancy – thanks so much for visiting and the lovely comment
Karen
When did you listen to yourself anyway?
You have to give them all a chance.
I say, keep growing them. I agree with easygardener. How can you throw something out that you have nurtured?
Hi Dobby – yes it is true – I seldom listen to the good advice I give myself.
Karen
Karen, it is hard job but we must try to be strong! I do the same thing with cuttings – just in case we get a hard winter
Hi Shirl – Cuttings – yes well I do the same – and I didn’t show you those – (although there are not quite as many as seedlings)
Thanks for dropping by
Karen
Sounds like me. I have learned to save 1/2 of the seeds for the next year. I know that they have an expiration date and maybe they may not do as well with their germination the next year, but who ever told the seeds they couldn’t grow after a certain amount of time anyway? What a predicament too. None of the seeds I sowed this year grew in my mulch area. I’ll have to start my seeds inside next year.
Hi Cinj – Lovely of you to leave a comment. I quite often try seeds a few years after they have been harvested – like you say, maybe they don’t know they have a shelf life!
Good luck with starting your seeds indoors next year.
Karen
I am so impressed, Karen. You have been ‘one busy bee’!
Thanks Joey – It has been lovely to just have time in my own garden this week.
Karen
we are having a seed swop at the garden club.Out go all the seeds – of course I will come home with others so no solution there. Your germination rate seems very good- I have big aphid problems!
Hi Linda – I have only just joined the local gardening club – so I don’t know yet if we have seed swops …. I will just have to send my seeds and not myself – to that meeting to ensure I don’t come home with more than I took
Karen
I have trouble keeping anything alive, so keep all of the seedlings, I say.!! Isnt like the only crab on the beach, one may live, but it’s great if they all do.
Hi P – are you sure that you dont want me to keep them all so that some of the extras come and live with you?
Karen
I have the same problem, but with Columbine seeds I’ve collected from my garden. I have pots of the things now, but I never know if the parent plant is going to croak and need to be replaced. And how can I throw out perfectlly good, perfectly gold seedlings? People pay big money for these things, it feels like throwing money away. I’ve even offered seedlings to friends & family, but they still have the ones I gave them last year. I’m promising myself, next year, more discipline, fewer sown seeds, more seeds given away.
Hi Mr.McGD – thanks for dropping in to share your seed experiences – I would feel the same way about Columbine seeds as you. In fact I have sown the seeds of three different varieties. No wonder I have so many seedlings!
Karen
I have the same dilemma when it comes to seeds, although I sowed very few this year. When I do, I never know how many to sow and I prick out every one that germinates too. I hate to throw the seedlings out, it seems so cruel when they have gone to all that trouble to make an appearance. The problem is space, where does one put all the pots! x
Hi Louise – thanks for visiting – the seeds take up so little room – but when you prick them all out … well they take over the garden don’t they. I am fortunate in that Shedman has built me a little nursery area – but even so they have temporarily taken over one of the raised veg beds.
Karen
Oh, I can’t see sticking to those resolutions. I think it’s impossible. But it’s good to try.
Megan – I think you are probably right! Especially as some new seeds arrived to day,
6 packets to be exact! Thanks for dropping by.
Karen
Hi Karen, a common problem for those thrifty among us that were taught not to waste things. I am impressed that you could get the eryngiums to germinate, is there a secret trick to it? Also the angelica, I would love to try that one, is it difficult? I guess it’s time to go to the seed shops online and place another order! Just did some veggies since I forgot to get enough for fall when the stores all had them on the shelves. Now they only have bulbs. You must be like a mother hen clucking over her chicks with so many baby seedlings, they do take special care just like babies.
Hi Frances – the secret to eryngiums is that they can take a long time. They need a cold spell to germinate – so don’t throw the seedtray out thinking nothing has happened to them. Angelica needs to be sown “fresh” – so if you know anyone who has a plant – now is the time to ask for seed from it.
Thanks for dropping by
Karen
This looks very impressive Karen – I wish my greenhouse was so full of plants right now – it’s waiting ready for me to get going on some Autumn stuff especially if this warm weather continues… here’s hoping… Miranda
Hi Miranda – thanks for dropping by – here in the UK we are not having warm weather – it is still grey and rainy. I think that some of the plants think it is Spring and April showers!
Karen
ha ha ha – well done! That really is a lot of little plants!
Karen, you really have a lot of patience! As for myself, I still have seed packets dating back to the 1990′s. (They found seeds in the pyramids dating back thousands of years , so I’m not too bad!)
I’m running out of sunny places with no rock under the soil : (
Containers and pots are totally a lesson in despair in a garden where a frisky (read uncontrollable) puppy is running wild. I wish I had a greenhouse like you!