Hello all! Has anyone begun their seed-starting for 2024 yet?
Surprisingly the 'Snaptini' snapdragons that were started last year, have survived several days of snow and hard frost to 20°!

I just took this picture this morning.

I will admit, I have yet to start a single seed! There have been other priorities lately, but soon!

I have not started any either. Getting lazy in my old age and for some I have just ordered plugs. Calibrachoa seeds seem to be scarce so I ordered plugs. Some petunias too. Might do a plug order to Richters Herbs too. Lazy grandmother that I am!

Hi Evelyn,
I'm wondering why you would need to start seeds when your garden is still blooming! It would be wonderful to see flowers like that in January. 😮 I've had a few snapdragon plants make it through winters here as cold as 0°. But, just as basal growth, not in full flower. That's a wow!

My only active "starts" are some daylily seeds sprouting in the refrigerator. They've been there since fall because I haven't had time to pot them. They are very tolerant of being held in suspended animation, growing very slowly, a pallid pinkish-white longing for light. They're in small volumes of dampish milled sphagnum. Just enough for life support. I'll try to get a picture in daylight.

Two seed orders arrived today. And I bought some at a garden center. So I'll be starting some soon. Things that can go outside first while it's still cool and even a little frosty. Snapdragons are in that group. Also, Dianthus, stocks, delphiniums and various other perennials. Gotta get on it! Thanks for the reminder.

P.S. Oops this is supposed to be the Annuals forum and I mentioned some "P" plants. But some plants that are "P"
in some zones are grown as annuals in others. Such as some snapdragons. It's complicated...

Pat

Haven't started any seeds yet but have been sorting my stash for days now ..pretty sure I have a hording problem.

I also have made a list of what I plan to start but not sure where I will put them all.

Hi Cinda @gardengus

Not sure where you will put them all? That never happens to me No, there were not 3 flats of annuals I grew, sitting on my deck in September for lack of places to plant them. Actually it was mostly because of the heat and drought and heat, heat, heat. The deck looked nicer than usual though. I did lose a flat of cosmos that demanded to be watered 3 times a day or else. I guess I showed them.

Next week I plan to start ones I can plant out early while it's cool including dianthus and snapdragons.

Also I'll plant the slow starters like ageratum and petunias. Those are so tiny I can barely see them when the cotyledons emerge. They get to perch on a heat mat til they're up - with a light a few inches overheard so they don't stretch. Tiny thin-stemmed soft annuals like ageratum and petunias need to be grown short and stout to help prevent damping off. I always use a thin layer of milled sphagnum on top of the potting mix, underneath the seeds and to cover them because it helps prevent damping off. Sometimes I dust the emerged seedlings with a thin additional, dry layer. I would start fibrous begonias now if I grew them. I don't want many so I usually save the trouble and buy plants.

This year I'm starting some flowering tobacco. Also tiny seeds. Does anyone know if they are slow starters needing more time to size up?

Pat

Last year I had winter sown plants still in the jugs in October

I spray my seedlings with chamomile tea and have never experienced damping off


I grew Indian peace pipe flowering tobacco last year .Don't remember starting it early ...do remember it growing fast and huge.

Hortaholic said: Hi Evelyn,
I'm wondering why you would need to start seeds when your garden is still blooming! It would be wonderful to see flowers like that in January. 😮 I've had a few snapdragon plants make it through winters here as cold as 0°. But, just as basal growth, not in full flower. That's a wow!
Pat

Hi Pat ~ The garden is not in bloom. Only these "mini-snaps", 'Snaptini' are in "colorbowls" and planters on shelves under the windows. Those are the only plants blooming. It is actually am experiment of mine. I started them last year under lights. They took a very long time. I did not put them out until the weather cooled off, as the summer heat would probably have finished them.

I also started pansies last year. I wasn't as successful. I ended up with 3 unremarkable plants that I put our in the garden and they soon disappeared. (That was from a couple of flats!)

For annuals, I've got Cosmos, Plains Coreopsis and Petunias in winter sowing containers in the snow. Perennial flowers include New England Aster and Johnny Jump Ups next to them. Today was the first day it was above freezing in a week and a half; nothing is even thinking about coming up yet. Still about three months from my 50% chance of last frost date. Winter sowing jugs is it for now.

PattyPan said: For annuals, I've got ... Petunias in winter sowing containers in the snow.

Posting inspired me to look since I am behind the curve on creating my calendar of what I am growing let alone the dates to start things. It was a very Covid Christmas and it looks like I am probably getting a community garden plot nearby in addition to the backyard.

The petunias are a long lead time (and technically perennial even if there's zero chance of surviving my winter.) 10-12 weeks long lead time. They are all going in containers that are not even in contact with the ground so I am waiting till I am really sure frost is past to plant. It's getting close even with all that. I'm thinking first week of Feb if I start more indoors. I might risk it and not start any indoors. The community garden spot is likely going to stretch my starting space/resources.

No pressure. Just make a plan in the next week or so before I start executing the plan.

Good luck, Patty! I hope you have a splendid growing season!

evelyninthegarden said: Good luck, Patty! I hope you have a splendid growing season!

Thanks. Only 3-4 times my veggie space to manage with the community garden plot. What possible can go wrong?

I finally sat down at my kitchen table tonight and got some lettuces, snapdragons, bee balm, marigolds, and herbs going. I spent the past few days organizing, sorting, and getting things staged, and dividing my seeds into categories for direct-sowing and starting indoors.... putting the seeds in the plugs tonight actually felt a little anticlimactic!

But now you have your garden on its way. Watching them germinate and how big they get and some might even start flowering before you put them in the ground is always exciting for me as my mind pictures them outdoors in a month or two. I won't start my annual seeds until around March 1st for my area, but it's always fun to watch how they progress and knowing the hummingbirds are going to be very happy!

Anyone have seedlings to show off?
or are your starts in the ground already?

Frost here predicted next two nights.

These were put out last fall and stayed out all winter. They are still blooming!
'Snaptini' snapdragons. I suppose they will be done when the weather gets hot.

I recently planted some sweet peas, cornflowers, stock, Nigella and nicotiana.

I just started seeds today. I did Marigolds although I only did two varieties. Fireball and Flemenco.

I was at a greenhouse yesterday and they wanted 3.29 for a 2 pack annuals
Think I will start some more seeds.