I started some echinacea in vermiculite again.


I pricked out to soil yesterday


I hope I don't kill them.

Karen

I am going to copy you!
Good ideas!

I started some seeds in vermiculite but i forgot to do echinceas. Thanks for the reminder! What kind did you plant?

It was a pack of (I think) 15 Cheyenne Spirit with a few Pow Wow Wild Berry (about 4 seeds leftover from last year).

This method worked well for me last year. When I pricked them out yesterday they had amazing roots formed in the vermiculite. Now they're looking shell- shocked from transplanting, but they should recover. My hands aren't that agile and I'm pretty rough on tiny seedlings. Some were still @ cotyledon stage, and when they're that small I sometimes lose a few.

Karen

As usual I planted my seed directly into little containers filled with my own compost, I have a habit of keeping way more of the Purple Coneflower seeds than I need, so I just throw some in a pot, food container or what ever is available all along. Then I have plenty of the little plants to give away and replant in my own garden. I noticed that lately the compost is getting too compact so I think I am going to try adding some vermiculite. The Coneflowers are strong enough to push up though it, but I have a feeling some of the other plants might not be. It seems every year I loose a few, remove a few and move them around so it is nice to be able to just pop a new one in. I tried The White Coneflowers and had very little luck with them "White Swan" I think, put the old purple ones never let me down. I normally wait for mine to get larger before transplanting them, and they don't seem to notice they have been moved.

That's funny! I have last year's Cheyenne Spirit and new Pow Wow Wildberry this year!

And you kept them inside, right? I often transplant in cotyledon stage and I can be pretty rough too. But they should perk back up! Maybe that's a good project for me to do today!

seedfork, you might try perlite instead of vermiculite. Sometimes vermiculite packs down too but perlite will keep it fluffy.

abhege,
Perfect, thanks. That is what I need for sure then, perlite.

I wintersowed White Swan a few years ago with good results. But I lost most to aster yellows last summer.

Yes Arlene, I kept my seeds inside the house, no cold treatment. Great germination in the vermiculite.

I tried this method (sowing in vermiculite) with begonias last year but I screwed that up badly. They're such slowpokes, stayed so small, that I never could transplant them. In fact I couldn't see them very well without a magnifying glass. Ended up trashing them.

These are this year's begonias which I started right in the APS trays.


Karen

Wow! Those look great.

I tend to over water begonias. I do have one I started from seed about two years ago. Haven't managed to kill it yet!

I wonder if I will have trouble then with lisianthus? I sowed in vermiculite and they are tiny AND very slow growers! Ackkkkk! Oh well, it's a trial.

Karen, I'm surprised you don't WS the Echinacea.

I have Duane, many times. The down side to that is that they don't bloom until the second year. Last year I used this method (inside, germinating in vermiculite in January). They did great.

May 2013


And lots of blooms by July


And by means of comparison: Last May, WSown echs in the jug on the left, indoor seedling on right


I had great success with WSing for 7 years. Last year was so cold, cloudy, and rainy, that I had dismal results.

Karen

Karen,
I think you gave all your success to me last year!

I think you're right Jennifer!

Our spring weather was just awful last year. Constant rain, cold, no sun (always cloudy and raining). It really was dismal for WSing. Most years I've had great results, but most years have warmer, sunnier, weather.

Karen

Actually we got tons and tons of rain last spring/early summer last year too. There were times that I actually covered my WSing jugs with shower curtains to keep them from getting even more wet. By spring I moved all my jugs up against a south facing brick wall and put them on black crates. Not sure if it helped or not

I think I'm going to try your method, Karen. I have a nice big bag of vermiculite and a bunch of seeds that need starting.

Be sure to let us know how it works for you. And remember how much we like pictures...

Karen

Karen, did you use covered containers and did they have drainage?

Covered container, no holes in top or bottom. There will be lots of condensation but the lid stays on the whole time.

Karen

Thanks! Going to set up a few today.