It's good to discuss others seedlings, not just mine. I don't know about the cross having anything to do with the germination. When I plant seed the majority will all come up about the same time after being in the fridge a few weeks. Some cross's will never come up, another mystery. The thing I really don't understand, when I bloom seedlings the first year some may bloom the first time in March and some may wait until August or later for first bloom. By the second year they will bloom when there suppose to. I know there's a logical reason for this and maybe someone else could explain it.

I have had a lot of seeds from Forestlake Ragamuffin not germinate. Don't know why but they just won't.

A while back someone (I forget who as no mind left) on the AHS Robin said a hybridizer they know puts the seed in a container with sandpaper and shakes them up to scrape the seed coat and he had almost 100% germintation. I think I will try it just to see.

Yeap! I was thinking about putting my seeds in something with coarse grain sand and shaking well!!! I hadn't thought about sandpaper but that would work better I guess. Atleast it wouldn't stick to the seed and make a mess.

I have grown other kinds of seed that had to be stratified and I resorted to using an emery board on them because they were hard, really hard and I only had a few to be done.

I think when I get ready to plant some more of my older seeds, I'll try the sandpaper. It won't hurt and it just might speed up the process.

Thanks Stephanie, I really like this one.

Fred, I find the little odd things to be very interesting. I've always been very inquisitive, if you could ask my parents I'm sure I was a "why" child!! Sometimes if you can find the small answers, it will give you the secret to the really big problems. How close are you to having blooms? I'm just getting ready to give my plants a big does of fertilize. I'll probably do it in a week or so. First I still have to find a good fertilize. I'm having a devil of a time finding anything close to the 3.1.2 ratio with minors. Nothing with minors, and not close to the ratio. You would think I'm speaking a foreign language when I ask for this. I tried a really really big farm supply that actually makes their own and they didn't know. All their stuff is balanced or with no phosphorous. I'm going tomorrow to a local nursery to see what they use. Maybe I'll find something there.

blessings, Mona

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm up to 116 seedlings now! I fertilized them with the half-strength blue Peters last week and today I moved the last of them out to where they'll get some direct sunlight for a few hours each day (our winter sunlight is pretty weak and hazy), and I noticed that a couple of them are now about 6" tall! Yea! I'm thinking Fred mentioned fertilizing them ever week with the half-strength Peters, and if it's supposed to be every other week I hope someone will let me know before I try fertilizing them again this weekend...

Mona, are you referring to water soluable or slow release. If water soluable, if you can't find anything else just get the miracle grow all purpose. It's ratio is 24-8-16 (=a 3-1-2 ratio). Lowes has another brand called ultra green that's got the same ratio and minors as MG. Peters is good as well as Viggo. When I went looking for the 25lb bags and asked for a 3-1-2 ratio people looked dumbfounded, but when I asked for 15-5-10 or 24-8-16 or 18-6-12 they seemed to understand what I was referring to. The MG comes in 5 and 10 lb boxes (home depot is actually cheaper here than lowes) and I just add it to the miracle grow hose end sprayer. That way there is no measuring.

If looking for a slow release you'll probably need to ask for the same numbers ( 18-6-12 or something close).

Betty, he sprays 1/2 oz fertilizer per gallon of water every week until bloom season. Then he goes to every two weeks (unless he's changed and I don't know it). Mine actually have been getting fertilized at least twice a week (trying to really push them since they got a late start).

I need to post a photo of my seedling bed. It has lots of upheaval going on!

So I guess half-strength fertilizer is good for seedlings? YEA!!! I was afraid I would burn them or something. Tomorrow I'm going to spray for aphids -- yick! I hate pesticides, but I do have a voracious bunch (like billions) of little green critters now, and they're munching and sucking away! So I know it's time...

I use full strength on my seedlings, but those are in the ground. I didn't fertilize them until they got planted. So I would think the 1/2 strength is ok for the ones still in trays or cups or whatever; I have read someplace that other people do that.

I'll take aphids any day over spider mites, which I just had to spray for!!!! It takes no time at all for spider mites to wreck havoc on daylilies. The eggs hatch like every 3-5 days so if you don't get them early they can multiply fast and take over. And since spider mites are on the underside of the foliage you may not notice you have them until they have done a lot of damage. Aphids you pretty much see right away.

I had some spider mites last year. You are right, they are just awful. Looks like the plant is dying, leaves turn all brown. I am going to start spraying early this spring so I don't get them again. I am going back to using Neem oil. Had good luck with that.

Will try the sandpaper method on my stubborn tetraploid seeds. They are the ones that I have most trouble germinating.

Just thought I'd post a couple of photos of the seedlings so you see the different sizes they are right now.



The first photo is the same as the one I posted earlier (I think). You can see it has grown quite a bit in 2 weeks since the 1-30-12 photo.




The second photo shows how they are increasing yet staying small. This one is a few inches tall maybe 4" but has 5 fans. There are others like this in the seedling bed (3-5 fans). I would prefer that they stay SF or DF and grow big. I doubt the ones like this will get big enough to bloom this year so that adds another year onto the evaluation of those.

HI to all, Just a note on my seeds germinating. I now have 137 germinated. I planted the first ones on 01/13/2012 and finished up planting on 01/29/12. I planted appx 900 seeds so I've had about 15% germinate so far. This is a small percentage but they are in an unheated greenhouse, so I'm having to be patient.

Yesterday the temp was about 60 and today it's been in the 60s. I've had 34 germinate in those 24 hours. That's by far the best to date. I'm sure that the heat is the deciding factor for my daylily seeds to germinate.

I hope everyones seedlings are growing and healthy.

Fred, & Michele, it's time for pictures if you have time. I need to print out a picture of your babies and put it in my greenhouse for a motivator for my seedlings!!

Blessings, Mona

I am going to Birmingham this morning, will post photos when I return next week.

My goodness Mona that sure is a lot of seed you planted. Hopefully lots more will germinated soon.

Thanks Margaret, I have gotten a lot of enjoyment going out to the GH daily to see if any little green heads have popped up. It's a close second to seeing a seedling bloom.

Fred, thanks. Hope you have a safe and great trip.

Blessings, Mona

Mona, my first excitement is when I see that a seed has germinated , then after planting, seeing the little seedling show it's little head.

Got another 21 today. That makes 158. I just had my fix for the day

That's great Mona!!!

Mona, I know how exciting it is. Congrats!