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Old 02-24-2010, 10:29 AM
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mrsD mrsD is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Great Lakes
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mrsD mrsD is offline
Wisest Elder Ever
mrsD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Great Lakes
Posts: 33,508
15 yr Member
Lightbulb

Yes, I did daylilies years ago from seeds I bought from Park's.

They need to be cold treated for best results.
http://www.shieldsgardens.com/DLPlace/stratify.html

As I recall I lost about 10% of the seeds during stratification.
They rotted. I checked them frequently and removed quickly so as not to have the fungus spread to the others. It helps to put a little square of paper towel in the ziploc and to separate the seeds from each other so they don't touch to prevent spread of any fungus/or rot.

The seeds are large and easy to handle. And after they finally germinate they are easy to move around. I thought the transplanting was much easier than with other more tender type plants. It was the cold stratification that is the tricky part.


I just started 7 more perennials this week.
2 more ornamental grasses, a dwarf black eyed susan I bought at a nursery and saved seeds from (this is small enough for container growing), a new plant I've never done before called Agastache Purple pygmy, and two types
of forget me nots for my son's wet yard, and globe thistle seeds gathered from my plants, to naturalize in the wild garden across the street.

Also I should add that I am using a special seed starting mix. I bought MiracleGro seed starter, and mixed it 1/2 and 1/2 with fine vermiculite. I notice that the vermiculite encourages the roots well, and falls off easily when transplanting so there is less damage. I think this is helping with my success rate. I gave the little babies a shot of very dilute fertilizer a few days before moving. I mix the soils in their own tubs (one for seed starter and a separate one for transplanting soil). I bought the tubs cheaply at WalMart and they have lids. I have to do this indoors so I wanted to control "mess". I moisten the mediums a few hours before planting, so watering is kept to a minimum. I use a water bottle with a nozzle for drinking and put only drops in each cell as needed. Park's directions say to bottom water, but if done carefully like I do it, top watering works too. I also open the scones containers a bit now and then and let them air out.
It is a fine mix of keeping fungus down, but humidity up for germination success.
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Weezie looking at petunias 8.25.2017


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