Ya-ha-whoey!! That's great. Can I do that with seeds that I am just now collecting from my perennials (e.g., campanula, coneflower)? I'm new to growing from seed and very excited about trying the envelope method!
Thanks.

I have started seed and rooted cuttings in plastic bags but, except for experimental purposes i.e. just to see whats happening I have never quite understood the fascination with paper towels.

I have just used a bit of potting soil or potting mix and let the roots get a good healthy start immediately.

The reason for using plastic bags was simply no more than the fact that they were handy and sandwich bags are quite inexpensive.

My thoughts for using the paper towel was to retain the moisture consistently around the seed. I dunno about using the soil simply because I'm too lazy to sterilize the soil and don't want a bunch of dirt in my kitchen.

But, again, I say - now what? Do I move these seeds outside now or do they have to be indoors more? I'm gonna go ahead and try it I guess. The dianthus seeds are all newly collected from my aunt's garden on Tuesday and they were planted on Friday evening and germinating by Sunday evening.

Christina

cncnorman, sorry I hijacked your thread with my bit about soil vs. towels.

"But, again, [you] say - now what?" I was sort of begging that question. Now you will have to use soil, I think. I am thinking the roots and shoots in or upon the towels will be quite sensitive to transplanting shock. Perhaps someone will assure you that I am in error.

I started morning glories and moonflower this way; I was traveling and did it in a hotel room (not wanting to lose precious gardening time). When the roots appeared sooner than expected, I snagged a couple of paper cups from Dunkin Donuts and bought a small bag of potting soil to transfer them to. This was in early May; they're enormous now, in the garden. I do think that if you use this system it's important to get them into soil of some kind ASAP. Similar to rooting cuttings in water.

Usually you will have some used cell packs laying around. Start one seedling in each cell and leave them until well rooted, then they are ready for the garden. If your cells were outside in dappled shade you should be able to avoid a hardening off period before transplanting. Al

I'd say just put the paper towel with the seedlings in tact in well watered soil. I wouldn't try to handle the tiny things and the paper towel will decompose. Just make sure to put them in a shaddy area even if they are sun loving plants, until they get well established. The hot july sun can be brutal on tiny seedlings. I would cover them with a thin layer of soil and keep them well watered. I did that with coleius seeds late spring and they are doing very well.

Sunflowers need to be in the soil as soon as you can swing it. Yes, they need to be shaded, but assuming they make it, they also need to eventually be in full sun. The easiest way to accomplish this is to plant them right in the garden where you want them to bloom (in full sun) and shade them with a pot -- for about a week, I'd say in hot Texas. Each little plant should get its own pot. Make sure you water them well when you plant, and keep them watered. As soon as you see new growth give them some diluted water-fertilizer. Once they start growing, they grow fast!

The dianthus can take part shade, anyway, and it can live in a cell pack for a long, long time :)) The gourd probably should be out in the garden, but the sunflowers are the main ones that don't like being moved around and need to be dealt with very soon. Oh, and the gourd and sunflower would like soil. The dianthus can be in the mulch or a cell pack, but either way, don't let it/them get too dry.

Lime

Thanks so much for the tip on taping them to the window! That just gave me a whole lot more space. hee hee

I can't believe it, but it worked for me, too. I am dropping them in paper pots filled nearly to the top with soil and adding a little soil over top of the seedling right now.

There doesn't seem to be any real good info on what to do and when based on seeing a root develop and/or a stem... I am not waiting to see the stem, just going for it now with the root showing. I sure hope I'm doing this right.

~Angela

I just started the coffee filter baggie method less than a month ago, and let me just say that it is amazing! I collected seed from various plants, dianthus, snapdragon, alysum and they all sprouted within days. I'm also starting some store bought seed for periennals for fall planting. I'm experimenting with transfering them in different ways right now.

I have also yet to read exactly when is the best time to remove from the baggie and transfer to soil, so I do it when they have their two little "starter" leaves. (I forget the technial term.) I figure I shouldn't wait longer than that, but having those two little leaves going to put above soil really helps me.

Once they sprout I put them in little soiled filled newspaper pots or yogurt cups. If they fall off the coffee filter easily, I do it that way. If they are "stuck," I cut up the coffee filter and leave them attached to that and put them together in the soil. The FAQ has a tip about using a toothpick which can be handy to have on hand when doing this.

Once in a little soil, I leave them in the windowsill right below where they were taped in the baggie for one full day. But I figure they need to get in full sun as soon as possible. Plus, I get sick of moving them in and out and squirting them with a water bottle. So I just spend a few days setting them outside for longer bits each day, then after that, leave them out.

Right now I'm just trying different things with different plants as far as when I'm planting them in ground versus leaving them in some kind of little plastic pot or yogurt container. But either way, I also want them outside asap, I also hate keeping things with dirt inside as it's messy and attracts bugs and my kids can knock them over, lol. That is why I love this method as they are only inside in dirt a few days at most. They are either in a baggie where I can glance as to their progress however much I want but doesn't take constant watering, but they get planted and acclimated to the outdoor environment rathar quickly. But then again, I live in a mild climate and have a small house without the whole light set-up deal, so maybe that is why it works well for me.

Good luck, and definately check back what works well for you!