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Are you starting any perennials from seed this year?

18 years ago

I usually start quite a few things, but it looks like I'm only doing two perennials this year (a lot of annuals though) - Mum 'Charm Early Fashion Mix' and Fall Aster 'Composition'. I've done mums from seed before and they grew fast even blooming the first year, but I've never done the Fall Asters before. I guess they also bloom the first year.

What's on your list?

Kevin

Comments (23)

  • 18 years ago

    I am winter sowing quite a few things this year: alchemilla erythropoda, allium cernuum, crocosmia, aubrieta, 'Apricot Sprite' agastache (might not overwinter for me), and 'Blue Glow' echinops bannaticus.

  • 18 years ago

    No, I never do. I try a few annuals from seed, the easier ones like Alyssum, marigolds etc. I am not a patient gardener by any means, and I'd rather buy the bigger plant than wait a few years for it to grow!

    Jen

  • 18 years ago

    I'm winter-sowing, and I thought I wasn't doing too many perennials, but now that I've gotten started, I'm doing more than I thought!

    several agastaches
    several alliums
    several columbines
    amsonia
    alstromeria
    baptisia leucantha
    astrantia
    armeria
    catananche caerula
    cephalophora
    a couple of mums (incl. Charm Early Fashion Mix)
    centranthus
    coreopsis
    cirsium
    several dianthus
    several delphiniums
    a couple of echinaceas
    several feverfews
    doronicum (although conflicting info as to whether this is perennial or annual)
    eryngium (sp? - eryngum??)
    gaillardia
    helenium
    liatris
    knautia
    ratibida
    platycodon
    phlomis
    rudbeckia (again, perennial or annual???)
    veronica
    viola
    trifolium rubens

    Like I said, a few more than I thought, lol!

    :)
    Dee

  • 18 years ago

    Kevin, meant to ask - do you pinch your seed-grown mums the first year? I'm growing these for market, for fall sales, and I'm wondering if I should pinch or let them grow this first year - but I don't want them to bloom in June, lol!

    Thanks,
    Dee

  • 18 years ago

    I'm doing Snow on the Mountain, Rose campion, variegated Honesty,and an apricot colored foxglove.

  • 18 years ago

    Dee

    I've never grown this particular variety of mum before, but if it behaves like others I've grown I will pinch it at some point. It's kind of amazing how fast these can grow. In the past I've had full sized mum plants by fall. I hope these behave the same way.

    (looks like you have it bad)

    Kevin

  • 18 years ago

    Let's see, I'm winter sowing:

    Campanula carpatica (a blue dwarf trailing kind)
    Shasta daisy 'Alaska'
    Roses (seeds from my 'Othello' plant)
    Acanthus spinosus (a real long shot, from a plant in my yard)
    Toad lilies (from my 'Miyazaki Hybrids' plants)
    Alpine strawberry 'Ruegen'
    Oriental poppies
    Clematis (seed from my 'General Sikorski', another long shot)
    Dianthus 'Victoriana'
    Potentilla 'Melton Fire'
    Columbine
    Monarda 'Cambridge Scarlet'
    Lilac (seed from my 'Wonderblue/Little Boy Blue' plant)
    Hosta (four kinds, seed from a wonderful lady on the daylily forum who also grows amazing hosta)

    I might still sow a few more perennials, but I'm moving on to hardy annuals now too. I've had good success winter sowing perennials, so I'm doing more this year than in the past two years together.

    Laurel

  • 18 years ago

    I'm with tjsangel. I've never even considered perennials from seed; I have a hard enough time waiting for the Bluestone plants to grow up!

    Besides being impatient, I really don't have the space to deal with seed-starting. I did start annuals from seed a few times in our last house, but this one isn't suited for it.

  • 18 years ago

    This year more annuals than in the past, though I'm trying some perennials as well:

    delphinium 'Belladonna'
    delphinium zalil (or 'Zalil') - don't really know what this one is and it looks like germination rates for the seeds may not be great.
    valerian
    an unknown anemone from a friend's garden
    acer griseum (not expecting a lot here, either)
    cornus florida
    a dark purple-foliaged maple from a neighbor's yard
    several different foxgloves (d. purpurea varieties)
    exochorda macrantha from my own shrub 'The Bride' - if I get any sprouts, they'll got to the MAG swap
    echinops ritro
    campanula americana
    styrax japonica

  • 18 years ago

    Hi,
    I had such great success last year with winter sowing them, I'm doing a lot more. I'm up to 49 varieties of perennials (and a few vines too) planted out in bottles so far. Some of the things I've sown are:
    Adlumia fungosa
    Various Agastache
    Anchusa azurea
    Various Clematis species
    Various Campanula species
    Various Geranium species
    Various Penstemon species
    Dictamus Albus
    Caryopteris divaricata
    Delphiniums
    Lathyrus vernus
    Trachelium caeruleum
    Rodgersia
    I could go on, lol. Anyway, most everything I winter sow is plants that will come true from seed. Now, I can spend my money on cultivars that won't come true : )
    Oh, and some plants will grow and bloom the first year like agastache.
    Remy

  • 18 years ago

    I start annuals and vegetables from seeds, but rarely perennials. I've done it in the past, but truth be told I'm just too darn impatient to wait until at least the following season to see any action out in the garden.

  • 18 years ago

    I'm starting whatever I got from the North American Rock Garden Society annual Seed Exchange. And whatever I get from the second-round exchange through same. And lots of "leftovers" from last year.

    Among them: Aconitum spp., Anemone spp., Kniphofia spp., Moraea spp., Lilium spp., Astralagus spp. (Astragalus? I don't remember...), Begonia spp., Heuchera spp., Aquilegia spp., Viola spp., Paeonia spp., Helleborus spp., Hosta spp., and lord knows what else. That's not counting all the seedlings from last year living in assorted pots in need of transplantation.

  • 18 years ago

    Most of the things I am starting from seeds are herbs, peppers, and a few annuals. There were several perennials that I wanted, and I am trying to save a few dollars by starting as many from seed as I can.

    Agastache rupestris
    Asclepias tuberosa
    Kniphofia uvaria
    Verbascum 'Southern Charm'
    Heuchera 'Palace Purple'

    The rest of what I wanted I couldn't find seeds for and ordered plants instead.

    I have heard the Kniphofia usually doesn't bloom until the 2nd or 3rd year, and I know the Agastache will probably bloom it's first year. Anyone know about the Asclepias or the Verbascum? I don't really care if the Heuchera blooms or not, mainly interested in it for foliage interest.

  • 18 years ago

    highalt, I winter sowed asclepias tuberosa last year. Of the 6 plants I ended up with, the 2 in the backyard bloomed (they got full on all day sun and some neglect) and the 3 in the front yard didn't (at least 6 hours of sun and more fussing than the others). So if you're WSing them I'd say you have a 50-50 chance! :)

  • 18 years ago

    (Yes, I'm bad at math, but that should have said "Of the 5 plants I ended up with..." lol.)

  • 18 years ago

    When I've done asclepias, they've bloomed the first year, but on small plants.

    I think the Verbascum 'Southern Charm' also bloomed the first year, but it's been a while. I know I didn't like it and ended up yanking it the second year.

    Kevin

  • 18 years ago

    Until I learned to winter sow I had very little success with growing from seed. Now sky is my limit. This year I am concentrating more on natives- and I mean in in wide spectrum- native to China, Japan etc. is on my list as well as native to US. Lots and lots of plants I am growing can not be obtained by any other means but growing from seeds. I have shady garden and there are so many plants that might grow well for me. Yes , it takes time. No, it is not difficult. I love to see my plants grow.

  • 18 years ago

    Have wintersowed the following perennials :D
    Columbine (2 types)
    Anise Hyssop
    Phlox paniculata
    Dicentra spectablis
    Veronica spicata
    Penstemon 'Huskers Red'
    Aster laevis (Smooth Blue Aster)
    Liatris
    Purple Prairie Clover
    Thyme 'Magic Carpet'
    Daylily
    Daisy
    Stachys bizantina
    New England Aster
    Oriental Poppy
    Germanium 'Biokovo'
    Blue Sea Holly
    Hyssopus officinalis
    Verbena hastata
    Canadian Milkvetch
    Hardy Hibiscus
    Winecup
    Canna

  • 18 years ago

    Thanks, Kevin, for that info on the mums. Yes, I suppose I do have it bad - worse than I thought, when I saw my list above, lol! Glad to see there are others though too!

    :)
    Dee

  • 18 years ago

    I am winter sowing a lot more than planned:

    Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis)
    Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
    Purple Love Grass (Egrostis spectabilis - not yet - will sow it next month)
    Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
    Native White Baptisia (Baptisia leucantha)
    Helenium - a few red ones
    Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
    VA Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
    Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum) - hope this one grows. I really want a whole lot more.

    Hmm- what else? Can't remember. :-)

  • 18 years ago

    The Prairie Smoke is a great plant. I love the name of this one because that's just what the seed heads look like.

    K

  • 18 years ago

    I usually buy a few packets of perennial seed but then never plant them. Does that count?
    Actually every now and then I get some perennial seeds into the ground in late summer. They sprout when the rain comes and have no trouble overwintering and then taking off the following spring.

  • 18 years ago

    I tend to wintersow things I want and can't get cheaply. Hardy Hisbiscus was a wonderful discovery last year, so I have two different kinds sowed now. Blackberry Lily is another favorite.

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