A quick look at our DIY grow light stand, along with the impatiens, dianthus, salvia cuttings and basil seedings:
6 more bulbs to go, more seeds, and the search for more flowers
I counted 9 lily bulbs out of the 15 asiatics have sprouted. Only the lollypops are not in evidence. The flower bed is almost in full shade now. The tallest of the lilies (almost a foot tall) has begun its lean toward the sun. Of the azaleas in the same bed, only Hot Shot and Delaware Valley White have bloomed. Note: overhead watering should be avoided for these plants. I’m just not convinced that it is the preferred method. I always had better results using a soaker hose.
The lone astilbe in this bed continues to leaf out, but I don’t think it will bloom this year. We will have to see. The pansies are rapidly declining as the heat ramps up, but the dianthus are taking over, putting out masses of red and white blooms. Speaking of dianthus, my seedlings are raking the top of the starter tray. I plan to transfer them to pots soon to finish their growth outdoors. I love these vigorous little plants so much that I’m considering investing in another packet of seeds.
The 200 impatiens are crowding their tray pockets, but I’m a little leery of transplanting them. They seem to be more delicate than the dianthus. However I’ve popped the tray off to see how well they do with better circulation. Of this tray system, only 7 cells remain empty. It appears that the seeds in these perished due to mold or contamination. I am uncertain that I will purchase cell replacements since they are only available online. I imagine this system is beneficial for the types of seeds that require more starting maintenance than others.
I’ve noticed that with the daylilies receiving more sun they have put on a few inches and new strap leaves. It appears that they have settled into their new homes and have begun their journey to summer blooms. The free Hyperion that I received with the Dallas Stars has shown the most progress. Also, regarding fast starts, it only took a little more than 48 hours for the basil I sowed to germinate. I almost missed seeing the Red Rubin basil germinate (because of their rich dark leaves against the soil) but apparently basil are fast-growing. All of the seedlings have their cotyledons, whereas the catmint did not make an entrance until the 3rd-4th day, of which I’ve seen only 2-3 starts so far. I’m not sure if this is typical of catmint or if they dislike the starter soil I’m using. It’s also taking some time to convince the salvia cuttings to enjoy their controlled environment, but I think the secret is water, water, water…until they take root.
With so many plants under our grow lights, I’m hooked into starting more plants from seed. Right now I’m pondering snapdragons, more dianthus and felicia, and maybe even petunias. I also would like to get a hold of some ornamental pepper plants too. And more natural bug repelling plants, such as catmints, lavenders, and marigolds.
Dallas Blooms 2010
Some vibrant shots at the Dallas Arboretum this year:
Of particular interest were the varieties of fuchsia (yes, that’s spelled correctly) showcased as bedding, border and potting plants. Also, a new series of Salvia greggii-type hybrids called Mesa were on display at the trial gardens: Azure (a light lavender) and Purple (not in bloom). Of course the azaleas and rhodies on hand captured the most attention, cutting huge swathes of color from one end of the park to the other. Check out the yellow flowered specimens captured on camera!
Plants, more plants and hard pruning the salvia
Yesterday’s shopping trip yielded 3 Ideal Select White dianthus from Strong’s Nursery. The felicia from Home Depot now resides in a planter with an Ideal White dianthus, the last Picasso calla bulb, and a Silver Dragon Liriope which has begun to show some leafing.
I discovered to my dismay that my maple had begun to yellow…so back outdoors it went. I’ve plucked the yellow leaves off to stave off any further stress on the maple. I think the extra sun helped sustain the heavy foliage this year. I did notice one or two leaves displaying pink variegation…so I’m hoping the rest will follow suit.
The remaining 2 Ideal White dianthus have been planted in the courtyard fence bed, along with the Hot Lips. I’ve also decided to put Hosta Eternal Flame in the back corner behind the crepe myrtle, where I hope it gets enough shade during summer.
The front fence bed received the flat of Coleus wizard mix that I picked up from Christina’s this past week. They grew quickly in the flats and I feared they would dry out the longer they sat out of the ground…so into the bed they went!
Finally this morning I had the radical notion of pruning back my red salvia greggii. They had grown so gangly and woody during the 2 years in their pots that I felt it was time to cut them down to the ground and let them start from scratch. I’m hoping that they will shoot back from the crown and fill up in time for summer. (I left some softwood on the main trunks to allow for a new flush of growth.) The following blog entry gives me some hope that these salvia will rebound with even greater vigor than before.
Salvia, basil, and blue daisies
With the seedlings doing well in their covered flat, I decided to try out MiracleGro’s Seedling Starter soil and bust out the basil seeds. With summer only 6 weeks away, I thought it would be only a matter of time before we started craving the awesome fresh flavors of an herb garden. Half packets of Stokes Seeds Red Rubin and Thai Basil went into a cheap plastic tray (recycled from food takeout), along with some Ferris & Morse catmint seeds purchased at Home Depot. It didn’t take long for me to notice the seeds swell up in the tray. Because the tray isn’t self-watering like the Burpee’s kit, I will be misting it daily
Two out of the 6 red salvia cuttings took root, which I promptly transferred to a 4 inch pot with starting soil. Two failed completely (perhaps because they were cut from hardwood), while the other 2 showed no rooting. The latter I also put into a starter/garden soil mix and placed under the grow light. From Walton’s Gardens yesterday I took home a Hot Lips Salvia and proceeded to take 4 cuttings, which also went under the grow light.
Finally, from Home Depot, I brought home a rosemary in a quart pot, along with the blue daisy I’ve been craving for all week, Felicia Cape Town Blue. I’m thinking of putting it in a planter along with some dianthus and a Picasso lily bulb that I have left over.