| Sowing
instructions A-B (sorted by scientific name) |
Acacia
Baileyana - Golden
Mimosa
Seed germinates best if given hot water
soak or use scarified seed. Place seed in near boiling water, soak for
24 hrs then sow. Any floating seeds need additional hot water/soak
treatment. Sow seeds 1/8" deep, germination 2-3 weeks at 70-75 degrees
F. Cold hardy to 18 degrees F
Actinidia
chinensis -- Kiwi
Sow seeds at least 10'' apart from each
other. Kiwis can be grown in any soil and are hardy to 5 degrees, need
a sunny location. Young sprouts however need to be protected from
frost. The best is to plant them in a pot and take them indoors in
winter until they are 1 year old. Fruits delvelop after 3 - 5 years, if
you have a male and a female plant. One male plant can pollinate up to
8 female plants. Female blooms have the white center filaments, male
blooms have a yellow center.
Adenium
Obesum - Desert Rose
Scatter seed into a mixture of sand/soil
or cactus soil. Seeds germinate easily, and seedlings grow without any
special attention. Needs full sunlight and temperatures not below 55
degrees. Do not overwater and let dry out before watering again. Blooms
in spring and fall.
Agapanthus
Africanus
& Getty white - Blue African Lily - White African Lily
Sow in trays, pots, etc of good seed
compost in a propagator or warm place to maintain an optimum
temperature of 65-70F . Sow in well drained compost, just
covering the seed with compost. Sowing Time: April to May. Germination
usually takes 1-4 months.
Akebia
quinata and
trifoliata - Chocolate vine
Best sown in a cold frame. Surface sow
in a light position. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 58
degrees. . When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into
individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for
at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer,
after the last expected frosts.
Albizia
julibrissin - Silk
tree
Seeds need to be scarified. Place seeds
in boiling water and leave to cool 24 hours. Or you can rub seeds with
sandpaper or carefully nick, scrpae or chick the seedcoat with a sharp
cutting utensil. Sow seeds in well drained potting soil 1/8 '' deep at
70-75 degrees. Germination 2-10 days.
Alcea
Rosea - Hollyhock
Cover with a layer of soil as thick as
the seed''s diameter. Daytime temperatures of 68F/20C are best for
germination. Keep moist but not soppy. It should germinate in 1-2
weeks. You can also plant directly outside two weeks before the last
frost date. It likes a sheltered (not too much wind), sunny site and
rich soil. It does not like extreme heat, as in south Florida. If grown
there, try planting it on the north side of the house and not in full
sun. It usually spends the first year making a rosette of leaves and
forming a sturdy root, then in the second year a large spike will shoot
up 5-8 feet and will start blooming, but sometimes you will get lucky
and it will bloom late in the first year. If you pinch it back as it is
growing, it will get more branches and thus more flowers. Or you can
just let it go to its full, regal height. Single stalks are very
impressive. Mulch at least four inches deep to protect in winter,
although if you get heavy snow cover all winter, you don''t need to.
They like to reseed themselves
Aloirites
fordii - Tung Oil Tree
Soak seeds
in
water for 5-7 days, then plant them where they are to grow in late
spring. Alternatively, seeds may be sown in a warm greenhouse in the
very early spring to produce transplants to be set out late the
following spring. Germination takes at least two months. If the trees
are started outdoors, a summer side-dressing of 5-10-5 with zinc
sulfate is recommended.
Alstroemeria
aurantiaca
Soak
seed in warm water for 3 days, changing the water once a day with fresh
warm water. Cover seeds lightly with germination in 2-30 weeks at F
55-65.
Antigonon
leptopus - Chinese
Love vine
Seed should be sown in a well-drained
soil mix and barely covered. They should germinate in 21-30 days at
65-70° F
Asclepias
incarnata -
Butterfly milkweed pink
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly milkweed
orange
Place the seed in
a bag of moist peat moss and keeping it in the refrigerator for ten to
twelve weeks. Older seed will not require this cold period to break its
dormancy. Direct seed butterfly weed outside, or grow the seedlings in
a nursery bed until the plants have five or six leaves, at which time
it should be moved to its permanent location. Give the seed proper
attention while it is germinating; though the mature plants will
tolerate somewhat dry soils, the seedlings need to be kept moist until
established. Fall-grown plants will provide moderate bloom the
following year, with improved bloom in successive seasons.
If you prefer, you can start butterfly weed in the spring. Follow the
same procedures as for fall sowing. Butterfly weed requires winter cold
to bloom, so spring-sown plants will not bloom their first summer.
However, the long summer days will allow the seedlings to grow into
large plants which will produce many blooms the following year.
Aztec
Nicotiana - Aztec
Tobacco
Seeds are very small and so need light
to germinate, meaning just sprinkle them on wet planting medium and
lightly press them in. Put in indirect light with bottom heat (like a
heating pad set on medium) to germinate in 10-20 days at 70-75F. Keep
moist by using a fine mister or watering from the bottom (put the pots
in water for 1/2 hour and remove); otherwise, the seeds will be
swamped. Once they are up, lower temps to 65F. Transplant when they get
their first set of true leaves (second set of leaves), gradually
hardening off to plant in full sun when outside temperatures are warm.
Balsamia
impatiens
- Balsam - Touch-me-not
Can be sown during the whole year. For
blooms in late spring, sow surface in late winter / early spring.
Germinates at a day temperature of 75 degrees.
Bamboo
dendrocalamus
membranaceus
Bamboo phyllostachys pubescens - Moso Bamboo
Bamboo phyllostachys heteroclada - Water Bamboo
Soak seeds for 24 hours in luke warm
water. Mix the potting soil with 1/2 of red clay. Sow 1/4 inch deep and
keep temperature at 70-80 degrees, Germination occurs between 4-8
weeks. The mortality rate of seedlings is high, so plant some more than
you will need.
Bauhinia
monandra - Pink
orchid tree
Bauhinia tomentosa - Yellow Bell Orchid Tree
Bauhinia alba - White Orchid Tree
Prefers full sun and warmth. Pre-soak
the seeds by soaking overnight in hot water. Plant at a depth of 1 1/2
inches using a SOIL MIXTURE to which you may add 15% coarse sand. Keep
lightly moist and fertilize lightly with each watering.
Brugmansia
- Angel's trumpet
Datura-
Devil's trumpet
Both brugmansia and datura are fairly
easily grown from seed. Soaking the seeds overnight in hand-hot water
is often beneficial. Sow the seeds in a good soil mix, and barely cover
them with soil. Mist the soil heavily, and cover the container with a
clear plastic dome. (A sheet of clear plastic will work, but an actual
dome is better. Place the seed tray in good light, and if bottom heat
is available it will be helpful. Check often, to be certain that your
soil doesn''t dry out. If there''s condensation on your dome, it''s
plenty wet---don''t water again until this clears up, because too-wet
seeds can rot or develope fungal diseases. Germination takes appr. 6-9
weeks
