Seedlings!

Although the last few days have been a bit wet, this summer has been quite warm for Calgary.  Most of my seeds have already sprouted.  I'm still waiting on my banana and banana cousin but they can be a little finicky and often take a while.  I've been putting the pots outside on my balcony during the day and bringing them in for the nights.  It gets cool here in the evening and temperatures drop to about 12C some nights (or cooler) even though the days may be 28C or so.

Unfortunately I have them all a good soak right before we had three days of rain.  Most of the seedlings seem to be fine but I'm worried the Goji berries may be damping off.  Hopefully they'll dry out before I loose any more.  By the way, all of these seeds were stored in a fridge for over 4 months.  It doesn't seem to affect their vitality.  Anyways, without further adieu, here are the seedlings:

Eucalyptus pulverulenta (Silver Leaved Mountain Gum) - Most sprouted.

Brugmansia versicolor (Fragrant Peach Angel's Trumpet) - 1/5 I believe, just started yesterday.

Passiflora caerulea (Purple Passion Flower) - About 1/2 have sprouted.

Lycium chinense (Goji Berry) - Please don't damp off, please don't damp off...

Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) - Here's to hoping it's not just a stray poplar seed.  Ha hopefully I see some more.

Cassabanana (Sicana odorifera) Update

I brought some of my Cassabanana seedlings to the greenhouse and moved the others to a west-facing window at home.  For some reason they were beginning to wilt under the grow lights.  I keep my lights on 24/7 which most plants seem to be alright with.  Apparently Cassabanana is not one of those plants and enjoys a rest.

What I find most interesting is that both plants seem to be growing at a similar rate.  The greenhouse is warmer, sunnier and more humid.  This window sill has snow on the other side, only gets afternoon sun, and is dry.  I figured they would go crazy in the greenhouse but they really haven't.  The window sill one is actually a bit longer (less light) but both appear to have about a similar number of leaves.  I know many gourd/melon plants start out growing relatively slowly then just take off.  Maybe I'll see a difference in a few weeks.

I hope I actually see some fruit out of these plants.  They need about three months of warm weather to set fruit and ripen properly.  They should be well established and ready to flower by the time I set them outside.  We do have about 4 good months of warm, humid weather.  I just don't know if it will be enough for a tropical vine.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) Seedling Update

My little (or not so little) Poinciana seedlings have been doing great.  I'm surprised at how quickly they seem to grow.  I'm actually hoping to give a few away so if anyone in Ontario would like to pick one up or knows of a garden centre, mall or greenhouse that would appreciate them, just let me know.  I absolutely adore these seedlings and I'm glad they seem strong and healthy.  There's something about fern-like foliage that you just can't beat.

Pomegranate Seedlings Update

These seedlings just don't stop!  This picture is actually a few days old and they've grown even more.  I should transplant them soon, but I've had some interesting job developments and I'm currently putting my transplants/seed starting on hold (although it kills me because I've just received a bunch).  If you just want to sprout something to raise your germination self esteem then this is the plant for you.  It's my dream to one day grow my own pomegranate.  For some reason this is one of the most charming fruits to me.  Beyond the fruit, the trees are lovely and so are the blooms.  Instead of the logical compromise of a dwarf pomegranate tree, I felt like a challenge.  Maybe in a few years my first pomegranate will be within reach.

Jacaranda mimosifolia Seedlings

Although my Jacaranda seedlings seem to be doing well, I'm a little worried.  Some of the leaflets seem to be dropping for no apparent reason.  The weird thing is they're in the middle.  Not the old leaves, not the newest leaves, but the middle ones.  There aren't any insects, the leaves have no discolouration and they aren't dried out.  The leaflets are just dropping for no apparent reason.

This leaf drop seems to have stopped but I have no idea what was causing it?  Does anyone have experience with Jacaranda leaf drop?  Maybe I underwatered it for a bit?  Very strange and any help you can provide would be much appreciated.  This plant has gorgeous leaves and when one drops I die a little inside. :)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Seedling Update

My pomegranate seedlings have been growing quickly.  Today I noticed they are already starting to branch!  You can see clearly that the middle/back seedling is starting to branch from the seed leaves.  This is crazy!  I've never seen any plant do this so quickly and not even from the adult leaves.  I expect these pomegranate seedlings will really take off in the next few weeks.  Hopefully at some point I'll actually get them to fruit.  The local greenhouses have a dwarf variety which fruits regularly so I'm willing to bet thees will too.  Pomegranates are also grown as ornamentals and can even be crafted into bonsai.  I hope to try out the bonsai option some time in the future.

Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans) Sprouts

I am super excited about these seedlings.  The plant they'll grow into is absolutely gorgeous and covered with flowers.  I ordered these Echium candicans a few months ago.  They arrived quickly but I decided to wait until close to spring to start them.  The seeds were left in the fridge for weeks in a plastic bag with no special care taken.

About a week after planting the first sprout poked through the soil.  You can probably tell it was the one in the middle which is much larger than the rest.  Since then another seedling has sprouted every few days.  I love that the photo shows the seedlings at all different ages including the purple markings on the seed leaves.  I originally had 10 seeds and so far 8 have sprouted (I accidently killed one while trying to move it because one cell had two seeds).  I really can't complain with 80% germination.

I'm thinking the largest seedling can probably go another week or so before it needs to be transplanted.  Echium like well drained soil so I've been very careful not to overwater.  I usually wait for the soil to look dry on the surface and water each cell individually.  I may be able to force the first flowers this year but generally this species of Echium doesn't flower until it's second year.

Black Iris Sprouting!

My black iris (Iris chrysographes) is sprouting!  I planted five seeds but this is the first, and hopefully not last, to sprout.  I kept the seeds in the fridge in moist paper towel for about a month to stratify them.  After planting this one sprouted in about two weeks.  This variety of iris is semi-aquatic and can't be allowed to dry out as a seedling.  Hopefully within a year or two I'll see the first flowers.  Growing things from seed sure takes time!

Happy Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)

Brazilian Fire Tree Seedlings (Schizolobium parahybum)

This plant is said to have some of the largest compound leaves in the world and is an extremely quick grower.  I originally potted four seeds into each one gallon pot.  As soon as the first spouts came up I realized I had underestimated the size of the plants.  After about a week I already needed to split them up into their own pots.  Luckily there was no shock and the plants started growing again rapidly.

I'm really excited for these plants.  They spend the first few years looking similar to a large tree fern.  Eventually they begin to branch and grow into mature trees.  I should be able to keep them relatively small when grown in pots.  I'm just not sure if they'll keep one stem or begin branching early because of cramped roots.  The leaves in these photos are still juvenile and will become much larger with hundreds of leaflets.  I'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Royal Poinciana Seedlings (Delonix regia)

I transplanted my Royal Poinciana seedlings about two weeks ago.  There was no new growth for about a week as the plants put out adventurous new roots.  I didn't see any signs of shock and there was no leaf drop whatsoever.  Then about a week ago they started putting out new and even larger leaves.  I'm a huge fan of large leaved plants, and these compound leaves make the plants look even more elegant.

I have no idea if I'll ever see flowers from these plants.  In my opinion, the foliage alone is a good enough reason to grow them.  I've been in contact with a local hotel with a glass atrium that is interesting in taking a few of the seedlings.  I'll keep some for myself and try to donate others to greenhouses and garden centres.  If you'd like to swap a plant (and are reasonably close in Ontario) just let me know!

If you ever plan on growing Poinciana for indoors I would recommend choosing "Dwarf Poiciana". It's actually a completely different species but more shrub like and therefore manageable indoors.

Cassabanana Update (Sicana odorifera)

Just a short post. I absolutely love the leaf patterning of these little guys. I really need to split them into individuals pots. The roots are going to be a nightmare to untangle!

Pomegranates Sprouting (Punica granatum)

Pomegranate's are one of my favourite fruits.  A few days ago I realized that this is one of the few plants I haven't tried to grow from seed.  After eating a large fruit I saved about a dozen seeds.  I made sure to clean each one well, washed them, then let them dry for about a week.  Next the seeds were soaked for about 24 hours and planted in a general mix at about 23C.  Within about a week, these sprouts are coming up.  Allegedly pomegranates are easy to sprout so I expect to see most of them germinate.

The local greenhouses have the dwarf cultivar which only grows to 2m (6') or a max of 1m (3') or so in a container.  The fruit of these dwarfs is about the size of a golf ball.  Although I intend to keep my plants in pots, I wanted something that gets bigger and would produce larger fruit.  Maybe I'll actually see some in a few years.  Only time will tell.

Cassabanana Seeds Sprouting (Sicana odorifera)

I received my Cassabanana seeds a few months ago but decided to wait a few months before sowing them.  I stored them in the fridge for about two months and amazingly I've had 100% germination!  I soaked them for five days before planting.  I actually forgot about them and was worried they'd end up drowning but I guess it ended up being perfect. They were soaked at room temperature then kept at about 24C. The roots are already almost to the bottom of the pots (about 15cm) so I get the feeling these are going to be some extremely quick growing plants.

Here you can see them two days ago, just starting to break the surface:

Today you can see that 9/10 are fully vertical with open leaves and 1 is still on the way up (hidden in the farthest pot behind another seedling). I'm thinking these will need to be transplanted within two weeks at most.  I might have to pot them up at the local greenhouses just to make sure they have enough room.

Now I have no idea if I'll ever get fruit from these.  They need a long growing season and although we have warm, humid summer in south-western Ontario the season isn't long enough.  I'm hoping I'll see some by starting them this early so hopefully I'll have at least one fruit by the end of the summer!

Jacaranda Seedlings

It's been about two months since I first started soaking my Jacaranda seeds.  After three weeks I only ended up with two sprouts. I was a little disappointed that the germination rate seemed very low so I figured I'd wait a little bit longer.  After another two weeks I still didn't seen any new sprouts so I transplanted the two seedlings into larger pots.

Although they're not growing very quickly, they seem to be healthy and vigorous.  These may be the most elegant looking seedlings I've ever sprouted - the leaves are just gorgeous.  I absolutely love Jacaranda and although they won't grow in my climate they can be grown in pots rather easily.  I'll put them outside for the summer and then overwinter indoors under lights or in a greenhouse.

By the way, you may have noticed my pots are actually plastic cups.  All I did was punch a few holes in the bottom.  This way I can see how root growth is progressing and it's a lot cheaper than buying actually pots!

Seedling Update

Just a short post today.  My seedling are doing really well. Everything that sprouted seems healthy and has been growing rapidly.  A few more of the Jacaranda are starting to pop up.  I was worried I'd only get the one sprout but I'm glad to see more coming.

Delonix regia (Royal Poinciana)

Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda)

Schizolobium parahybum (Brazilian Tower Tree)

Seedlings!!! (Jacaranda, Schizolobium, Delonix)

I only planted this batch of seeds a week ago and I already have a bunch of sprouts! I purchased them from a seller in India via ebay. They took about a month to arrive but I'm extremely impressed with the quality of seeds.

First off are the Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia). They started sprouting within 3 days after planting! I put two seeds in each pot (actually reused plastic cups) and by today 9 out of 12 have sprouted. That's a 75% germination rate in just one week. At first I thought they looked a little lanky and needed to be moved closer to the light. After a quick google image search, it turns out this is normal and there's no need to worry.

Second to sprout were the Brazilian Tree Fern (Schizolobium parahybum). I Planted five per 6" (15cm) pot which seemed like a good idea at the time. After seeing the size of the sprouts I'm wondering if that was a good idea. The seedlings are giant! I guess that's to be expected of a plant that's said to have the largest compound leaves in the world.

Finally, yesterday my first Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) seedling began to sprout.  It's not even out of the soil yet, but I had to take a photo. You can just barely see it in the top right cell. You might have to click for a bigger image. :) I just noticed all three species have compound leaves. Coincidence?

I didn't have any Tomatillo sprouts yet so I decided to dig one up and see what was happening. No signs of germination at all. I looked them up again and found out putting the seeds in a freezer for 24 hours can speed germination. They are currently sitting in the freezer, soil and all until later today. Hopefully most will sprout within another week.

I also haven't seen any sprouts from my Screw Pine seeds. I expect these ones to take longer and figure I'll see the first sprouts within two more weeks or so.

Greenhouse Plants Update

Woahoooo two blog posts in one day?  That's right, but I cheated and my first when was written earlier and just scheduled for today.  If you follow my blog, you already know that I left some plants in the local university greenhouses for the winter.  I visited them today and noticed that they haven't grown much since the last visit.  I ended up potting them all up but took a few photos first.

Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) - Now I thought I had F. religiosa but the seedlings look identical so I didn't take a photo and think they're just also Banyan.  There is however, something strange in these seedlings.  Notice how the back left pot has red in the stems and 'frilly' leaves with a different shape?  The pot on the right has a seedling with the same shape of leaves but minus the red and 'frill'.  Any idea what's going on here?  The round leaves seem correct for Ficus benghalensis, see here.  The others ones must be different, so can anyone ID them?

Desert Rose (Adenium arabicum) - I see flower buds coming! Hopefully they don't fall off this time. :)

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) - They are towards the back of the photo. The one on the left is single stemmed but on the right there are 5 stems with a few more coming up! I wonder if this is because the fruit was irradiated? The young passion flowers are up front (Passiflora edulis).

Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) - these haven't grown at all.  They must desperately need to be repotted.  I'll mention again these can be invasive in warm clients but are generally fine in zones 7/8. They should also be hardy in USDA zone 6 (my zone), but I'll keep these ones in the greenhouse for their first year.

That's all. I hope you enjoyed my seedlings! :)

Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) at 2 Months

First of all, happy Thanksgiving!  I have had a tonne of seedlings updates over the last few days.  This is the last one, I promise.  I started these seeds from fruit I purchased at a local market.  This is probably the most dramatic transformation of all the seedlings.  They were growing well outside but as soon as I brought them in the new leaves doubled in size.  When I check on them a week later it took me a few seconds to figure out what I was looking at!

Here you can see them just after I moved them outside.  They spent about a month outdoors and have been in the UWO greenhouses for about two weeks now.  This is not the hardy passion flower and doesn't tolerate cold well.  I actually have 6 pots worth but these plants are much easier to photograph individually.  Hopefully within a few months I'll be growing some fruit of my own!

Empress Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) at 2 Months

The Empress Tree has a reputation for growing extremely quickly.  That being said I was a little disappointed with the growth rate of the seedlings.  They germinated within less than a week but were quite delicate and took their time developing.  At just over a month the growth rate started to pick up.  Within the last two weeks they have doubled in size!  I kept one seedling that was putting out 3 leaves at a time instead of the usual two.  Unfortunately, it seems to have reverted to the standard from though.

Although the Empress Tree should be hardy here, I decided to only leave a few outside and move these ones into the greenhouse for the summer.  They've been growing so well that I thought it might be time to transplant already.  When I checked, there were no roots growing out of the bottom of the pot.  It seems that at least as seedlings they have a much smaller roots system then expected.

I should mention that these trees become invasive in warmer climates.  This can be controlled by cutting them down every year.  Unfortunately this mean you won't be able to enjoy the lovely purple flowers.  I'll probably leave some trees to grow large and cut others down each year.  The new growth has very large leaves which can add some dramatic foliage to a garden.