Seedling Update. Onions, Shallots, Rudbeckias. 1.15.21

Of the onions and shallots, Red Whethersfied Onion seeds are looking good,quite a few growing in under a week. Ditto for Camelot shallots. The Ambition shallots look pretty good despite the seeds being a year older. The New York Early onions are barely germinating despite being newly bought seeds. I see one or two sprouts so far. That's kind of disappointing so I planted another container of those. Maybe they are just slow. They grew very nicely last year, and are still keeping very well. 

 Red Whethersfield Onion Seedlings

Ambition Shallot Seedlings.

All of the Rudbeckias are growing already. I thought they might need stratifying, but they all germinated in about 3 or 4 days. That's even though those seeds are two or three years old. I added new 6-packs, some old Echinacea purpurea seeds (2018 and 2019), and Gallardias (2019). If they don't grow, it's OK. No use keeping the seeds if I don't grow them. Carnation seeds are not up so far. Neither are celery. Kale germinated in two days.

Setting Up Forsythia Bouquet / Cuttings. 1.13.22

I saw on a garden calendar that if forsythia stems are cut now, they can be persuaded to bloom early, indoors. Also it may be an OK way to start some more cuttings. I'd like to add about eight more plants to lengthen the hedge I started last year. Not much to it. I just cut them and put them into water. I'm aiming for about a foot long and not too flimsy.

The big vase contains Linwood (I think. It was grown from a discarded pruning about twenty years ago). The one in the jar is a more narrow, more vertical shrub with flowers more pale yellow, wider petals. I don't know the name.

Cleaning Up Some Flower Seeds. 1.13.22

During late summer / early fall I picked flower heads that appeared to be drying out. I stored them in paper lunch bags. Today I got them out, cleaned them up, and stored each type in their own paper envelopes. French Marigold. This strain must be pure, because they are all descended from a volunteer plant from three years ago. They have all grow out with identical plants and flowers.

Then grasp the flower base and pinch to hold the seeds in place, then pull off the petals. Then pull out the seeds. They come out nice and clean, ready to plant in Spring.

These dried marigold flowers are nice and perfumey. They remind me of my great aunts. I also cleaned up seeds from cosmos, and four o'clocks in two shades of pink - not sure if I will grow those.

What's Blooming? Helleborus. 1.13.22

 This is the sole outdoor flower in bloom right now.  

Planting Multiplier Onions or Shallots. 1.13.22

 These are either potato onions - a very old heirloom variety that multiplies in the ground, like a shallot - or shallots.  I messed up the labeling.  I'm hoping for potato onions but some have a red color that is probably shallot.  

I had them in a paper bag in the pantry so they would stay dry.  I decoded to plant them now.  It's mild.  They should even overwinter OK.

I planted then in a row near the end of what will be the chili pepper bed.  They wont take much room there and won't interfere with the peppers.  Even with rain and mud, it's not bad planting in a raised bed with a nice foot path. :-)