After planting the other Four O'Clock seeds, I looks for the ones I saved last year, and found them. I also looked back in my notes. Years ago, my best success was by soaking the seeds overnight, then incubated them on a wetted paper towel in a zipper lock bag. I tried that this time and noted several seeds had begun to germinate one day later. So I'll do that with these as well.
I've never grown carnations or statice here, so I don't know what works. Carnations seem kind of uncertain. The ones that I up-potted have survived but are not thriving.
I decided to plant out the first batch that I started in silicone six-packs. These are looking pretty good. They have spent a number of full days outdoors, so I'm not concerned about sunburn. Chill might be a problem. I kept the other sixpack for more TLC and for comparison.
I also planted the first six pack of statice seedlings. They are odd looking plants, sort of like dandelions with leprosy.
The Sarracenias were looking bedraggled. According to the experts, they should be pruned by now. Flower buds were starting to emerge so I was careful.
One before picture. What a mess. They were sitting in their basins at the edge of the vegetable garden.
After. There are lots of flower buds. I want to create a better place for them. This is easy to access for filling the basins with rainwater.
The Asian pears are full of blossoms. I wondered if last year's pruning was too extreme. I don't think so. If each cluster gives a pear (after thinning) thats enough for a few batches of canned pears. Almost done eating the ones I canned last year.
It's interesting that one tree has red-ish new foliage and the other is bring green. I had multigrafted both trees. Apparently, somehow the grafts matched the original trees. I forget the varieties now.
I had some brilliant yellow Four O'Clock seeds that I collected two years ago from a plant growing in the front yard. It cones up each year, grows, blooms beautifully, never needs watering, and deer don't touch it.
I also have a packet of mixed colors of Four O'Clock seeds. They will go into a different location.
The "Extreme Dwarf" tomato should extend the season longer. I planted the first bunch of those a month ago. Very container friendly, prolific and tasty, but small - about the size of a heritage sauce tomato.
I found the eggplant seed packet so decided to start those too.
Here is that "Four O'Clock in 2020. I don't have a definite lineage, but I've been saving seeds and growing them for roughly 20 years, so these are probably descended from the first ones I grew back then. The first photo was from 2014.
Then from 2020
