Geranium (Pelargonium) Seedlings. 25 Nov 24.

 Geraniums (officially "Pelargoniums") are a favorite.  They are colorful, nice in the dry conditions, although in containers at least they do need watering and shelter from the worst sun and heat.  This year they gave a lot of color.  When I find one I like, I keep it going by storing the dormant plant in the garage for the winter, or starting cuttings to grow in the sunroom.  Some are five years old.  One is twenty years old.

This year I didn't care as much for some of the new store varieties.  They are hybrids between ivy leaf and zonal, growing from a tight cluster of leaves with huge pom poms of flowers covering the plant.  Nice, especially in the store, but more challenging to water n containerso because they shed water to the side.

I had a difficult time, finding varieties that I liked at the store.  So I decided to grow from seeds.  I chose the "Maverick" line, the red, coral, and white colors.

I started them now, because I read they are slow to get to blooming size.  Plus, it's something to do indoors  in winter.

I planted these a few weeks ago.  They germinated pretty quickly on the seed warming mat. 

Germination was about 50% to 75%.  OK, but I will start some more.  

These might be ready for the sunroom plant stand with LEDs.  Pelargoniums do well there.  They may also need individual containers and real potting soil, soon.

Schlumbergera Blooming. 8 Nov 24.

 Here are the Schlumbergera.  They are pretty showy.

Lavender Seedlings. 4 Nov 24.

 I bought some lavender seeds online, to add variety to the xeric border.   I wanted plants that might be a little different from what I already have, or can find in stores.  Also, that are advertised as blooming the first year from seeds, if started early.

I'm starting them extra early in hopes of getting a head start on next year.

I chose the varieties Vicenza Blue and Bandera Rose.  Bandera Rose is a mini variety, Vicenza Blue might grow a but larger but still not huge.

I sowed the seeds on top of moist seed starting medium.  I spritz them every day.  They are at house room temp, not on a heating mat.  Around mid 60s F to about 70 F.  It has been ten days.

No seedlings yet in one of the Vicenza Blue containers, and the other has fewer than the Bandera Rose.  I don't need a lot of plants, so I'm happy so far.

UPDATE:

Oh well.  I sprayed the seedlings with BT, hoping that would nip a fungus gnat situation in the bud.  They all died.

Trying again.  I had to re-order a variety, and added a couple more.

Now just hope that was the BT and not damping off.

Rosemary Cuttings Rooted and Replanted. 21 Oct 24.

 Here are some of the rosemary cuttings that I started, late summer.

Originally, I tried rooting them in water.  After several weeks, no roots.  So I cut off the lower portions, scraped the sides of the lower new underground stems to expose cambium layer, dipped in rooting hormone, and planted in potting soil.

They's been showing roots through the bottom holes for a few weeks.  Nice root systems now.

I started two per container. I separated them now, quite easily.

Repotted in approx 4" containers in regular pitting mix.

Now I'll keep them in the sunroom under lights, until early Spring.

Next - some sage cuttings will get similar treatment.  I'm not sure about the lavender cuttings.  I don't see roots, but they are not wilted or dried out looking, either.

Second Garlic Bed Completed. 21 Oct 24.

 I think the timing is similar to previous years.  This is a bit more garlic than usual, all the Music variety. Music consistently produces by far the largest cloves / bulbs for me, with strong spicy flavor.  The cloves peel easily once dried, and keep almost a year after harvest in my garden.

This time planting where I had peppers.  The enclosed 25 gallon fabric containers that acts as a 4 x 8 foot bed.  

All planted.  Not much to look at.  I took out the top approx 5 inches of soil, added chicken bone meal, crushed eggshells, and organic vegetable fertilizer to the soil underneath, mixing it in  Then set 7 or 8 garlic cloves in place and buried by replacing the soil.  This compares to about a 4 foot row in the regular raised beds, with 8 rows.  So about the same number planted  per bed.  The garlic cloves are about 4 inches deep.  I forgot the bone meal for the first crop, so that can be a comparison.

Fortunately I was able to collect enough maple leaves to cover them all.  

Now the main over-wintering crop is settled in for the season.  The sole remaining task for these will be to repair and re-set the drip irrigation loops before dry season next summer.