I received about 80+ lavender seeds this Christmas as a gift, and I'm wondering if I could try to start them now. I live in zone 5, so obviously I'd be trying to germinate the seeds inside in pots. I do not know the specific species of the lavender, it is just labelled "true lavender."
Lavenders take a LOOONG time to germinate (2 weeks or more)and even longer to reach a size suitable for transplanting out to the garden. Takes three months to be large enough to move into 3-4 inch pots and another three months or so to be ready for the great outdoors.
Lavender seeds also have a low germination rate. This is becasue lavender seeds have a very short shelf life.
Don't use a commercial starting mix. Use a 75-25 mix of milled peat moss and coarse sand. Barely cover the seeds with sifted peat moss. Just barely enough to hide the seeds.
Lightly water the seeds with plain water (some say distilled or rain water better, I never really saw much of a difference).
Umm I would not use a 'grow dome" cover of any sort. This will cause more problems with fungal growth. Air needs to circulate.
The seeds need a soil temperatre of 70-75 degrees to germinate, so you will need a electric germination mat. This is basically a waterproof electric heater that is designed to keep the soil at a constant temperature. They can be a little pricey, but you will probably be using it ALOT for growing other seeds. Spend the added money for the thermostat.
You can provide suffecient supplemental lighting by using the hardware store clamp lamps with the reflectors and Compact florescents. go with the 100 or 150 equivilant sizes. They don't need to bet, as of yet, any special 'color' Cool white or daylight work well. Keep the lights about 2-3 inches above the seeds. Use a timer to give them 12 hrs on 12 hrs off.
Be patient.. again lavender takes FOREVER to germinate and you may only get 8-10 of the 80 to actually germinate.
Oh I did a little digging, These seeds will be English lavender, either Hidecote or Munstead. You won't be able to tell which till they are about 3-4 inches tall.
MysticGardener gave you a nice introduction to starting lavender from seed, and yes because it is so slow getting started, now is fine. My only little quibble is that you don't really need to spend the $$ for a real germination mat. I start tons of seeds under lights in my basement every year (and have started lavender a few times). I use a regular heating pad from the pharmacy (designed for people to use). They are much cheaper and work just fine. I have two that I have used for at least a decade now, leaving them on 24/7 for four months of the year.
I suppose gardening is like alot of hobbies, you really DON'T need much to start, but there are allways those little tools that make everything, from germinating seeds to restoring a car, so much easier and with better results.
No, one does not need a germination mat, but they help. One doesn't need growlights, but they help. One doesn't need ,oh a greenhouse, but it helps.
I suppose oune could use a regular heating pad. I have no doubts that yours, rainbow, has lasted a long time for cheap. Ummm do you have yours in some sort of watreproofing? like a plastic bag or such?
Works just fine, I start 1000 or so plants every winter... No greenhouse, only the shop lights and pharmacy heating pads. I do have a ton of plastic trays, cells, pots, that I buy cheap from nursery supply company and re-use year after year. I try not to spend a lot of money on my gardening hobby.
For late winter, early spring hardening things off, I take a regular metal shelving unit with 5 shelves and double wrap it with plastic (with velcro up the front for getting in and out). It makes a little mini-greenhouse that I set up on our deck. Also costs next to nothing, especially since I've had the shelves for years now also. Every few years I have to redo the plastic and velcro.
Like RG, I use ordinary heating pads to provide bottom warmth when starting seeds. In addition, I have an old waterbed heater that works really well.
Several years ago i left a bag of leaves and pine straw out behind my house -- I did not water it or add dirt or anything -- but the yellow jackets made it their home.
If I keep the bag of leaves moist to make the leaf mold -- will the jackets still decide to make it their home -- I am allergic and would NOT like to welcome them into my garden.
Maybe in a while I will be the one answering questions instead of asking something new every day -- for me learning just makes me find out that I have more questions!!!
I know a nest of yellow jackets will clean up all the pests in the yard after a couple of weeks. I also know that after a couple of weeks they'll get mean.
Don't know what to say... I had bags of leaves all last winter and spring and nothing ever decided to live in them. I was a little worried about mice deciding to take up residence, since they seemed like such a cozy spot. Maybe our three outdoor cats prevented that. The leaves were (and are again) in paper yard waste bags, which mice could easily chew through, but I would think wasps not so much. Do you keep your bags sealed up?
I didn't seal it up that time -- I just forgot about them -- then I decided to move them and got stung about 8 times -- boy it hurt!
I have decided to keep them (the leaves) in the garage -- and just used it in my newly made compost area during the year--
I was wanting to double up as the amount of leaves I have and can get is HUGE!! .. I already have 7 bags in my garage and will probably have another 10 soon just from my yard. And my best friend says he will have upwards of 30 when he gets his leaves rakes up. I wanted to put them to good use!
What I read about doing the "leaf mold" in the bags is that you make some holes to aerate, however, I think they will also allow the jacket to get in if they want.
If you don't want bees to flock to them isn't there some kind of spray that you could spray on the bags to keep them away?
Surely there is something that you could put around them or near them that will keep them from making a new home there.