I've been pretty busy since I last posted. I've been potting a lot of my seedlings into their first real soil and waiting for others to be big enough to transplant. I had one of my rescued Mothers Day Phalaenopsis orchids that I got last June bloom and my Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Fort Myers Yellow') has started blooming in my 'overwinter' greenhouse. Texas Mountain Laural has poked its little head up. I also transplanted the Snapdragon, Cleome, Forget Me Not, Pride of Barbados, Desert Bird of Paradise, Mexican Bird of Paradise and my pink, white and purple Hibiscus syriacus seedlings. I also transplanted my pink and vivid red Oleander to their first real soil. The rest of my seedlings are doing well and hopefully soon they'll be in potting soil.
This update will include the Hibiscus seedlings as well as the other three trays I've started recently. I potted my Poppies and African Daises this morning, hopefully they'll do well. Besides what you see below I've also started some Texas Mountain Laural and Purple Hyacinth seeds. Since my last entry we made a trip to a local (20 miles away) nursery and the owner gave me some Night Blooming Cereus, Elephant Bush and Mother of Millions cuttings. Those are all in potting soil now hoping they'll root. The wind was really bad there the other night and it knocked the jug containing my Pride of Barbados seedling off the table onto the floor of the greenhouse so that had to go into a pot. Hopefully it will survive. While at Lowe's last week they had Pink Oleanders on the clearance rack for $3.00/ea so I grabbed four. They'd been bitten a bit on the leaves but I think I can bring them back with some TLC. My shade cloth came in today, it hopefully it will help to keep the temperature a bit steadier over the orchids especially this summer when the heat starts. So the current state of all my seedlings is below:
Tray #1 Hibiscus seeds started on 02/04/2016
Numbers = the slots they're in from left to right. One seed per slot.
1 - 2 Hibiscus Martianus
3 - 4 Hibiscus Trionum (germinated 2/9/16)
5 - 6 Hibuscus Laevis (#5 germinated 02/11/16)(#6 germinated 02/24)
7 - 8 Hibiscus Radiatus
9 - 10 Hibiscus Moscheutos (Luna Pink Swirl) (germinated 2/10/16)
11 - 12 Hibiscus Syriacus Lavender w/Red Eye (#12 germinated 02/24)
13 - 14 Hibiscus Moscheutos SSP Lasiocarpos (#13 germinated 02/11 #14 02/14)
15 - 16 Hibiscus Aculeatus (#15 germinated 02/13/16)(#16 germinated 02/17/16)
17 - 18 Hibiscus Moscheutos SSP Moscheutos (germinated 2/11/16)
19 - 20 Hibiscus Dasycalyx (#19 germinated 2/11/16)
21 - 22 Hibiscus Sabdariffa
23 - 24 Hibiscus Syriacus White w/Red Eye
25 - 26 Hibiscus Coccineus (#25 germinated 02/13/16)
27 - 28 Hibiscus Striatus (#27 germinated 02/14/16) (#28 germinated 02/18/16)
29 - 30 Hibiscus Coccineus (Alba) (#29 germinated 02/13/16)
Tray #2 Various other seeds started on 02/18/2016
Numbers = the slots they're in from left to right.
1 - 4 Desert Willow
5 - 8 Texas Star Hibiscus
9 - 12 Senna Alata (Christmas Candle)
13 - 16 Blackberry Lily
17 - 20 Dragon Fruit (Purple)
21 - 24 Dragon Fruit (White)
25 - 28 Butterfly Bush (Purple)
29 - 32 Butterfly Bush (Blue)
Tray #3 Various other seeds started on 02/19/2016
Numbers = the slots they're in from left to right.
1 - 4 Bluestar Columbine
5 - 8 Songbird Mix Columbine
9 - 12 Quetzal Mix Columbine
13 - 16 Lime Sorbet Columbine
17 - 20 Harlequin Mix Columbine
21 - 24 McKana's Giant Columbine
25 - 28 Cone Flower
29 - 32 Bell Flower
33 - 36 Butterfly Weed
Tray #4 Various other seeds started on 02/19/2016
Numbers = the slots they're in from left to right.
1 - 24 Butterfly Weed
Salvaged Pink Oleanders
Latest update on the germination of the Hibiscus seeds I received from the last 2015 Raffle:
Hibiscus seeds started on 02/04/2016
Numbers = the slots they're in from left to right. One seed per slot.
1 - 2 Hibiscus Martianus
3 - 4 Hibiscus Trionum (germinated 2/9/16)
5 - 6 Hibuscus Laevis (#5 germinated 02/11/16)
7 - 8 Hibiscus Radiatus
9 - 10 Hibiscus Moscheutos (Luna Pink Swirl) (germinated 2/10/16)
11 - 12 Hibiscus Syriacus Lavender w/Red Eye
13 - 14 Hibiscus Moscheutos SSP Lasiocarpos (#13 germinated 02/11 #14 02/14)
15 - 16 Hibiscus Aculeatus (#15 germinated 02/13/16)
17 - 18 Hibiscus Moscheutos SSP Moscheutos (germinated 2/11/16)
19 - 20 Hibiscus Dasycalyx (#19 germinated 2/11/16)
21 - 22 Hibiscus Sabdariffa
23 - 24 Hibiscus Syriacus White w/Red Eye
25 - 26 Hibiscus Coccineus (germinated 02/13/16)
27 - 28 Hibiscus Striatus
29 - 30 Hibiscus Coccineus (Alba) (#29 germinated 02/13/16)
First of all it's felt like spring the last few days. Right now it's 81 outside. When you walk out in the morning it even sounds like spring. My seedlings are doing fantastic! My cherry tomatoes that I started on the 28th of Jan are all sprouting. Photos of my Hibiscus seedlings planted back in Dec, my tomato seedlings, my African Daisy seedlings, my pink and vivid red Oleander seedlings, my Hibiscus Trionum seedlings, my Red Yucca seedlings. Since the photo was taken of the Hibiscus Trionum seedlings I've also had Hibiscus Moscheutos (Luna Pink Swirl), Hibiscus Moscheutos SSP Moscheutos and Hibiscus Dasycalyx germinate.
Short post, I just finished planting my cherry tomato seeds in the peat pots I got the other day. Hopefully using the peat pots will lessen the shock when I move them to the tubs this year. Also last week I started some more Snapdragon and Poppy seeds in 1gal water jugs I cut open and then taped back shut after putting the seeds in. I went crazy at Walmart the other day and got some other flower seeds so I need to read up on starting them also. I may need a 3rd greenhouse for next winter, as if the boss will let me get another one.
