JungleShadows said:
I would certainly like a red or purple version of 'Plastic'

yes - that would be great

never seen any other cultivar with a surface like 'Plastic'.....

Peter

Peter,

Hybridizers are dreamers so we wish for the things that don't already exist. The good news is that red and purple are dominant to green so that I should get reds and purples in my crosses with 'Plastic' but I don't know if hat shape and surface will appear in the first generation. Of course, I can intercross the best red and purple 'Plastic' seedlings or backcross to 'Plastic' to recover those traits.

Actually I planted my seed outdoors in MA but there the winter temperatures were severe enough that the seedlings didn't germinate until spring. Here in the Pacific NW they do try to germinate in the winter if started early. I've got a second batch of seed that won't be planted until late February so I won't have to worry about them. Mine are germinating THICKLY; there are over 200 in the 'Helen Payne' X 'Polly Bishop' pot! Think of all the fun ones in that group!

We have had a lousy spell of cool foggy days here in Oregon. Am already ready for spring!

Kevin

Wow, not sure how I missed all these post.
Julia your photo of seedling germination is amazing.
Bev, you are using the method I use, Winter Sow milk jugs. Seems that the jugs protect even tomato seedlings from freezing if another freeze comes along.

I hope to plant at least one or two jugs this afternoon. Not sure which seeds I will plant first.

This has been such a fun thread to read, so encouraging.

Don't think that I didn't read and reread your article on winter sowing before I tried this, Lynn...

Bev you are going to love the results. It is unbelievable easy.

I did it. I got 3 WS containers done this afternoon. Have to head out to a meeting in a bit. Sure wanted to do more. Two of them are semp crosses, one is a sedum cross. No work tomorrow, so I hope to get more semp crosses planted, and some species penstemon. No begins the waiting.

Uh- oh, I've got competition now!

Actually it will be fun to have more people doing this which is why the clinic came into being in the first place.

I'll be interested in comparing the open pots that I use vs. the more closed containers. The closed system might be better at keep the moss and algae from growing in the pots.

If the weather clears next week I hope to get a few more pots of seeds that I hadn't pl;anted before in pots next week.

Kevin

It will be interesting to see the difference between the two methods. I just hope my seed is good from the Oddity x Red Lion cross.

Interested to see what you get, Lynn. Why did you choose 'Red Lion' to cross with Oddity? Just wondering.

springcolor said:
Why did you choose 'Red Lion' to cross with Oddity? Just wondering.

I guess Lynn wants a "Red Oddity"
would be wonderfull

Peter

Yes, I remember that now. Thanks.

Yes, Peter is correct. Can you just see an oddity with all that red. Just look at all the color combinations it could go through. Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Red Lion')

I know it's not likely, but just think of a heuffelii x semp cross having the colors of 'Treebeard'. Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Treebeard')

Hi Peter, it's been awhile since I've seen you.
Sure fun to be back on here today, no work, National Holiday today.

Hope you are enjoying your day off, Lynn...

I just got home, been gone all day. Got lots done on all the errands I ran.
I brought home some seed starting mix to use. I want to see if there is a difference between using it or the sandy loam I have? The first three jugs are the sandy loam.

I hope to get several more jugs done this evening and will use the new bag of seed starting mix.

valleylynn said:
Hi Peter, it's been awhile since I've seen you.

I'm watching you all here every day

Peter

Uh-oh...(insert here: emoticon's little knees shaking in its little boots...)

Lynn,

One thing I have found is that you want to use STERILE potting media here in Oregon as the damn moss will grow quickly on anything else. Even with the sterile it's a race between getting the seedlings germinated and being overrun by the moss. Putting a VERY thin layer of fine sand over the top helps too. On the daffodil pots I put gravel but that is too coarse for the semp seedlings.

My 'Red Lion' was one of the winter losses. it sent up a very late bloomstalk on one rosette and then the whole clump just went to MUSH when the cold hit. I'm wondering if it doesn't have 'Commander Hay' somewhere in back of it. It was one that did this for me in MA on a regular basis. Finally gave up on it!

Nothing has appeared in the pot of 'Weirdo' X 'Unicorn' seed either. The seed looked sort of "off-colored" when I harvested it. Anyway have fingers and toes crossed for both of us that we'll get some seedlings from these oddball matings!

Kevin

This is going to be weird but I grow so much from seed in the greenhouse and know what you mean about the moss. It just chokes the life out of seedlings. This seems to help, hot boiling water to saturate the soil, let it cool then plant your seeds. Seems to help. This year I also did a drench of hot chamomile tea, read some place that it helps with dampening off, we shall see.

OK, I am thinking of getting some seeds..

I looked at the average temps in Oregon in January and Feb and it appears to me that you
generally stay above freezing for your lows and in the 40-50s for your highs.

If I am thinking of planting "winter sowing" some semp seeds should I wait until we are likely
to have something similar. Our charts look like April for lows of averages above 32 degrees, 16-25 Jan-March.

I know the seeds like to be cold before you winter sow, but does that mean some freezing temps would be
OK until they sprout. And about how long does it take the to sprout?

I would plant them now in the milk jugs Marilyn. I have had many seedlings come up out in the raised beds after harsh winter weather, with warming spells, then freezing spells. Back and forth. The milk jug planters see to keep the protected. Set them on your cement patio where the sun hits the most.