These warmer days have made so many pots start germinating. I'm going to have "Skrocki-like" numbers of seedlings this year!

When we have an overcast day again I'll shoot pictures of some of the "torched" sempervivum that froze during our cold spell. we went from warm and wet to FROZEN like overnight so nothing was ready for it. Of course the worse damage was on the ones i wanted most to use as parents but maybe that's telling me something: don't use those ones as parents. In contrast, the ten I just named have come through the winter like troopers. Probably should stay on those liners now that i have such pretty ones PLUS great plant habit.

Have a good group up from 'Killer' X 'Fuego' that should be bright and pretty. If they're anything like my first group from 'Killer' crosses it will be hard to throw anything away.

Ok out to play in the dirt! Or should I say SOIL??

Nice tip on the boiling water. I have baked the soil in the oven too although that certainly stinks up the house. Bake it in disposal aluminum baking cans covered with aluminum foil at ~250F for ~1h. Don't do this if you have perlite in the mixes though as that melts into a mess.

Kevin

No baking for me.

Think I'll go out and see if any of my seed is starting to germinate.
Kevin, refresh my memory. Do you put a fine layer of seed starting mix over the seeds, or just leave them exposed?

Here's the seed try to day. Have rot going on in there!! I sprinkled some cinnamon on there, may help.
When do you replant these guys. The next batch I do will be in a lighter soil , this seed starting mix holds too much water.

Wow, you look like you have thousands.....

Yes, just crazy!!! So a few that die is probably a good thing.

Part of the evolution of things...

Mine haven't germinated yet.
Looks like you still have a kazillion.

Yep, Who needs a thousand?

I just think about finding enough space to plant them. And how long it will take to plant them. Wonder how Kevin does it? And at what stage? @JungleShadows

You want to wait until they get at least 4-5 sets of true leaves before they can go into rows in the garden.. Mine go about 1" apart in rows 4-6" apart. I do zigzag them qa bity in the row so that each one has enough room to grow. In the cobweb rows you can go a bit closer although they tend to clump up quickly too.

What I do is to try to tease out group of the seedlings with the soil still attached and then make rows out of them, separating them gently. It is definitely one of those NO COFFEE exercises as you want to have a STEADY HAND. I always leave a bit of the potting soil as I transfer to the row. That seems to cut down on transplant shock. If you can do the process in a light rain it works even better although my neighbors I'm sure have thought "too stupid to come in from the rain". You see what I do for the semps??

If you have the room you can do this process in stages, transferring groups of small seedlings to new pots and then allow those to grow to a size that you can plant outdoors in specially prepared beds. With VERY high densities of seedlings, that might be the only plan.

Now you see why Ed Skrocki raising 20K seedlings each year was so impressive!

Kevin

Wow.

Wow Julia,
Sooo many.
I still feel sorry for the little ones that died

Me too, Calin but have to look at the bright side, the ones that survive will be tougher.

Hi folks, Haven't visited here for some time. Just started my crosses today. Mostly different jovibarba bee pollinated crosses. A thousand seeds most likely. Maybe next year I'll try hand pollinating, but that's not likely. Started many other species of seed from Seed exchanges. a bit over the top but it's hard to control that desire to have it all.

Oh, glad to hear from you Mark and thanks for the update. I can see why you haven't visited; you're a busy man with fun stuff to distract you !!

Report from my winter sow jugs of "Patty" semp seeds so far: Planted Jan 14th and so far only two tiny green "artifacts" that I am going to assume is germinated seeds...
Not much but am happy something in the jugs are "green"...@Springcolor

Hope your 2 greens are germinated seeds!!!

Seven green "artifacts" today...and in the process of looking for them thru the mouth of the jugs, I think my eyes are better than hubby's (I think I will make an appt. for him at the eye doctor this month...)

Just got the last of my semp and iris seeds planted before the rains hit on Tuesday and Wednesday. Like Mark, I have partaken in some of the seed exchanges, such as the North American Rock Garden Society, the Hardy Plant Society (UK) and various iris society seed exchanges. It is such fun to try something new or to get species and cultivar seed that is unavailable here in the US. With all the restrictions of moving plants from country to country at least we still can exchange seeds.

The semp seed from the earlier plantings are starting to germinate in many of the pots. Was surprised that some pots, like 'Shirley's Joy' X self, are germinating well. My batch from that cross in '12 gave me one whole seedling. There must be 50 in the pot this year. By the way, the one seedling from the '12 cross is quite a beauty. It may get a name if it continues to look good.

All kinds of things are coloring in the garden. Three of the ones I named in '13, 'Fashion Diva', 'Red Hot Chili' and 'Hot Tamale' have already colored up beautifullly. 'Forever Midnight' has never varied and a seedling that had very wide leaves has developed an incredible near black color. SUCH FUN!

Kevin

Glad to hear that all the hard work is resulting in some excitement and fun for you, Kevin!