Sunday, March 21, 2010

Starting from Seed

The time to start perennial seeds in Summit County is now, mid to late March. I got started today. The kitchen counters were covered in pots, seeds, planting mix and sand. The seeds are scattered on the top of the moistened, soilless mix and then sprinkled lightly with sand. Most native perennials need cold treatment. The flats are now covered outside, under the bench in the snow, to chill for a month or two.

A couple of natives I am planting this year will be Heliomeris multiflora (Showy Goldeneye) and Eriogonum umbellatum (Sulphur Flower Buckwheat). I also started a native aster, Aster gluacodes (Gray Aster) inside under lights.


Although I do still sow some seeds straight to to ground in areas where the soil has been disturbed, transplanting from seedlings started indoors has been a more successful way to introduce flowering plants to the more established grassy meadow.


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