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Monday, February 16, 2009
Up, Up and Away!
Canna seedlings, 2/15/09
It's been nine days since I posted a photo of the seedlings. It sure seems like they are rocketing skyward. I will pot up the larger ones in a week or so.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Seedlings Progress
Canna seedlings - 2/6/09
Only about half of the canna seeds in this tray have germinated, but never give up easily. Some may take three or four weeks to come up.
Dill and cilantro - 2/6/09
Leaf lettuce and Erodium 'Sweetheart' - 2/6/09
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Canna Seeds Sprout
Baby cannas emerge.
The canna seeds I planted last week began showing sprouts. At first, they are white, but turn completely green before their first day is done.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Starting Canna Seeds
Canna seeds require special preparation before planting.
Canna seeds have an extremely hard outer skin. It is necessary to open a tiny hole in the skin to let in moisture so the seed can begin to germinate. The method that works for me is needle-nosed pliers and coarse sand paper. Other methods include pet nail nippers and grinding wheels.
Sand off just enough of the dark skin to expose a tiny spot of white.
Don't sand off too much. The seed could be damaged by excess grinding.
An empty water bottle makes a good soaking container.
Put your seeds in an empty bottle and add about one or two inches of hot (not boiling) water. Using a bottle with a lid prevents irritating spills. After 24 hours of soaking, the seeds are ready to plant.
Add hot water and soak 24 hours.
