Hey all -- I'm a relatively novice gardener with a stupid question. To date
I've only worked with established, pre-potted plants, but the other day I
bought seed packets for a bunch of perennial flowers I'd to try growing in
my garden and yard borders. Each packet has a number of seeds in it, and my
dumb question is, will each one of those seeds yield one flowering plant, or
does one plant grow from several seeds sown together? I'm in Northern VA,
zone 7A; examples of the seeds I bought include oriental poppies, Black-eyed
Susans, carnations, coreopsis and a couple of others. How easy (or hard) is
it to grown flowering plants from seeds? Any advice is most appreciated.
Thanks!

P.S. Speaking of coreopsis, I have several in pots on my patio that I never
got into the ground last fall which have turned dark brown over the winter.
Does this mean they are dead, or just dormant? If I cut them back to soil,
do you think they might spout up again when spring comes?

Natty_Dread wrote:

...I'm in Northern VA,
zone 7A; examples of the seeds I bought include oriental poppies, Black-eyed
Susans, carnations, coreopsis and a couple of others. How easy (or hard) is
it to grown flowering plants from seeds? Any advice is most appreciated.
Thanks!



In general, one per seed, modified by the germination percentage. For
example, if the seed has 90% germination, you will get (on the average)
9 plants for every 10 seeds you plant. There are exceptions, e.g. beets,
where the seed is actually a cluster of seeds, so that you can get
several plants for one seed.

That's seedlings. You have to keep them alive long enough to reach
maturity and flower. (Water and weed them).


P.S. Speaking of coreopsis, I have several in pots on my patio that I never
got into the ground last fall which have turned dark brown over the winter.
Does this mean they are dead, or just dormant? If I cut them back to soil,
do you think they might spout up again when spring comes?


On your seed packets it should say that the plant is either "annual" or
"perennial". Coreopsis is an annual, which means that it will live one
season. Next year you have to plant another seed, or let the seeds form
on the plant so that it will reseed itself. Some annual plants can be
perennials in warmer climates (but probably not in N VA). Plant your
coreopsis. It is unlikely to do anything, but you will have tried.

Perennials will live many seasons. However, they take a lot longer to
get established. Many will not flower in the first year. "First year
sleep; second year creep; third year leap".

Xref: news7 rec.gardens:212405

On Wed, 05 Mar 2003 16:32:24 GMT, "Natty_Dread"
wrote:

Hey all -- I'm a relatively novice gardener with a stupid question. To date
I've only worked with established, pre-potted plants, but the other day I
bought seed packets for a bunch of perennial flowers I'd to try growing in
my garden and yard borders. Each packet has a number of seeds in it, and my
dumb question is, will each one of those seeds yield one flowering plant, or
does one plant grow from several seeds sown together? I'm in Northern VA,
zone 7A; examples of the seeds I bought include oriental poppies, Black-eyed
Susans, carnations, coreopsis and a couple of others. How easy (or hard) is
it to grown flowering plants from seeds? Any advice is most appreciated.
Thanks!

P.S. Speaking of coreopsis, I have several in pots on my patio that I never
got into the ground last fall which have turned dark brown over the winter.
Does this mean they are dead, or just dormant? If I cut them back to soil,
do you think they might spout up again when spring comes?


Each seed is one plant. But don't expect 100% germination. Growing
plants from seeds is easy and cheap, just carefully follow the
directions on the packet. Your coreopsis is a perennial so unless it
was frozen solid, it may come back to life but it will need some
freash soil to grow well.

Dwight Sipler wrote:

... Coreopsis is an annual...



Sorry! Coreopsis is the perennial: calliopsis is the annual.

On Wed, 05 Mar 2003 16:32:24 GMT, "Natty_Dread"
wrote:

Hey all -- I'm a relatively novice gardener with a stupid question. To date
I've only worked with established, pre-potted plants, but the other day I
bought seed packets for a bunch of perennial flowers I'd to try growing in
my garden and yard borders. Each packet has a number of seeds in it, and my
dumb question is, will each one of those seeds yield one flowering plant, or
does one plant grow from several seeds sown together?

Ideally, one seed produces one plant. However, for various reasons,
some seeds fail to germinate. Some seedlings die, even with the best
of care, as they continue to do from time to time when they're fully
grown. Surely you've bought a group of "pre-potted" plants and had 3
out of 4 grow beautifully and the other just decline and die. So you
plant more seeds than you expect to need plants. And they'll all
flourish, and you'll have too many. No guarantees either way.

I'm in Northern VA,
zone 7A; examples of the seeds I bought include oriental poppies, Black-eyed
Susans, carnations, coreopsis and a couple of others. How easy (or hard) is
it to grown flowering plants from seeds?

Check the directions on the packet. You can also search the web for
"'plant name' germination" and "'plant name' cultivation" for
particulars. There's a wealth of information Out There. Some plants
are "easier" than others -- that is, tolerant of less-than-ideal
conditions. Give it a shot.