Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?

I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing; clematis
tangutica -- no luck; nicotiana sylvestris -- just sitting there half an
inch tall; billardieria -- nada; akebia -- diddly squat; musa -- zilch.

Same with some plants -- aubretia thrive in my neighbours' gardens, but can
I grow them? Can I heckers-like! Lily of the Valley -- tried five times
with absolutely no luck.

Oh the joys of gardening!

"Joanne" wrote in message
news:PPWxc.153$aj1.32@newsfe2-win...
Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?

I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing; clematis
tangutica -- no luck; nicotiana sylvestris -- just sitting there half an
inch tall; billardieria -- nada; akebia -- diddly squat; musa -- zilch.

Same with some plants -- aubretia thrive in my neighbours' gardens, but
can
I grow them? Can I heckers-like! Lily of the Valley -- tried five times
with absolutely no luck.

Oh the joys of gardening!
I have never managed to grow lily of the valley despite people telling me
it is very invasive. I don't care, I love them.
However, parsley which I am told is hard to grow, pops up all over the
place.

In article PPWxc.153$aj1.32@newsfe2-win, Joanne
writes
Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?

I find I get either 90 per cent germination or zero! I think it depends
on hitting the exact right temperatures.

I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing;

Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.

clematis
tangutica -- no luck;

Self seed readily into cracks in our tarmac. Try leaving the seed tray
for the rest of the year - they may germinate after the winter.

nicotiana sylvestris -- just sitting there half an
inch tall;

Don't worry. They may be concentrating on roots atm. Mine have begun to
grow well after several weeks of being small.


Same with some plants -- aubretia thrive in my neighbours' gardens, but can
I grow them? Can I heckers-like! Lily of the Valley -- tried five times
with absolutely no luck.

Have you tried planting 'in the green'? And they seem to thrive in
almost complete shade ;-) - I have a big batch under an acer, another
batch under a magnolia and a third batch under a whitebeam. Sensible, I
suppose since their frnech name is 'muguets des bois' - lilies of the
wood - and their UK habitat is in the cracks of limestone pavements.

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article ,
Kay writes:
| In article PPWxc.153$aj1.32@newsfe2-win, Joanne
| writes
| Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
| no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?
|
| I find I get either 90 per cent germination or zero! I think it depends
| on hitting the exact right temperatures.

And many other conditions :-(

| I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing;
|
| Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.

I get only 10%, but that factor is critical. They are definitely
tricky to establish, and most of their seeds don't germinate - or
they would become a pest.

| clematis
| tangutica -- no luck;
|
| Self seed readily into cracks in our tarmac. Try leaving the seed tray
| for the rest of the year - they may germinate after the winter.

Ditto, but 20%.

| Same with some plants -- aubretia thrive in my neighbours' gardens, but can
| I grow them? Can I heckers-like!

They like sun but not too much and good drainage but not drought.
I used to grow Dr Mules, but the summers shrivelled it to nothing.

| Lily of the Valley -- tried five times
| with absolutely no luck.
|
| Have you tried planting 'in the green'? And they seem to thrive in
| almost complete shade ;-) - I have a big batch under an acer, another
| batch under a magnolia and a third batch under a whitebeam. Sensible, I
| suppose since their frnech name is 'muguets des bois' - lilies of the
| wood - and their UK habitat is in the cracks of limestone pavements.

Yes. They like well-drained soil, and light to medium shade. They
seem very drought-resistant when established.


Where are you posting from? I can let you have several of those
if you are in the Cambridge area.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

(Nick Maclaren) wrote in news:ca9d7a$9bc$1
@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk:

| I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing;
|
| Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.

I get only 10%, but that factor is critical. They are definitely
tricky to establish, and most of their seeds don't germinate - or
they would become a pest.

They self-seed here - not in great numbers yet (I only grew the first ones
a couple of years ago) but enough that I've made a mental note to start
keeping an eye on where the seedpods are going lest I be overrun. Luckily,
the young ones don't seem to survive the winter (yet).

On the other hand, for some reason I can't germinate aquilegias!
I also have a strange ability to murder mint, and cannot get fennel to come
good for the life of me.

Aubretia was mentioned - I find that takes a long time to establish. You
need to leave it ages before it suddenly goes rampant on you.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

In article . 20,
Victoria Clare writes:
| (Nick Maclaren) wrote in news:ca9d7a$9bc$1
| @pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk:
|
| | I've sowed three separate lots of eccremocarpus -- nothing;
| |
| | Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.
|
| I get only 10%, but that factor is critical. They are definitely
| tricky to establish, and most of their seeds don't germinate - or
| they would become a pest.
|
| They self-seed here - not in great numbers yet (I only grew the first ones
| a couple of years ago) but enough that I've made a mental note to start
| keeping an eye on where the seedpods are going lest I be overrun. Luckily,
| the young ones don't seem to survive the winter (yet).

The same here, but they produce masses of seed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
|
| Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.

I get only 10%,

Good grief you lot
Are you telling me you count those seeds as you sow them and then count
the ones that come up????????
I have difficulty in even seeing some of the seeds I sow, let alone
count them!!!!!!
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

In article , Jane Ransom writes:
| In article , Nick Maclaren
| writes
| |
| | Try sowing them on top of the soil. that's one of my 90 per cents.
|
| I get only 10%,
|
| Good grief you lot
| Are you telling me you count those seeds as you sow them and then count
| the ones that come up????????

Sometimes. I do for the larger or scarcer ones! But do remember
that I am a mathematician, and may well estimate numbers from
densities and areas :-)

| I have difficulty in even seeing some of the seeds I sow, let alone
| count them!!!!!!

Yes. The 10% for Eccremocarpus was a wild guess. If you were
to ask if could have been 2% or 25%, I should have to say that
I can't be certain.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Joanne wrote:

Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?

I find I have a very low success rate with all flowers, and
a very high success rate with all vegetables (except carrots
and parsnips -- of the bed of both I sowed earlier in the
year, I now have two carrots). I have no idea why this
should be, but the only non-edible things I have succeeded
in growing from seed are broom and lupins. Oh, and
foxgloves, which grow themselves from seed anyway. Flower
failures include pansies, poppies, candytuft, aubretia, and
marigolds. Vegetable successes include cabbage, broccoli,
peas, beans (runner and broad), courgettes, and leeks. Can
anyone spot a pattern?

Rhiannon

--

http://sciethics.blogspot.com/ -- the rights and wrongs of
science.

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 22:36:36 +0100, Rhiannon Macfie Miller
wrote:

Joanne wrote:

Does anyone else here find that there are some seeds that you cannot grow,
no matter how many times you try, and you don't know why?

I find I have a very low success rate with all flowers, and
a very high success rate with all vegetables (except carrots
and parsnips -- of the bed of both I sowed earlier in the
year, I now have two carrots). I have no idea why this
should be, but the only non-edible things I have succeeded
in growing from seed are broom and lupins. Oh, and
foxgloves, which grow themselves from seed anyway. Flower
failures include pansies, poppies, candytuft, aubretia, and
marigolds. Vegetable successes include cabbage, broccoli,
peas, beans (runner and broad), courgettes, and leeks. Can
anyone spot a pattern?

Green fingered NOT?