Unconventional seed starting...and it worked

Discussion in 'Seed Starting / Propagation' started by toni, Mar 18, 2012.

  1. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I tried getting the seed starting soil, the peat pots and the starter trays with lids. Never got the lights since I have literally no place to set that system up. I had iffy results the other way so haven't tried it again.

    This year, back in February, I had three dozen half-egg shells in their cartons and a dozen or so red plastic drink cups. 5 metal trays formerly known as photo developing trays, plastic wrap and plain potting soil. The egg shells were planted with hot weather seeds so they are just now beginning to show up...Blanketflower and Standing Cypress but it hasn't been warm enough yet for the others to appear. And if the seeds have disappeared I have plenty more where those came from and plenty of time to start them again.

    The red cups were planted with Cotton, Cucumber, Moonflower Vine, Chocolate Morning Glory and some of the Texas Star Hibiscus seeds that Cheryl sent me.
    I did keep the shells and cups in a sunny spot inside for a few weeks since our night time temps were in the 40's but the night time temps have been stuck in the 60's for weeks so they went outside on the shelf of my work table. They get full morning sun and afternoon shade.

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    Seeds planted in half egg shells ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )

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    Seedlings in cups ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )
     
    Frank, stratsmom and Theodoros like this.
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I like the idea of using eggshells Toni. We put ours into the composting barrels at the moment but it would be good to use them before throwing them away -double recycling!! :D I use yoghurt pots and they seem to work the same as your drinks cups.
    We gardeners are an inventive lot aren't we? So glad you shared your ideas with us.
     
  4. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    Great ideas Toni. And the seedlings look pretty darn happy!
     
  5. Jerry Sullivan

    Jerry Sullivan Garden Experimenter Plants Contributor

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    You have made some chicken somewhere happy. Unusual is always interesting and you tend to learn more. The other plants are developing very nicely. :)

    Jerry
     



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  6. Theodoros

    Theodoros In Flower

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    I very very good idea of using eggshells Toni. :-D :-D :-D

    and very beautiful seedling, cogratsulation
     
  7. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Thanks all. But I can't take credit for the planting in egg shell idea, I saw it in a magazine last fall and started saving the egg shells and cartons. But I did put my own identifying mark on the idea....mine are more personalized with the jagged edges of the shells, the fact that some are more open than others and some are smaller sections of the egg than others. The magazine photo showed perfectly smooth egg shell edges, all the same height and the soil neatly sitting in the shell with nary a crumb out of place..i.e. scattered all over the egg carton. But I thought that just didn't look like ME and besides I didn't have an assistant to clean up and make things look pretty.

    Eileen, composting the cartons and all is exactly what will happen when I don't need them any more. I am thinking next year I may just use the egg cartons and forgo the shell part.

    Cheryl, the photo of the Texas Star Hibiscus seedlings doesn't show up in those photo but here they are...

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    Texas Star Hibiscus seedlings ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )
    There are more seeds in two other cups, but if these two continue growing so nicely I will be more than happy.

    Jerry, most of those are from grain fed, cage free chickens and tasted sooooo good. So the chickens made us very happy too.

    Thanks Theodoros, those seedlings are really pretty in person. The Chocolate Morning Glory's first leaves are a mottled almost white and dark green, really pretty.
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    Chocolate Morning Glory Vine ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )

    The Cucumbers will be planted out around the first of April with bottomless milk jugs handy for protection in case we get another hail storm this year...last year I lost every one of them in hail. I got a really early start on the Cotton, it could have waited until this month to be started but the seeds are ones from cotton I grew in 2003, I wasn't sure the seeds would still be viable so I was very happy to see them sprout.
     
  8. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    So happy to know that the Texas Star Hibiscus sprouted! They seem to be a little stubborn at times. But oh boy... once they start to grow, there's no stopping them!
    I commend you on getting the egg shells cracked to nicely. I just can't do that! :oops:
    For my second round of seeds, I did just use egg cartons. Just poked a couple of holes in the bottom and poured/spread potting soil into the compartments and placed them in aluminum pans. It's worked pretty good for me.
    Congrats again on your sprouts!
     
  9. stratsmom

    stratsmom Flower Fanatic

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    I can't wait to see more of that chocolate morning glory :p
     
  10. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    Nice looking seedlings Toni. Still a little early here. I can't wait to see more of that chocolate morning glory too!
     

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