Seed Starting 2024
New seeds to start: 
Celosia yellow for the garbage cans bed, will contrast nicely with the "blue" or purple Balloon flower.
Balloon Flower for the garbage cans bed and in middle of bed until I can get more hydrangea.
Penstemon Electric Blue
Plant between blue and white phlox on front slope, a tall, upright flower to contrast with the round phlox and fill in blank spaces.
Start Date: 6-8 weeks, March 20
Cold stratify: 3 weeks
Temperature: 60 - 70F
Average Germ Time: 14 - 30 days
Light Required: Yes
Depth: Cover lightly, seed should be visible
Sowing Rate: 2 - 3 seeds per plant
Start Date: 8-10 weeks, March 6
Cold stratify: none
Temperature: 68F
Average Germ Time: 7 - 14 days
Light Required: No
Depth: 1/4 inch
Sowing Rate: 3 - 4 seeds per plant
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Green Twister Coneflower
Try this again, plant in front porch beds. Hopefully some of the Black eyed Susan and Purple coneflower come back up here. These beds were hard as a rock in the fall. Be sure to amend these well with compost in the spring and also top dress. This is an expensive seed, should I keep trying? Outside Pride Out of Stock, Park Seed ($8),
Start Date: 10 weeks, March 6
Cold stratify: 4 weeks
Temperature: 68F
Average Germ Time: 10-15 days
Light Required: No
Depth: 1/8 inch
Sowing Rate: 3 - 4 seeds per plant
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Lupine
Outside Pride does not have the wild lupin that feeds Karner Blue, use Prairie Moon for true Sundial Lupine. Also winter sowing and direct sown in late winter in the wildflower beds facing River Road.
Start Date: 8 weeks, March 20
Scarification: Yes
Cold stratify: 10 days
Temperature: 65 F
Average Germ Time: 14-21 days
Light Required: No
Depth: 1/8 inch, press firmly into the surface
Sowing Rate: 3 - 4 seeds per plant
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Sow in 4" tall peat pots as tap root does not like to be disturbed.
Make extra starts, because the attrition rate's pretty high
Direct Sow
Nasturtiums these get vining and out of control quick in the last weeks when started inside, try direct sowing this year
Lupine- try all three methods, seed starting, winter sowing and direct sowing in fall or spring
Winter Sowing
Try Milkweed again, even though none germinated last year.
Pearl Yarrow did great in winter sowing, so plant at least 3 jugs of this again.
Globe Thistle did well started inside, but give one jug to try with w.s.
I have a ton of Rudbeckia seeds, so direct sow, start inside and winter sow some. I also used some for Guerrilla Gardening along Zenner Road.
It would be nice to have a large drift of the blue Penstemon, so start at least two jugs in the winter.
Calendula took forever to bloom last year when direct sowed, so get some started over the winter.
The Lavender I winter sowed did better than the seeds I started indoors.
And finally, Lupine. Really looking forward to this plant and hope it takes and spreads in the wildflower bed. Trying all three methods- winter sowing, direct sowing in November and starting from seed indoors.
Seedlings
Start as many extra seeds as you have room for to give away. Add the shop lights above workbench to the shelves in basement. Add another grow light to get four shelves.
Materials
4" Peat pots for plants with long tap root that doesn't like to be disturbed.
Lupine- 24, Milkweed- 12, Borage-12 = 48 peat pots needed
https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/products/jiffy-peat-pots?variant=42701220479175
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