Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Seedy Subjects! => Grow From Seed => Topic started by: corydalisambigua on December 16, 2023, 05:23:23 PM

Title: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: corydalisambigua on December 16, 2023, 05:23:23 PM: Hello, I'm not a great plant grower. I got a lot of autumn Asian gentian seed last year, but these are the survivors... and they are slowly dying. They are indoors under a light. I probably need a better light. Any other suggestions? Thank you!
Title: Re: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: arisaema on December 16, 2023, 07:08:43 PM: Quote
They are indoors under a light.

That would be your issue, they'd do much better outside in a cold frame, they're fully hardy even at that size.
Title: Re: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: corydalisambigua on December 16, 2023, 07:13:32 PM: Oh OK! I'm worried about slugs eating them etc. And I wanted them to get a good start. Maybe I will surround them with diatemaceous earth or slug bait to address the slugs. Thank you!!
Title: Re: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: arisaema on December 16, 2023, 07:17:35 PM: Try copper foil tape around the pots, maybe? I'm assuming you already saw, but the Czech seed lists have a lot of fresh Gentiana collections from China this year.
Title: Re: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: corydalisambigua on December 24, 2023, 07:47:16 PM: Oh thanks! I had checked Holobec's list for g. sino ornata and didn't see any but I missed the Gentiana lawrencei and hexaphylla so TY!
Title: Re: starting gentiana sino ornata or related seeds and keeping them alive
Post by: Tim Walsh on February 17, 2024, 11:31:40 PM: Just a quick note about slugs, snails and prevention...copper tape and diatomaceous earth doesn't work. I suggest a visit to www.gardenmyths.com for some rea, science-based answers to MANY gardening questions. The author is a retired biochemist who operates his own small botanical garden in Canada. He shows a photo of a snail crawling over a razor blade to make a point!