Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Ready For An Update?

The last time you saw my little seedlings was on March 30th. I know you’ve been dying to see how they’re coming along. Right? If you nodded yes, you’re in luck. If you shook your head no….well what can I say.

First we have the Bizarre Snapdragons. Not much to look at now, but just you wait a month or so.

Next we have Mini Bell Snapdragons. Unlike regular snaps that…well you all know what snaps look like... you can’t squeeze these little cheeks to open their mouths because they’re already open.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with mini bells here is a batch that I had growing back in 2006

Moving on.. how about these Tumbling Tom Tomatoes. First time you saw them they were about 2” tall.
They are now 10-11” tall.

I’m thinking I started these too early. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I mean thoughts about tomatoes, not those other ones that might be floating around in your head right about now.

Next we have the Illumination Begonias. Off to a slow start, they certainly made up for it because these are now 8-9” tall, and growing fast. Since we have at least 3 more weeks before I can start taking these outside to harden off I also hope I didn’t start these too soon.


Last but not least we have the monkeys (Mimulus). Plants are still fairly small, only about 2” tall but take a gander at these cuties. I know most of you would say to pinch them back, but I just can’t bear to pinch off their pretty heads. They make me smile and bring a little color when all the other seedlings are just a sea of green. And since they only take a month from planting to blooming and I have plenty of seeds left, I’m going to enjoy these while I can. Wouldn’t you?

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are in luck - I don't have ANY thoughts floating around in my head! Seriously, I don't know if you started them too early or not. I do think they are all looking grand, especially those tomatoes. I just hope my brother doesn't find out there's a plant named "monkey." That's his pet name for me and he would plant them everywhere and name this place MONKEY PALACE!!!

Di said...

Bravo! Your plants look better than mine. You have the proverbial green thumb. You grow plants that I am not familiar with, like Cola Lillies, Clove Current Shrub and Monkeys. I guess I still have a lot to learn. It's great that you send us pics of their growth stages. It's beginning to look a lot like summer. Yesssss :D :D

Susie said...

What are you feeding them? Super duper fertilizer? They look great! Maybe you can transfer your tomato plants to gallon size next and let them get comfy in there. Then maybe the ground next. Just a thought! Probably the only one I have right now.

Rose said...

Wow! I'm impressed, Flydragon! Some of my seeds never germinated, and none of the ones that have are nearly that big. That tomato is huge already; you must be doing something right.

I'm curious--did you start the illumination begonia from seed?

beckie said...

Wow, great looking plants. I think they will be alright-you have them in pretty big containers. Love the monkey plants and I would do the same as you. I am very impressed with the begonias. I thought they were very hard to grow from seed.

Anonymous said...

So tell us the truth: Did you shave your head or not! I think that your lost hair must have germinated your plants (or at least fertilized them). That would explain what FD#2 told me yesterday!

FD#3

Brenda said...

They look better than what I buy at the store. Really pretty. I planted a tray and they are coming up skinny. I think because of lack of sun here. They sprouted earlier than the packet said they would. Have a great day!

Rudee said...

Dear Madam Green Thumb,

I stand in awe. Truly. As for the tomatoes, I hear the Obamas have a dog that may like them. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank. Then again, I'm a knitter, not a gardener.

Thanks for the flowery show. Don't pinch anything that makes you smile.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Strip the bottom leaves off of that TT Tomato and plant him deeper..he will be fine..he is beautiful! Much better color than before!!!
Your beautiful begonias will be fine and blooming before you know it. They are just right for planting out in three weeks.
I would stop my smiling..and bite the bullet and pinch back the mimulus..so it stools and has many more flowers in a few weeks.
Those snaps may be blooming before you know it!
Pinching is actually good for plants, it stimulates their growth and with flowering plants..like mimulus, snaps, you will have double the flowers if you pinch those first ones off..you get a more compact, fuller plant. Pinch a couple of the mimulus..and then compare what they look like in three weeks..an experiment!
Just my 2 cents worth and with the economy..it's hardly worth that! You are doin great:)

flydragon said...

Hi Monkey er I mean Mildred,
Maybe your brother just meant you were soooo cute, because the flowers sure are:))


Di,
The Cola lilies are just an Asiatic lily, and I just noticed the Monkeys in the Park Seed catalogue one year and thought they were cute. They're one of the easiest plants I've tried but do get leggy in July.


Susie,
I actually do put a few drops of Miracle Gro into the water every so often when I water them. A bigger container for the tomatoes won't fit under my lights and I'm not sure if natural daylight is enough for them right now.


Rose,
Don't be too impressed. A lot of my seeds didn't germinate either and I'm only showing the ones that worked out:) I have a lot more little fellas that are not doing half as nice. Yes the begonia was from seed.


Beckie,
The begonias are hard to start from seed. Only 9 out of 25 seeds even germinated and they were teeny tiny for a long time. I guess with them you have to sow at least 3 times as many seeds as you want plants. I'm always surprised that something that starts out so skinny and small can grow into this:))


FD#3,
I don't know what the snitch told you but take it with a grain of salt. A very large grain.


Brenda,
Not enough sun here now either which is why I have to use the lights. For some reason mine usually germinate a little faster than the packet says, too. Not complaining about that though:)


Rudee,
And I'm not a knitter as you already know:)) I guess I should keep my tomatoes (if I get any) out of the way when the Prez comes to visit, which I'm sure is gonna happen.


Farside,
Those tomatoes are going in hanging baskets so maybe if I strip the bottom leaves off now and plant them deeper, the container will fit under the lights. If not, do you think there is enough sunlight this time of year to put them in the window?
Since I do have 2 little containers of monkeys, maybe I will pinch off the flowers of one and still enjoy the other. Unless I hear a lot of crying of course. By me or by them:) Should I pinch the tops of the snaps even before there are any buds?

Dog_geek said...

Wow, everything has gotten so big! I feel like such a slacker - I've barely gotten anything started so far this year. I think we are just going to buy some tomato and pepper plants for the garden rather than trying to startt them ourselves (a little late for that, anyway.) Nothing I start from seeds ever looks as good as your plants do!

KALI said...

wow! that's the power for green thumb on plants... and you can even apply it on your keyboard!
your blog post is getting more and more "flowerful" :)

go! go! go! flower power...

Betty said...

Indoor blooms...what a treat!! My brown thumb doesn't allow for starting plants from seeds..or, for keeping alive any others, for that matter!

Love the updates on your 'growth'...this is more fun than actually trying to grow something myself!

Look forward to the little flowers.

cindyzlogic said...

Wow! I'm glad I found your blog. I was just going to start some seedlings. Yours look great!

flydragon said...

DG,
I just thought I would try these tomatoes because they go into hanging baskets. I'm so limited in my garden space here.
As for the other ones, ha, you should see all the little, skinny, puny ones I didn't show you. (well no you shouldn't see them which is why there's no pics)


Kali,
Hopefully if things go right, I'll have tons of flowers to show later in the season:)


Betty,
I love seeing others seedlings too. All the fun of watching them grow without all the pain in the butt stuff that comes with doing it myself:)


Hi Cindy,
I'm looking forward to seeing lots of pictures on your blog of your seedlings when you get them going.

Roses and Lilacs said...

I would have sworn I left a message here yesterday. It's awful when the mind goes;)

Your plants are thriving. I never have luck with snapdragons. Just as they begin looking good they melt in the heat. Anxious to see your begonias when they begin blooming.
Marnie

Becca's Dirt said...

What lovelies you have from seed. The monkey is awesome and blooms so quick. Nice showing. Looks like you'll be busy soon getting them in the ground. Hopefully it warms up there.

troutbirder said...

Youve definitely got the right technique. I used to try this and all that I got was waify tall thin ballerinas that fell over at the first gust of wind.

flydragon said...

Marnie,
No need to tell me about slipping minds:))
Sometimes I don't know why I bother starting snaps from seed since they have a ton of them in the stores, but I've never seen the mini bells in there.
Hopefully the begonias will turn out as the packet shows but......


Becca,
Getting them in the ground is the hardest part for me. Never quite sure if the weather will turn cold all of a sudden. Lots of times I end up buying plants to make up for the ones that don't make it:)


trout,
You're not the only one. Many are the times I have the same problem, but I usually don't mention those:)

TC said...

I was goin to suggest what Far Side of Fifty said to do with those extra large tomatoes. I will add that you can lay the plants on their side, and carefully bend the stem so that the top part of the plant is out of the dirt six inches or so. The buried stem will grow roots all along it's length making the plant stronger and a more vigorous producer. I do this all the "flime" with the largest of my tomato starts.

Naturegirl said...

Ahhh..the joys of Spring blooming indoors or out!I'm sure your heart is singing seeing these!

Jeanne Estridge said...

What Far Side said? That's EXACTLY what I would have said (if I had her knowledge of horticulture, which I don't).

They all look great to me!

Anonymous said...

When are you opening up YOUR store? Forget about Gales and just put your sign out!

SisterNan

spookydragonfly said...

Yep, looks like you have a real green thumb! I'm looking forward to future posts of these babies. I'm trying Cosmos from seeds...I'll destroy them, I know it!

flydragon said...

TC,
Good to know, but too late for these. I already planted them in the hanging baskets, but I did strip off the lower leaves and planted them as deep as the basket would allow. Hopefully it works.


Hi Naturegirl,
Haven't seen you in quite a while..thanks for the reminder to check out your great blog! Yep, spring does put a spring in our steps, doesn't it:))


Jeanne,
Hey, that's funny, because that's also exactly what I would have said if I knew anything about anything, which of course I don't.


Nan,
Since I only have 4 flats of flowers this year, the store would be open all of 5 minutes and I would have to go buy plants somewhere else. I guess I'll just keep these. Come to think of it, only 4 flats aren't going to be enough so I'll still have to buy a bunch.


Spooky,
Nope, no green thumb here, just a lot of lights hanging all over the place:) Are you starting the cosmos inside? I have a couple packets of those too, but I'm just going to start them outside this year. Not enough room in here:)

raccoonlover1963/Lisa Myers said...

Hi FD
You have some beautiful flowers. I've never heard of that particular breed of tomato. My favorite tomatoes are Rutgers and Beefsteak.
Thanks for stopping by this morning. Chuck told me to tell you that I am putting subliminal messages into his head while he sleeps to make him do all these chores around the house. If I thought that would work, I'd give him a lot more to do! LOL
Take care
Lisa

Prospero said...

I had trouble timing my tomatoes too. I started some in pots and planted some seeds directly in the ground. It's such a trial and error thing with me too.

flydragon said...

Lisa,
These tomatoes are very small, somewhat like the cherry tomatoes and the plants hang down which is why I'm putting them in hanging baskets.
Subliminal messages huh. Maybe I'll try that on myself. Little tape recorder going while I sleep, telling me all the things I need to get done. The only thing that will probably happen is me tossing and turning all night worrying about all the work that needs to be done:))


Prospero,
This is the first time for tomatoes for me and I have no notes to reference back to. Hopefully I wasn't too far off.
But....there's always the nursery to buy plants if these fail:)

Unknown said...

Good job! I am a pincher though.

flydragon said...

Hi Darla,
I finally did pinch the poor little monkeys a few days later. But at least I got to see the flowers for a couple of days first:)

oldcrow61 said...

Good heavens woman, how do you grow such wonderfully healthy, strong looking plants from seed. You must have great lighting. They are fabulous!

flydragon said...

Thanks Oldcrow,
The lights I use are just your run of the mill shop lights with fluorescent bulbs. Nothing special at all. But I usually leave them on for 9-10 hrs a day. Seems to do the trick.