Other Years

2009
March 27: I started 12 cells, with 2 or 3 seeds per cell.
April 3: I applied a little No Damp because of widespread fungus on top.
5: One sprout.
May 31: None survived.
 
2008
March 11: I started 9 cells of the 10-week variety, with several seeds per cell.
24: I sprinkled more seeds in 3 cells, where there was no plant or a weak one.
May 10: I set out my plants.
13: I guess they were not hardened off enough as the leaves have bleached rather badly. This despite the sky's being mostly cloudy since they went out.
 
2007
April 8: I bought a package of the 10 week variety of seeds at T&T.
May 16: I sowed 2 rows.
30: Sprouts today.
June 4: I'm not sure about those previous sprouts, but there were clear large ones today.
 
2006
March 9: I planted 17 cells today, 4 seeds per cell, and have 17 seeds left.
21: Because of poor germination I planted the last 17 seeds in 9 cells.
25: I bought a package of Plant Smart brand Giant Imperial Mixed seeds from Walmart, $1.29.
27: I planted 6 cells with them, 2 seeds per cell.
April 1: 4 sprouts.
12: I moved all the original sprouts together. They are not doing well. They are small, yellowish, and I think have poor root systems. My guess is that they are in bad soil, from the pot in which the sedums would not root. The Giant Imperials are doing ok.
26: Only 2 of the original sprouts remain. I started another 9 cells of Giant Imperials, with 3 seeds per cell.
29: 5 sprouts.
May 21: I set out 10 plants, with cutworm collars.
August 1: Doing well but no flowers yet!
 
2005
~March 18:  I seeded 18 cells with about 3 seeds per cell.
23:  Sprouts.
April 19:  Thinned.
May 16:  I set out 12 plants.
June 24:  I added a few into the calendula bed.
October 2:  A good show, but as usual ending early and many single-flowered plants.
 
2004
March 11:  I started 9 cells, with a few seeds in each cell.
25:  I divided the seedlings, about 24, into 18 cells.
May 18:  In the morning I set out about 10 plants.   I noticed in the evening that they were infested with flea beetles so I dusted them with rose dust.   Checking 20 minutes later I saw that the rose dust drove the beetles away.
June 28:  They have been doing fine and today are in flower, one single-flowered and one double.
 
2003
March 13:  I started my last 7 seeds, on soil in the warming box in front of a window.   I will remove them at nights to cool them then.   (I have mimosa seeds in the box too, and I want to keep them warm.)
17:  3 sprouts.
20:  I seeded a 9-pak with 4 seeds per cell of 10 week stocks from Mr. Fothergills, bought recently from Rona for $1.59.   I put the pak in the warming box.
23:  There a few sprouts and a few seedlings.
29:  I transplanted seedlings so that now I have 3 6-week stocks and 15 cells of 10-week stocks.
May 8:  I set out all 18 plants.
June 20:  A few plants began flowering today.
July 27:  I have deadheaded all the single-flowered plants, the majority, but the double-flowered ones still look ok but very tired.
August 26:  I cleared them out today.
 
2002
March 5: I planted 2 9-paks today, 2 seeds per cell. I watered one and put in into the temperature regulated box to have warm days with light from a basement window, and cool nights. I left the other 9-pak alone, as there isn't really room for it in the box.
March 10: Sprouts last night, so I put the first 9-pak under the lights, and put the second one in the warming box.
March 13: Sprouts now in the second 9-pak.
April 1: I put them in a 50°F windowsill to see if any turned dark green, indicating single-flowered plants.
3: All still light green, so I divided them, giving 25 good plants and a runt.
~May 5: I set out 9 plants.
6:  They froze overnight.   Large areas of most leaves eventually turned white and clearly dead.
21: I set out my remaining plants.
24: A hard frost last night seems not to have harmed them..
July 24:  Flowering nicely, but most plants appear to be singles.
August 2:  I deadheaded those plants that had finished blooming.
September 8: Some plants still have a few flowers.
 
2001
Dec. 31: None this year.
 

Stocks, 2000

2000
March 8: I planted 9 cells today, with 4 seeds in each cell. I put the seeds on top of soil mix then sprinkled vermiculite on top. They went into the thermostatically controlled box in front of a window.
13: One sprout coming through.
17: About 11 sprouts. Removed from the box tonight.
22: I set out 5 more plants.
July 5: Several flowers are open now.
August 8: Most of the plants were single-flowered. The double-flowered ones have looked grand, although now they are starting to go to seed.
August: I pulled all the single-flowered plants.
October 4: Fairly heavy frost last night. There are still a few flowers.
 
1999
March 6: I planted 9 cells today, with a few seeds in each cell. I put planting mixture on top of soil mix, both, of course, microwave-sterilized. They went into the temperature controlled box, in front of artificial daytime light.
8: The seeds are visibly sprouting.
9: I removed the plastic bag. There are many sprouts, showing root hairs on the exposed parts of their roots.
20: I moved some of the seedlings to other cells, and firmed some up. There are only about 12 plants altogether. A number of them are not growing straight up due to roots staying above ground after germination.
May 8: I set out the remaining 8 plants.
16: Their leaves show signs of sun scalding. I guess that hardening off using full days of cool cloudy weather does not adequately prepare them for sunny weather.
24: Doing well.
June 25: First flowers.
June 30: Flourishing. Most of the plants seems to be single-flowered, not double.
August 3: I deadheaded the single-flowered plants back to no blossoms about 4 days ago, but the doubles still look fine.
14: The doubles are still in flower. The singles seem to be developing new flower stems.
22: The doubles are still in flower, and now the singles are again too.
October 3: The same. A good show this summer, but it worth it to try and get only doubles.
November 21: The plants are still alive, but the flowers are not very attractive. I mowed them down today.
 
1998
February 28: Started 1 9-pak, 3 seeds per cell.
March 2: Seeds are visibly sprouting, send a root down. I shone a small lamp just above them 4 hours per day Sunday and today, and put them in a window last night.
20: All lower leaves went pale. Thinned to 1 per cell.
June 1: Fine in garden.
8: First flower.