Giving away plants is my favorite part of native gardening. I have been blessed with a local native plant group. We do a spring plant swamp and fall seed swap. I left the seed swap this fall with 50 packets of native seeds for free.
If growing from seed opened a door for me, Winter Sowing blew the door completely off the hinges! I feel like a rock star every time any seed germinates. 😂
I keep buying seeds for plants I want to try even though I'm basically out of room. So much fun potential in each packet. I'll tuck them away somewhere! 😋
Hi Lisa, as a lifetime gardener I agree with all you say here. It's an honor to be a part of the magic of nature. One thing you hinted at at the end but didn't get into was saving seeds or collecting seeds from plants you see out in nature. Local plants for free, hard to beat that!
Looking forward to this. I've purchased plugs from Native Prairie and potted shrubs/trees from a local nursery that carries a nice variety of natives, but my idea of seed-starting is to broadcast them in areas in Spring and hope for the best.
There is just something so magical and miraculous about growing plants from seed. Many of the native plants do very well with winter sowing (I am sure you will get to that). In my zone 6b/7a NY garden winter sowing in milk jugs is truly set it and forget it. I'm looking forward to seeing whether what I planted out in the garden and wooded ravine last year has reseeded itself, which would be a double win. I am praying that your 2025 will be much better than 2024.
Yeah it's definitely an issue, usually by the time they are big enough to up pot they can go outside which gives me more room. I don't have enough room indoors for thousands of plugs (yet) 😄
This is an awesome channel. Really cool stuff! I'm actually starting a lot of my own native seeds for the first time, so I was curious - do you ever have any problems separating out seedlings when you grow them close together in trays/bottles? Do they transplant well?
Thank you so much! Separating the seedlings depends on the plant. Butterfly milkweed HATES having its roots messed with, and you have to plant in clumps, while swamp milkweed is a tank with wirey roots and you can separate them all individually and they will almost all survive. They are like special snowflakes, you just have to know them. Thanks for the idea, I will try to mention this in the upcoming videos.
Id like help with what soil planting medium to use, and cold stratification techniques. And which plants are most successful for first time seed planters, for success.
I have a lot of seeds, I direct sowed a lot and will be starting the rest in flats. Do you have good luck direct sowing? We have a lot of birds and it sort of seems they found my seeds on the ground and that's expensive bird seed...
I have success direct sowing as long as the ground is prepped well and I use a ton of seed. I wonder if, for small areas, straw mulch would protect them from drying out and hide some of them from the birds?
One mistake that "new-to-natives' folks make (including myself) is to select plants with names in "quotes". That's a red flag that that plant is not a native. It might be labeled as native or "nativar". Nativars can confuse newbies. At best, they are not as beneficial as true natives. Also, most natives won't bloom in their first year. So patience is a virtue. Yay for Prairie Moon Nursery. Most of my natives, grown from seed, came from Prairie Moon. Winter-sowing makes it easier. Nice vid. Thankyou for helping spread good info 👊
Giving away plants is my favorite part of native gardening. I have been blessed with a local native plant group. We do a spring plant swamp and fall seed swap. I left the seed swap this fall with 50 packets of native seeds for free.
That's awesome! 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱
If growing from seed opened a door for me, Winter Sowing blew the door completely off the hinges! I feel like a rock star every time any seed germinates. 😂
So true! Glad you're having success! 🌱🌱🌱
Do you use the milk jug method? I haven’t had the best success…
@@emkn1479yes, I do. I had mixed results my first year but last year was amazing. I've already started this year's jugs. (I'm in Iowa, zone 5a)
Omg, I love your hair! Your gardening is fun and practical, let's go!
Thank you so much!! 🌱🌱🌱
Thank you for the inspiration! I usually buy plants, but now I am excited to try growing from seed!! Can't wait for the next video. You rock!
Thank you!!! 🌱🌱🌱
I prepared 80 six-liter water jugs, will be starting winter sowing in them in a few weeks. Very excited!
That is so cool! 🌱🌱🌱
I keep buying seeds for plants I want to try even though I'm basically out of room. So much fun potential in each packet. I'll tuck them away somewhere! 😋
We always find a place for them 😂
Hi Lisa, as a lifetime gardener I agree with all you say here. It's an honor to be a part of the magic of nature. One thing you hinted at at the end but didn't get into was saving seeds or collecting seeds from plants you see out in nature. Local plants for free, hard to beat that!
Thanks so much, that's a really important topic! 🌱🌱🌱
YAAAYYYY! Love your videos. They make me so happy when they hit my feed. 😄
Thank you! So glad you enjoy them. 🌱🌱🌱
North west Indiana
I'm so pumped! I love love love growing from seed. It is so satisfying. So rewarding. As usual, I love your video style and your positive attitude.
Thanks so much! 🌱🌱🌱
This is great advice!
Thanks notoots!
Looking forward to this. I've purchased plugs from Native Prairie and potted shrubs/trees from a local nursery that carries a nice variety of natives, but my idea of seed-starting is to broadcast them in areas in Spring and hope for the best.
That's great! 🌱🌱🌱
There is just something so magical and miraculous about growing plants from seed. Many of the native plants do very well with winter sowing (I am sure you will get to that). In my zone 6b/7a NY garden winter sowing in milk jugs is truly set it and forget it. I'm looking forward to seeing whether what I planted out in the garden and wooded ravine last year has reseeded itself, which would be a double win. I am praying that your 2025 will be much better than 2024.
Thank you so much. I love that you are winter sowing! 🌱🌱🌱
I'd like to see how you up pot your seedlings. I always find that to be my stumbling block.
Yeah it's definitely an issue, usually by the time they are big enough to up pot they can go outside which gives me more room. I don't have enough room indoors for thousands of plugs (yet) 😄
This is an awesome channel. Really cool stuff!
I'm actually starting a lot of my own native seeds for the first time, so I was curious - do you ever have any problems separating out seedlings when you grow them close together in trays/bottles? Do they transplant well?
Thank you so much! Separating the seedlings depends on the plant. Butterfly milkweed HATES having its roots messed with, and you have to plant in clumps, while swamp milkweed is a tank with wirey roots and you can separate them all individually and they will almost all survive. They are like special snowflakes, you just have to know them. Thanks for the idea, I will try to mention this in the upcoming videos.
@@lisalikesplants Thanks for the reply! I'd definitely be interested in a video that covers those early stages in general.
I agree, growing from seeds is awesome! I don’t mind anymore if the dog pees on some of the flowers, I can always grow more. lol
That's the spirit! 😉🌱
Id like help with what soil planting medium to use, and cold stratification techniques. And which plants are most successful for first time seed planters, for success.
Thanks for the feedback! It really helps. 🌱🌱🌱
Wonderful ❤
I have a lot of seeds, I direct sowed a lot and will be starting the rest in flats. Do you have good luck direct sowing? We have a lot of birds and it sort of seems they found my seeds on the ground and that's expensive bird seed...
I have success direct sowing as long as the ground is prepped well and I use a ton of seed. I wonder if, for small areas, straw mulch would protect them from drying out and hide some of them from the birds?
@lisalikesplants I'll try that, thanks!
I gotta save more seeds next year
One mistake that "new-to-natives' folks make (including myself) is to select plants with names in "quotes". That's a red flag that that plant is not a native. It might be labeled as native or "nativar". Nativars can confuse newbies. At best, they are not as beneficial as true natives.
Also, most natives won't bloom in their first year. So patience is a virtue.
Yay for Prairie Moon Nursery. Most of my natives, grown from seed, came from Prairie Moon. Winter-sowing makes it easier.
Nice vid. Thankyou for helping spread good info 👊
Thanks so much! 🌱🌱🌱
Have you had much success growing native seeds under grow lights, indoors? I'm contemplating doing this, but I'm hesitant.
I've done it many times! Will film my process this year. 🌱🌱🌱
Longer vids!
Next! 🌱🌱🌱