Native Plant Seedlings Update

In today's video, I talk about how my garden has improved over the years and how well my seedlings did this year versus last year. It's a huge difference! Last year almost everything died and almost nothing grew at all. What popped up was stunted, so I have nothing to show for last year's batch of seedlings. This year has been very different and much better. Almost the opposite of last year's failure. We just have to remember to learn from the failures so we can continue on to become successful in whatever we are striving for. Happy Gardening!
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[@dagmoon]

Thank you for the video and update Macey. So much good advice. It's encouraging to see you experimenting (and sometimes failing). I'll overthink so much that it paralyzes ANY action. You and your lovely garden are role models of overcoming that inertia.

[@awildapproach]

I definitely wanted to share that update. I find that it can be confusing sometimes to figure out what organic ways to start seeds. I also need to do an update on the 72 something cell trays. Spoiler alert: not for me, unless maybe I try them indoors next time. Definitely not for me for outdoor use. They dry out like crazy but when the rains come, they flood like crazy. Very hard to get the perfect moisture level. A pain in the butt!

[@scottpierce1908]

Serviceberry Trees... Flowers and fruit!

[@awildapproach]

I don't have any, but I've heard great things about those trees!

[@mirkalenarcik6889]

I live in colder region and I find it hard to keep the seedlings through the winter (and growing them in nursery pots outside through the summer (vacation etc.). I don't have greenhouse. Only unheated garage. I am experimenting with different overwintering methods. With mix success. I personally prefer to plant the seedlings in the ground as soon as possible but sometimes they are so small and I have killed a few plants planting too fast. I am generally pushing the plants, no babying from the young age and sometimes it pays off. :) Anyway I think that planting from seeds is one of the most fun things in the garden.

[@awildapproach]

I have a similar experience. I, too, find it difficult to keep them happy in Summer. However, in the winter, I do have some success, depending on the species. Most do well through winter for me, if we are talking about first planting year and I use winter for natural cold stratification. But yes, as summer comes, I find myself worried, as my potted seedlings don't like being out in this summer heat here. I have very few full shade zones to stash them in temporarily. In fact, that's what I've been doing all day so far, is planting as many of my potted seedlings as possible. The native warm season grasses and others that love the heat should be easy to nurse along after planting in the ground during summer, but the other plants I do worry about, and may need to water if we continue to get dry conditions. It usually gets very rainy and stormy here in July, but so far, this July is more dry like our usual August and Septembers are. This is troubling, but I'm hopeful that July will get rainy and stormy as we move forward...although I also hope for calmer rains and not floods. LOL. I agree that too much babying can be bad for them. I try to water as little as possible, when in the ground. I usually water them in and then water a couple more times if we lack rain. After that, I typically only water in extreme drought of weeks or months at a time. Thanks for watching! Love the comments.

[@dmnos6824]

28:08 I have approx 190 metres squared of a back garden which is a small compared to a quarter of an acre which is 1,011 metres sqaured. I won't be planting any oaks! 🤣 I do have to be careful about planting bushes/hedging though as they will create some shade which will reduce the sunny area of my garden which is required to grow sun loving plants/wildflower meadow that butterflies like. Butterflies also need hedging for shelter, I am going to take it easy/go slow and not rush into anything until I know more and I know enough to be confident in what I want to do. Gardening is kind of addictive, when you start to learn about things you kind of want more space to do more stuff like planting oaks etc. I suppose it is the human condition to want more, to go bigger etc.

[@awildapproach]

Yes, I suppose it is! :) As for butterflies, where I live lots of them rely on trees and shrubs for host plants, so lots of butterflies need both shady areas and sunny areas. Which does make me want more land. ;) I know, I know, I'm lucky to have a quarter, though. :D

[@dmnos6824]

@@awildapproach Hi, thanks for your reply and I wish you continued success in your gardening.

[@dmnos6824]

Leaf compost is supposed to be good for seed starting. It takes two years to make though.

[@awildapproach]

I have a compost pile that I need to check. I have been leaving it alone for several months. It's not just leaves, though. It's also veggie scraps.

[@dmnos6824]

@@awildapproach I don't know much about leave mould/leaf compost, but the veggie scraps might make it too rich.

[@dmnos6824]

I'd say you'll have to do a scientific experiment: 20 pots, each with a different mix, but the same seeds and sun etc. to see what works best.

[@limitlessends]

That’s a great video idea! I would love watching that

[@awildapproach]

Great idea! But hopefully I can remember to try that next year. Memory can fail me sometimes. Definitely more scientific than what I do!

[@paragraph_meadow]

100% to the fertilizer lesson. I also learned that the hard way 🫣 For seedlings I actually use the "weakly, weekly" method where you really dilute the fertilizer to like .25 strength and apply weekly or even 2x per week. For the soil, I actually used my own compost mixed with a lot of sand. I got a lot of weeds in there bc I'm bad at hot compost, but other than that it worked well. I might just buy compost from a local company next year.

[@paragraph_meadow]

Also, wanted to mention that I'm trying to grow some big tree species, but keeping them short via coppicing every few years. I know maples and supposedly oaks respond well to a coppice every few years

[@awildapproach]

I hear you on the compost. That reminds me: I need to check my compost! I've been letting it sit for a long time. LOL! Fertilizer regimen makes sense. As for coppicing, I do that with a boxelder tree and I find it successful.