Over the last week, I’ve planted about fifty 3-1/2″ pots with seeds! Most of them are natives, with just a few alien ornamentals thrown in because I already had the seeds. I mixed organic potting soil with some grit as a seedling mix. Many types of seed require a stratification period of cold before warm weather will wake them up. I’ve decided to take a hopeful approach of starting them in warm weather first and then if they don’t germinate in a month, I’ll refrigerate them for a few weeks and bring them out again. Some of them may not come up until next year. Honestly, that might be a blessing. If all of them come up right away, that’s going to be a thousand seedlings that need care and potting on all at the same time.
The most interesting seeds I’m trying are of Castilleja miniata, which is a semi-parasitc red paintbrush. I tried planting the seeds in and around some grass plants to see if they will grow there and parasitize the roots. I have lots more of those seeds to try in other scenarios and combinations.
I’m going to refrigerate the leftover seeds (there are still quite a few) and possibly start a second round of germination in early summer. My goal with all this seed starting is to not only add plants to my own garden but to get starts I can share with neighbors and friends.