Lisianthus--Start Now!

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Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » January 14th, 2012, 5:43 pm

If you're growing Lisianthus (I chose Cinderella Blue) the time to start them is now for a July blooming (they really do require about six months to get old enough to bloom for you).

Cleome should also be started now and placed in a cold (33° to 45°) location until Valentine's Day, then brought in to sprout. I started mine in December and I'll cold-stratify through Valentine's Day.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby simpson » January 14th, 2012, 6:39 pm

It kinda looks like a petunia. Is it around the same family or am I way off?

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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » January 14th, 2012, 6:58 pm

Petunias are genus "Calibrachoa," Lisianthus are "Eustoma." They're both in the Aster (Asterid) clade, though. Not that it says much, about a fifth of all flowering plants are in the Aster clade...

Lisianthus are biannual plants, featuring large blooms that last a very long time on both the plant and when cut. They'll rebloom easily as well. Most won't survive our winters, but if we get lucky (very lucky) and get a Zone 8 winter they might.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby simpson » January 14th, 2012, 7:12 pm

Are there any other seeds that need to go threw the cold? I am going to order my seeds soon. This is my first year trying this so I am still scarred.

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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » January 14th, 2012, 8:08 pm

Very few. Or, if you order them, they've been prepared already and won't have any trouble sprouting. At least I never had an issue with anything from Park Seed, and I'm sure most of the other good companies are the same (Burpee, etc.)

Cleome requires cold stratification and then temperature oscillation--it's one of the harder ones. The only reason I need to do it is because I gathered my own seed.

For most of the others, just getting the timing correct is sufficient, and that's easy to look up (or just ask). And an error there isn't critical.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 11th, 2012, 5:36 pm

I just started a flat today, 50 seeds from Park Seed (25 pink, 25 blue). Tomorrow I start the Geraniums (Maverick Star). Plugs come in around 3/3 or so.

How are yours doing?
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » February 11th, 2012, 6:33 pm

The cleome are up and under the lights--the Lisianthus still haven't sprouted and I'm about to try a more severe temperature oscillation. Lisianthus can be touchy, which is why I only went with ten.

The Wave petunia start today and tomorrow. Those shouldn't give me any trouble.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » February 11th, 2012, 10:05 pm

Cancel that. In the last 48 hours, after a month on the heater with temperatures oscillating from 66 to 80, eight of ten Lisianthus sprouted.

Fifteen Wave petunia just started, sharing heater space with the last two Lisianthus. Those should be up and growing in ten days, tops.

Next weekend: Melampodium and Rhea salvia. :-)
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 12th, 2012, 10:36 pm

144 geranium are all seeded (two 72 plug trays). Nothing until 3/3 or so when the trays of plugs arrive.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 14th, 2012, 6:56 pm

Geranium germination in 48 hours!!! - WooHoo!!. Can't say enough about the Lee Valley 72 plug bottom watering trays. On my fourth year with them.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » February 14th, 2012, 7:33 pm

Those do look neat. My petunia are still unsprouted, but seven to ten days is common.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 29th, 2012, 10:27 pm

My Lisianthus have yet to germinate at 18 days. I put the seeds on top of the soil so they would get light; maybe I should have covered them a bit.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby simpson » February 29th, 2012, 10:40 pm

My 48 hours Geranium germination bums me out. It was great to see something so fast but now when i dont see anything else sprouting i get worried. After 18 days Jon i would be freaking out.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 29th, 2012, 10:51 pm

I've got nearly 3,000 plugs (there was a mistake in my order and I ended up with 900 extra plants). Losing a tray right now isn't a big deal, figuring out what do with what all the plants in my basement is causing a bit of panic. For the next two weeks T-TH mornings are plugs instead of exercise, and I'll try to put 2-3 hours in Saturday and Sunday. I can do a 72 plug tray every 20 minutes or so.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby simpson » February 29th, 2012, 11:05 pm

you can send me the extra 900 plugs. Are they anything good?
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » February 29th, 2012, 11:29 pm

Mostly stuff that you can do from seed; Madness Petunias and one wave. Not sure how/why it happened.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby simpson » February 29th, 2012, 11:32 pm

I have been looking for tidal wave petunia plugs. There are a few on ebay right now. I wold love to fill my backyard beds with them. I wold need a good 200 plants to do it.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby MorpheusPA » March 1st, 2012, 6:21 am

Wait on the Lissies; they can take thirty days.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » March 1st, 2012, 6:53 am

simpson wrote:I have been looking for tidal wave petunia plugs. There are a few on ebay right now. I wold love to fill my backyard beds with them. I wold need a good 200 plants to do it.


That's a good place to look, I don't have any wave's this year.
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Re: Lisianthus--Start Now!

Postby jglongisland » March 7th, 2012, 10:46 pm

I think I finally have some germination (hard to tell, but the seed coat seems to be rising out of the soil. About 35 days.
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