Cannas from Bowling Balls

Did you know that cannas grow from miniature bowling balls? Blue bowling balls?

Okay, not really, but that's what canna seeds always remind me of this time of year. Many of the seed varieties come coated in a fungicide. They make the fungicide blue so you know its there (and don't lick your fingers afterwards). The seeds are also laser-drilled with a couple of tiny holes to break through the seed coat.

They come up pretty quickly and the seedlings are adorable!

Transplanting Geranium Seedlings

I started the geraniums for our plant sale two weeks ago. It's now time to transplant them from their seedling tray into a flat. We use a special dibble board to punch holes into the soil of our 48-cell flats. Then I separate the seedlings and lay them across the holes. Next I use a chopstick to push each seedling into their hole.

People are really surprised by how little we fuss with the seedlings when we transplant them. The less they are handled, the better. All we really need to do is get their roots in contact with the soil...they do all the rest.

Early Season Seed-Starting

We're already starting to sow seeds here at the MSU Horticulture Gardens. Perennials take an especially long time to grow from seed, so I usually start them early in the year. This tray was sown on January 18th.

On the far end of this tray are about 6 varieties of Echinaceae including an unreleased variety for our trial gardens. The tall guys in the middle of the tray are Cosmos atrosanguineus, or chocolate cosmos. This is the first seed-propagated chocolate cosmos ever developed, also an experimental variety. In front of the chocolate cosmos is Calamintha, with Lewisia in the extreme foreground.