A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 seed bed

Netty had some pretty pictures and stated that she moved them from her seed bed. Help? Do you have a seed bed where you start seeds outside or inside? Help?

I always wonder how people have like a grouping of bee balm or plants like that - you know, like a coneflower. When planting seeds like for bee balm - starting it indoors, do you plant.....oh - hard to explain, how about just ask - how do you do this?

Does everyone have a seed bed - outside is it?

Did ANY of that question make sense?

Hi again ND farm girl
My "seed bed" is just a sunny corner in my yard where I plant perennial seeds in the fall. Anything that grows is left for the year and moved out into the garden the following year. By the time they are moved to the garden the second year, they usually produce flowers.

Netty,
What kinds of seeds do you plant in the fall? I'd like to do this, but don't know what will survive the winter .

Well, it depends what seed I get from trades etc but currently growing there (from last fall) is Lamb's Ears, Wild Blue Indigo, Monkshood, Butterfly weed, Culvers Root, Coneflowers, Obedient plant, Baby's Breath and Sweet William. I also keep biennials in there that won't bloom until the second year like the Branched Coneflower and Foxglove.
I'm zone 5.

That is so neat. My husband said 'what do you mean what is a seed bed?" He's a farmer - always trying to get a nice seed bed.

Do you have a picture of your seed bed?

I think I'd get to impatient and move them sooner than the following year!

I've never had a seed bed before but I've been serious thinking

Netty, I had an Obedient plant I bought about six or seven years ago and it was taking over my bed and crowding out all my other plants. It even started coming up in my lawn, so I finally ended up taking it out, but it took me three years to completely get rid of it.

I know what you mean about the Obedient plant Patti...I have a clump that's gonna take over the garden! But the stuff in my seed bed is the white flowered one that I collected seeds from at work. It seems to be a little easier to contain and I need some more white in the garden. Hope I'm not sorry one day!!!

Netty, I ONLY bought the Obedient plant because it was PINK, and I love and wasn't even aware it came in white, so maybe it's a little different and you won't have a problem with it. Sometimes when the same plant comes in different varieties, they can have different characteristics. They have Honeysuckle now that is not invasive!

ND

I have an indoor sort of seed starter bed..On the top of a Lid from a plastic box.. Water proof.

I bought a heating cable and set it up .. And grew many of my plants for the out doors.. It was an amazing thing to behold.......

First time ever.
dodge

Hey Dodge, this sounds like a pretty neat idea! How large is this? Do you have any pictures of it? Do you use any grow lights? Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm an inquiring mind too! We want pics!

Hang in there I just took photos and will do Pocket bucket now.

dodge

Here Is the Plain and simple way to do it.
The Heating cable is not visible.
Right now I just put leafs of the africian violet directly into the soil and look.. It is getting babies already......
That is soil from spring planting......Used
Now
the easy way, they send the directions with the Heating cable ..Look at local places like Gurneys or Springhill Nursery catalogs.. I think mine was springhills.

Put the cable onto hardware wire ..Below it is sand......, cable facing sand, hardware wire, and store bought soil......Thats it .

It is a very slow warm heating system.....See in my cold area, it is hard to maintain a constant temperature......First time I did this......I am convinced......
Oh it isnt plugged in now......Came spring it was still popping up plants , i unplugged it and it keeps going.FOrgotten seed.

Easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dodoge

So are you saying that the Obedient plant isn't very obedient after all.

One year after first joining this board I wintered sowed a bunch of stuff and nearly had a fit having to transplant everything outside. I swore to myself that I'd never do it again. So now I wait until early spring, throw out the seeds and see what happens I had containers of seeds everywhere for 6 weeks and was constantly moving them from window to window. I'd like to say that's what made me nuts but I think I've always been a little crazy.

Is this the kind'a thing you use the end of winter before spring when you want to start seeds indoors before moving them outside?

RIGHT

Worked for me..
dodge

Bestofour-that is the exact reason for planting my seeds OUTSIDE! I don't have the room inside for all the things I want to grow from seed so the perennials are planted in the seed bed and stay there until I'm ready to move them where I want them. There's no rush that way!

yes

netty, I never even thought about doing that until you mentioned it. What a great idea.

Something is either wrong with the forum or my computer. I couldn't finish my thought (and I don't have many thoughts - not good ones anyway) But, my family wishes I had known about a seedbed earlier so we could have eaten on the table or counter instead of having to stand in the middle of the floor because that's the only place I didn't have seeds trying to sprout.

Bestoffloor,

ha ha ha
In north carolina you should not have a problem starting seeds outside......
I didnt use any lights to germinate.....

you can do it on a shade side of the house outside..

dodge