'allo,

I am in St. Louis, MO, USA.

Last season I managed to grow some nice Ipomea Alba ("Moonflower vine")
in the summer months. Saved lots of seeds.

Also managed to transplant a Datura Inoxia ("Moonflower bush") from a
neighbors yead. It was in intensive care for about 10 days but finally
took hold. Saved lots of seeds.

That notwithstanding, I've got a near-black thumb: am not at all
handy and well-versed in growing plants.

I put some potting soil in plantable pots, add seeds from last season,
water and fertilize for 10 days and ... Voila ... Nothing, Nada, and Zilch.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Puddin'

" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

I always soak Moon Flower seeds overnight before planting. I've heard that
nicking the seed also helps but those suckers are so hard and slick, when I
tried this I just about lost a hunk of meat from my thumb. I have excellent
luck just soaking them. My Moon Flowers are just now coming up. I'll put
them out the first weekend in June. I've found that if the soil or nights
are too cold when I plant them out they just sit and do nothing or wither
away.

Why don't you dig a seed out of one of the pots and see if they are
sprouting. If they haven't done anything I'd pull them out of the soil, soak
them for a day and replant them. What have you got to loose?

Val

"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...
'allo,

I am in St. Louis, MO, USA.

Last season I managed to grow some nice Ipomea Alba ("Moonflower vine")
in the summer months. Saved lots of seeds.

Also managed to transplant a Datura Inoxia ("Moonflower bush") from a
neighbors yead. It was in intensive care for about 10 days but finally
took hold. Saved lots of seeds.

That notwithstanding, I've got a near-black thumb: am not at all
handy and well-versed in growing plants.

I put some potting soil in plantable pots, add seeds from last season,
water and fertilize for 10 days and ... Voila ... Nothing, Nada, and
Zilch.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Puddin'

" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

On Wed, 14 May 2008 15:52:12 -0700, "Val" wrote:

I always soak Moon Flower seeds overnight before planting. I've heard that
nicking the seed also helps but those suckers are so hard and slick, when I
tried this I just about lost a hunk of meat from my thumb.

The Datura seeds are too tiny to hold and nick. The Ipomea are
nickable.

I have excellent
luck just soaking them. My Moon Flowers are just now coming up.

Which? Bush? Vine?

Are you in the US? What region?

I'll put
them out the first weekend in June. I've found that if the soil or nights
are too cold when I plant them out they just sit and do nothing or wither
away.

Why don't you dig a seed out of one of the pots and see if they are
sprouting. If they haven't done anything I'd pull them out of the soil, soak
them for a day and replant them. What have you got to loose?

Just add seeds to a glass of water overnite? Piece of cake. I had to
pitch the pots (too moldy), but I got lots of seeds.

Thx,
P


"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
.. .
'allo,

I am in St. Louis, MO, USA.

Last season I managed to grow some nice Ipomea Alba ("Moonflower vine")
in the summer months. Saved lots of seeds.

Also managed to transplant a Datura Inoxia ("Moonflower bush") from a
neighbors yead. It was in intensive care for about 10 days but finally
took hold. Saved lots of seeds.

That notwithstanding, I've got a near-black thumb: am not at all
handy and well-versed in growing plants.

I put some potting soil in plantable pots, add seeds from last season,
water and fertilize for 10 days and ... Voila ... Nothing, Nada, and
Zilch.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Puddin'

" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson


" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

Puddin' Man said:

'allo,

I am in St. Louis, MO, USA.

I'm 50 miles west of downtown. =)


Last season I managed to grow some nice Ipomea Alba ("Moonflower vine")
in the summer months. Saved lots of seeds.

Also managed to transplant a Datura Inoxia ("Moonflower bush") from a
neighbors yead. It was in intensive care for about 10 days but finally
took hold. Saved lots of seeds.

That notwithstanding, I've got a near-black thumb: am not at all
handy and well-versed in growing plants.

I put some potting soil in plantable pots, add seeds from last season,
water and fertilize for 10 days and ... Voila ... Nothing, Nada, and Zilch.

Any ideas?

Yes. Ipomoea alba seeds won't germinate until the /average/ temp is around
70F. We're way behind the average temp for this time of year.

Are you starting them indoors? They'll need plenty of sunshine (which has
also been quite lacking this year).

And, skip the fertilizer until they're being transplanted.


Cheers,
Puddin'

" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

Please put your signature behind a proper sig-delimiter (dash dash space),
so that it will be stripped from followups. Thanks.

--

Eggs

A watched clock never boils.

"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...

Which? Bush? Vine?

Are you in the US? What region?

Moon Flower Vine. I grow them in a large planter on my balcony to climb a
trellis I have over my bedroom window. The vine shades my bedroom from hot
southern exposure, the vines love it and the scent fills my livingroom and
bedroom in the evening.

USA, Northwest corner, Puget Sound region

I start my MFV seeds in homemade newspaper tubes. By the time they are ready
to be planted out the newspaper is kinda moldy (rigor compostis?) but the
vine starts are healthy. I just make a hole and drop the tube in, doesn't
disturb the young plant or it's roots and the tube decomposes fast......and
they are FREE!!

I now also use a small heating pad for bottom heat, they sprout in about 4-5
days, twice as long or more without it. Once they come up I keep them on a
south facing window sill until I plant them out.


Just add seeds to a glass of water overnite? Piece of cake. I had to
pitch the pots (too moldy), but I got lots of seeds.

Yup, put the seds in a glass of water now and tomorrow you can pot them.
Keep them in a nice warm place. You'll have MFV popping up in no time.

I just love these flowers!

Val

On Wed, 14 May 2008 18:48:06 -0500, Eggs Zachtly wrote:

Puddin' Man said:

'allo,

I am in St. Louis, MO, USA.

I'm 50 miles west of downtown. =)

Aha. Familiar with my climate.


Last season I managed to grow some nice Ipomea Alba ("Moonflower vine")
in the summer months. Saved lots of seeds.

Also managed to transplant a Datura Inoxia ("Moonflower bush") from a
neighbors yead. It was in intensive care for about 10 days but finally
took hold. Saved lots of seeds.

That notwithstanding, I've got a near-black thumb: am not at all
handy and well-versed in growing plants.

I put some potting soil in plantable pots, add seeds from last season,
water and fertilize for 10 days and ... Voila ... Nothing, Nada, and Zilch.

Any ideas?

Yes. Ipomoea alba seeds won't germinate until the /average/ temp is around
70F. We're way behind the average temp for this time of year.

And it's been massively variable, huge swings.

Are you starting them indoors?

Yes.

They'll need plenty of sunshine (which has
also been quite lacking this year).

I figured if they'd sprout, I'd put them in a sunny spot
outside on the nicer days.

Maybe I'm just too early.

And, skip the fertilizer until they're being transplanted.

OK.

Thanks,
P

" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

On Wed, 14 May 2008 19:07:08 -0700, "Val" wrote:


"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
.. .

Which? Bush? Vine?

Are you in the US? What region?

Moon Flower Vine. I grow them in a large planter on my balcony to climb a
trellis I have over my bedroom window. The vine shades my bedroom from hot
southern exposure, the vines love it and the scent fills my livingroom and
bedroom in the evening.

Sounds ideal.

USA, Northwest corner, Puget Sound region

I start my MFV seeds in homemade newspaper tubes. By the time they are ready
to be planted out the newspaper is kinda moldy (rigor compostis?) but the
vine starts are healthy. I just make a hole and drop the tube in, doesn't
disturb the young plant or it's roots and the tube decomposes fast......and
they are FREE!!

I now also use a small heating pad for bottom heat, they sprout in about 4-5
days, twice as long or more without it. Once they come up I keep them on a
south facing window sill until I plant them out.

Lost po' me. Whassa 'homemade newspaper tube'?


Just add seeds to a glass of water overnite? Piece of cake. I had to
pitch the pots (too moldy), but I got lots of seeds.

Yup, put the seds in a glass of water now and tomorrow you can pot them.
Keep them in a nice warm place. You'll have MFV popping up in no time.

I just love these flowers!

Myself as well, starting with last season. Had them all over a 20+ yard
stretch of chain-link fence. Beautiful, required no care, removing vine
after fall freezes was no hardship.

That was from purchased seeds. Mayhap I'm a tad early this year, but I'll
keep trying.

Thx,
P


" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson

"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
...

Lost po' me. Whassa 'homemade newspaper tube'?


I have a 4ft length of wooden closet rod dowel. I lay piece of newspaper on
the floor, roll the dowel over it to make a tube of the newspaper. Run a
piece of masking tape down the seam to hold it closed. I slip the tube off
the dowel, cut the tube into about 4" to 5" lengths. Then I hold the tube
over a bag of potting mix and fill it, lightly firming the mix. Then I stand
the tubes up in an old flat bottomed Tupperware containers. Plant you seeds
and water. Once the seeds begin to sprout I pour water in the dish and it
wicks up the tube, this keeps water off my seedlings. I have some different
sized pieces of PVC pipe I use for dowels, adjusting size and depth of the
tube depending on what I'm starting. I like using these because they are
handy, don't disturb the roots when I plant out, decomposed very rapidly and
they are FREE!

If germination requires bottom heat I can just sit the container on a heat
pad.

Val

Aha. The picture is now complete.

I've got numerous dowels, pvc, etc and lots of newsprint.
I'll give this a try.

Thanks,
Puddin'

On Thu, 15 May 2008 14:43:11 -0700, "Val" wrote:


"Puddin' Man" wrote in message
.. .

Lost po' me. Whassa 'homemade newspaper tube'?


I have a 4ft length of wooden closet rod dowel. I lay piece of newspaper on
the floor, roll the dowel over it to make a tube of the newspaper. Run a
piece of masking tape down the seam to hold it closed. I slip the tube off
the dowel, cut the tube into about 4" to 5" lengths. Then I hold the tube
over a bag of potting mix and fill it, lightly firming the mix. Then I stand
the tubes up in an old flat bottomed Tupperware containers. Plant you seeds
and water. Once the seeds begin to sprout I pour water in the dish and it
wicks up the tube, this keeps water off my seedlings. I have some different
sized pieces of PVC pipe I use for dowels, adjusting size and depth of the
tube depending on what I'm starting. I like using these because they are
handy, don't disturb the roots when I plant out, decomposed very rapidly and
they are FREE!

If germination requires bottom heat I can just sit the container on a heat
pad.

Val



" ... and the bees made honey in the lion's head."
- from "If I Had My Way", Blind Willie Johnson