Green Fingers

[Daffy D]

It’s a well known fact that practically anything and everything will grow in the tropics.

(Don’t mention the bougainvillea)

Examle Ms D threw some Paw Paw seeds into the field at the back of the house and now we have fresh Paw Paw everyday. I took some mango seeds put them in a bucket of dirt and now have half dozen baby mango trees. I have nipped off bits of plants from friends gardens stuck them in a pot of dirt and they grow.

So in a moment of extravagance I bought some packets of flower seeds. There was a packet of sunflower seeds (they always look so happy) and five or six other flowers that I can’t pronounce the name of but the pictures looked nice.

I faithfully followed all the instructions on the packs, planted the seeds in trays filled with nursery dirt marked each patch with the seed packet picture so they would know what to grow up like, and watered them regularly as per instructions.

There must have been several hundred seeds in total in the all packets and NOT ONE CAME UP! - NOT ONE!

THIS HAS GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF RECORD

Dejected Daffy

[MrPaddy]

For that to happen they would have to be diseased or contaminated somehow at packaging maybe.

[sbk]

It does sound like bad seeds

Try getting some seeds from a neighbor growing sunflowers.

[Daffy D]

I could understand one or two packets of bad seeds but six or seven all different flowers.

That will teach me to get all sentimental and blow good beer money of pretty packets of flower seeds. Back to nipping sprigs off other people’s flowers at least they grow.

I do like sunflowers but nobody round here grows any (maybe the soil?) perhaps in time I’ll get over it and try seeds again.

[sbk]

Next time I see someone growing sunflowers I'll nick some seeds and PM you

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

If they were all from the same place it may have been they passed their use-by date. Some seeds have a short life.

[Beardog]

Maybe old seeds. we grew 6 packs of various seeds . It took 5 months for 2 types to finally come up.We already wrote them off as duds. They were all purchased at the same hot place.But it does irk you thinking one is going to grow some good stuff & it never comes or takes forever. I can see if it is a rare , but sunflower seeds & gourds?

[Daffy D]

“BEENTHEREDONEITALL”

Never thought about checking the sell by date – something else to worry about.

“Beardog”

I still have the trays of seeds, been a couple of months with no signs of life. Was going to re-use the dirt but if yours came up after 5 months I’ll leave them be a bit longer and see what happens.

“sbk”

Thanks for the kind offer but were due for a visit to Issan soon and I know they have sunflowers there. I meant to bring some back last time but forgot.

[aries27]

i have a feeling the seeds are ok. it is just that germinating them could be a little difficult to uninitiated.

first try to check if:

1. you did not overwater them (seeds easily rot) or underwater (they must have dried out);

2. read the instructions carefully. each seed/plant needs peculiar care. some seeds (big ones like sunflower) need a little bit of sowing; small ones probably just need to be scattered and press down a little but not covered with soil or soil-less material as i suspect you are using which is good for newbies.

3. also check if the seeds need sunlight or shade as they are germinating and put the trays accordingly.

4.choose your plants. there are plants that will grow naturally in tropics and those that are only for temperate places. and grow what will grow best in your place. i mean if you want tulips, just buy from the malls!

in the philipppines from where i come from, i would sometimes see some wasteland covered with a field of sunflower. i wonder how it happened until i noticed there are cockpits all over the place! connection? cocks (the feathered variety ok) are fed with sunflower and other grains and probably get scattered all over. then they grow wild and the birds come and do their thing and the result is a sea of yellow flowers. nice. sunflower would naturally grow in sunny, hot places. good luck!