Old wildflower seeds - try or toss?

[SKL]

Years ago, I bought some "wildflower garden" planter thingies for a school fundraiser, but we never got around to using them.  Now I want to do it today.  The seed packs say "packed for the 2016-2017 season."  However, Google says there are probably enough good seeds in there to give it a try.  What do you all think?

[ieta_cassiopeia]

No harm in trying.

[gardenmom5]

I'd try it.

[Hillcottagemom]

4 minutes ago, SKL said:

Years ago, I bought some "wildflower garden" planter thingies for a school fundraiser, but we never got around to using them.  Now I want to do it today.  The seed packs say "packed for the 2016-2017 season."  However, Google says there are probably enough good seeds in there to give it a try.  What do you all think?

I have quite a bit of experience with native prairie restoration and I'd give it a try. They'll likely be fine as long as you've kept them relatively cool and dry. Something to keep in mind though is that those wildflower mixes are often not all natives and can take over if you're planting them in an already established garden.

[Pen]

Try. “Proof” some seeds indoors to see if they sprout. Even Brand new may not make it outdoors for a variety of reasons. 

[Pam in CT]

"Wildflower" is genius marketing for what might also, truthfully but less charitably, be called "pretty weeds." They grow in the wild because they're tough. Unless the seeds have gotten damp or baked, they're likely to do fine.

As @Hillcottagemom noted, those mixes often have stuff mixed in that may not be native to wherever you are and potentially could get invasive. Which isn't an argument against using them, just don't put them in a place that you'll be frustrated if something overachieves and takes over (like adjacent to a bed you're trying to keep tidy and controlled, or near the neighbors). Put them somewhere where if something runs, you'll either be able to keep it in check, or you won't care.

[marbel]

I would check the contents of the packet to be sure there are no invasive species for your area on it. If  there are, I'd toss them. If not, give it a try!

Edited February 21, 2021 by marbel

[Tanaqui]

1 hour ago, Dreamergal said:

Try it ! Plant it in a pot if you need to control it. 

I have absolutely no clue about gardening and I have a terrible black thumb but I love the idea of flowers and hate the idea of seeds going waste.

Yes, this is obvious - it's not likely that you'll find a seed in a wildflower mix that enjoys being in a pot. For that matter, it's not likely that you'll be able to plant a wildflower seed mix in a pot - the mix generally includes a lot of things that you broadcast, that is, scatter widely.

 

[Hillcottagemom]

23 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

Say what ?? 🤯

I have been planting them for years in window boxes, hanging containers, patio pots and hoping for mix of pretty flowers.I thought I had the blackest thumb. I just thought it says wild flowers, so they should grow wildly anywhere  so why not wildly in a pot.

OMG !!  ☺️

😊

So how does one grow a pretty mix of flowers in a window box from scratch and not buy them in a nursery. 

This is too funny! Theres still hope for you!🌷The answer to your question depends on what you mean by wildflowers and how big your pots are. Most native prairie plants, even the ones that grow well from seed (like purple coneflowers or black eyed susans), have very deep roots. That's what makes them so hardy, but it's also what makes them ill suited to small pots. You can grow them in pots, but the pots would need to be quite large to accommodate their roots. Coreopsis is a native that does grow well from seed and can handle slightly smaller pots; it's more compact. If I had a smaller space (like a window box) I'd steer clear of the seed mixes and choose individual seed packs of plants that thrive in containers (nasturtiums come to mind). 

Wishing you future success and a newfound green thumb!

[Pam in CT]

And to plant wildflower mixes... generally all you need to do is pick a sunny spot, rake the soil so it's somewhat loose, and sort of... jauntily toss the seeds hither and fro.  Water a bit for a week or so and see what happens.

Threadleaf coreopsis is a precious, gorgeous, coveted and cultivated garden bed plant here. It's hilarious to think of it growing wild by the highway.

Columbine, OTOH, I can toss the seedheads into any dark dry unpromising corner and they will obligingly emerge the next year just like the pretty weeds wildflowers they are.

[Tanaqui]

Quote

I have been planting them for years in window boxes, hanging containers, patio pots and hoping for mix of pretty flowers.I thought I had the blackest thumb. I just thought it says wild flowers, so they should grow wildly anywhere  so why not wildly in a pot.

LOL! It's a common problem, though - think of wildflowers like wild cats. Sure, a tiger will live wildly anywhere - but it won't be happy in a cage. (Or a flowerpot.)

If you have hanging containers, I suggest nasturtiums, which will pour downward in a pretty way and which you can also cut the flowers of to put in salad. Otherwise, go with pansies and marigolds, unless you have partial shade conditions, in which case go with impatiens. Those are good, easy plants that don't mind being cooped up.

[Pam in CT]

re window boxes by seed

7 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

LOL! It's a common problem, though - think of wildflowers like wild cats. Sure, a tiger will live wildly anywhere - but it won't be happy in a cage. (Or a flowerpot.)

If you have hanging containers, I suggest nasturtiums, which will pour downward in a pretty way and which you can also cut the flowers of to put in salad. Otherwise, go with pansies and marigolds, unless you have partial shade conditions, in which case go with impatiens. Those are good, easy plants that don't mind being cooped up.

If I were taking on a Window Box by Seed challenge, I think I'd go with nasturtiums in the front, alyssum in the middle, and purple basil in the back, with maybe a couple of cosmos thrown in, for a combination of colors/ leaf textures and heights.  Bonus: the nasturtiums and the basil are edible.

But honestly, I would never take on a Window Box by Seed challenge. Just buy a few 6-packs of seedlings at Walmart early in the season, arrange them artistically, and you're good to go. Growing stuff from seed, particularly when you don't know what the seedlings are supposed to look like, is a PITA. Seedlings are cheap, grow quickly and have a high success rate.

[Tanaqui]

If you're in Texas, could you do a nice Japanese-style garden with added cactuses as accent plants?

[Pam in CT]

I've longed for decades for an enclosed courtyard with a shade trellis covered with climbing jasmine interwoven with clematis and moonflowers.  This does not exist in CT, sigh.

 

I have no idea at all what would grow in TX.  The drought-tolerant flowers I like that do well here -- salvia, Russian sage, chleome, sunflowers, coneflowers -- are all too tall and deep-rooted to work well in pots.  

Most of my garden is shade, sigh, as I'm surrounded on all sides by neighbors whose 100++' trees grow right up to the property lines; and even so most of my favorite patio plants (lobelia, dianthus, allysum, verbena, cascading petunia) fry out by August unless I water like 10x a day, which I've only ever managed to do throughout a whole summer last year when I basically never left the house.  And I'm on the 7 side of Zone 6.

Stores like Walmart and Home Depot generally have a good feel for what grows well *in that specific area.*  If you stick to what they're offering (instead of dreaming over categlogues) you're generally good.

[marbel]

9 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

I've longed for decades for an enclosed courtyard with a shade trellis covered with climbing jasmine interwoven with clematis and moonflowers.  This does not exist in CT, sigh.

 

I have no idea at all what would grow in TX.  The drought-tolerant flowers I like that do well here -- salvia, Russian sage, chleome, sunflowers, coneflowers -- are all too tall and deep-rooted to work well in pots.  

Most of my garden is shade, sigh, as I'm surrounded on all sides by neighbors whose 100++' trees grow right up to the property lines; and even so most of my favorite patio plants (lobelia, dianthus, allysum, verbena, cascading petunia) fry out by August unless I water like 10x a day, which I've only ever managed to do throughout a whole summer last year when I basically never left the house.  And I'm on the 7 side of Zone 6.

Stores like Walmart and Home Depot generally have a good feel for what grows well *in that specific area.*  If you stick to what they're offering (instead of dreaming over categlogues) you're generally good.

Or find a native plant nursery! (Unless you are thinking strictly of annual flowers.)  We have been trying to buy more natives to our area and love visiting the nurseries; people are so helpful and love talking about their plants.  Maybe this doesn't exist in TX, but where I am some garden clubs and such offer native plant sales in spring. I think I have spent a few Mother's Days poking around native plant sales. 

[Terabith]

I mean, the worst case scenario is that they just don't grow, so why not try?