Aquilegia canadensis, Red Columbine The Garden Buzz
I already volunteer hundreds of hours as a Master Gardener, so when plants do the volunteering, I say, woo-hoo. I'm talking about re-seeding plants. Most of the time, you gotta love 'em. Who doesn't want free plants?
When I entered my serious phase of gardening, I started seeds like nobody's business. I don't regret it, I think it's one of the best ways to learn gardening from the literal ground up. It satisfies the nurturing needs of many gardeners and allows you to grow unusual and unique varieties that will never hit the nursery shelves.
I always do some direct seeding, but I think my days of grow lights and tiny transplants are done, although you never know. As I've gotten older I like to harness the power of Mother Nature whenever possible; she's got a lot more oomph than I will ever have.
After growing plants from seeds for several years I noticed that certain ones were more than willing to do the work for me. All that tedious, tiny seed sowing was all done for me automatically; the little darlings all growing around the mother plant, just waiting for me to move them to their big-boy beds.
Just because a seed germinates in one place, doesn't mean it has to grow there. Transplanting volunteers is a great way to grow your garden and increase your plant yields while saving money in the mix. All volunteers benefit from a manager, and that becomes your job.
Take note of the conditions under which the plant re-seeded, that usually tells you where the new plant will succeed. However, recently I discovered a colony of native columbines that just showed up and started growing on a thistly hill in my yard. Yet they seemed stunted, struggling on this windy western exposure, and still they multiplied. Columbines can grow up to 30 inches tall in the right conditions; so I've been rescuing them and re-planting them in a moister area with dappled shade. Now they are where I can appreciate them better and they'll achieve their full potential. I have high hopes for next year.
Columbine seedlings (with purplish foliage) struggling among thistles
Columbines relocated to more suitable location The Garden Buzz
If you're plagued by a plant that re-seeds in spades in unwanted places, you can nip it early, scraping the soil to eliminate small seedlings, then deadhead these flowers a little earlier than usual to avoid a repeat. If it's horrible, there are chemical measures like Preen, that inhibit germination. Or pot the prolific little boogers up and give them away to unsuspecting novice gardeners who act like they know it all. It builds character.
Re-Seeding Annuals
- Gomphrena
- Verbena
- Larkspur
- Nicotiana
- Phlox
- Johnny Jump-Ups
- Bachelor's Buttons
- Poppies
Re-seeding biennials and perennials
- Clary Sage
- Foxglove
- Columbine
- Forget-Me-Nots
- Poppies
- English Daisies
- Campanula
- Thalictrum
Re-seeding herbs
- Dill
- Cilantro
- Parsley
This list is by no means exhaustive, but look and see all those "Grandma Flowers" on it. These are all plants that reproduce without our help, other than a little relocating. They are tough survivors that thrive on benign neglect. Maybe Grandma was onto something.
