Push the limits. Are you growing exotic seeds?

LaurieLovesLearning

I have lemon bottlebrush starting! They are so very tiny, just like the seeds.

I also have milk thistle sprouting.

These are both new to me, so I am very excited!

Lisa K

Every year I try something new but so far this year I have not started anything due to the bad windstorms we had, hopefully soon.

kbmbillups1

I bought a papaya tree. I hope it's non GMO but who knows. It's pretty small right now.

I also planted some dragon fruit seeds that I took from a dragon fruit. We'll see what happens if anything.

LaurieLovesLearning

@kbmbillups1 I have had a dragon fruit for many years now.

I just put a Mango seed into a pot (I know which pot it's in, 😆). I bought one mango, just so I could plant the seed.

kbmbillups1

@LaurieLovesLearning I put an avocado seed in a pot last summer. I kept all of my summer plants like geraniums, etc covered in a make shift not really greenhouse but insulation house all winter. My avocado tree grew really well without me doing anything except watering it every so often along with the other plants. I say insulation house because I repurposed the insulation that comes in my veggie boxes and made a house for them for the winter.

Michelle D

I have always tried something new each year. This year I'm so far behind. I haven't decided what new thing I will try. Our weather is still too cold to really plant outside anyway so I have some time still. Any suggestions of what I should try?

LaurieLovesLearning

@Michelle D I would suggest a medicinal plant that would be very useful to your needs and one that won't be invasive. What speaks to you and really has your curiosity? Do you want something indoors or out? Will it give you what you want if it is indoors? Can it stay in a pot (so important)? I'm sure you know all the other things to consider!

I keep trying some other unique to my area plants, but so far, they aren't giving me much (yet). I'll keep experimenting.

As far as the lemon bottlebrush, it is from Australia. I think @JodieDownUnder might have mentioned it in the past. It is also known as crimson bottlebrush. The blossoms are unique & pretty. It is also medicinal. Every time I spend time watering it, I will think of her. 😄 I think it would be fascinating to have a special medicinal plant from every continent. I should really see what I currently have and where it is native. I guess that's for a slow day...whatever that is. Haha

I checked my moringa today, following one member's advice how to get it to germinate. I have one (maybe two) out of three that is showing signs of life. It is exciting too, of course. It will be an indoor plant.

Boy, I really need more windows.

JodieDownUnder

@LaurieLovesLearning what a lovely thing to say but don’t be thinking of me too hard or you’ll get a headache!🤣 you must be referring to Callistemon citrinus, a very hardy popular native shrub. Most aussies wouldn’t know about it’s medicinal properties, just that it smells nice but yes the leaves make a nice tea & you can also make a poultice from the leaves to put on wounds to help healing etc. Are you treating it as outdoor or indoor for your climate?

water2world

@LaurieLovesLearning I love the idea of experimenting and trying something new! I think I will start at the produce section and try planting something I have never grown!!

LaurieLovesLearning

@JodieDownUnder Definately indoors. It's only hardy to zone 9. I'm in zone 3b. I have many in the 3 plugs.

Do they transplant okay? They are way too tiny to transplant yet (I'd probably just squish them), but separating them to sell would be of interest to me since so many sprouted. I'd certainly give some away too in that case!

@water2world Awesome! That's how I started, and look where it's got me! On second hand, pay no attention to that. 😆 I don't want to scare you.

Let us know what you decide on. Have fun!

JodieDownUnder

@LaurieLovesLearning I’d suggest to wait until the seedlings are 3-4inches tall, then transplant into individual tubes/pots in a free draining soil mix. If they come up like hairs on a dogs back, use the tip of a knife to gently separate the seedlings. Then they will be fine for a while & you could even sell them as tube stock, about 10 inches tall.

VermontCathy

I haven't done any unusual plants this year, but in the past I have experimented with avocado, papaya, mango, and citrus in pots, started from seeds in grocery store fruit. All of these tropical plants can be interesting to grow indoors in pots in cool climates.

If you've never seen a mango seed, it's amazing. They are much, much larger than any almost any other seed I have every seen.

Avocado seeds are also huge, and very easy to start.

Papaya can be tricky to start because it is prone to damping off. Use sterile potting soil, plant a large number of seeds, and be prepared to thin to one or two plants.

Citrus can be interesting to start. The seeds have absolutely no tolerance to drying out, so don't bother planting dried seed. Harvest them from fresh citrus fruits and plant immediately, keeping them damp.

LaurieLovesLearning

@VermontCathy I had heard that about citrus, and so that's what I've done. However, I got my last 3 little lemon trees from a tiny handful of dried seeds that I threw into the bottom of my larger lemon tree's pot. 😀 I said, these will never grow, so they might as well feed something! I learned there can be exceptions sometimes.

omi

@VermontCathy Thanks for all the useful info. I have had great luck with avocados the only thing is protecting them from the squirrels.🙃

VermontCathy

@LaurieLovesLearning You never know! But if your goal is to grow citrus, you are better off starting with seeds that never dried out.

Sheila

I tend to stick seeds from fruit into random pots throughout the house lol! I have a mango, avocado, coffee, lychee, various citrus and a number I have forgotten what they are. I am currently working on getting the bay laurel slips to root and then we'll see what comes next. I am starting work on my herb garden this year and hopefully the berry bed as well.

nicksamanda11

I have ordered a patchouli plant- very excited about this one! I don't normally enjoy babying plants so I usually stick with natives if possible- but each year I can usually handle one or two that need a bit of TLC.😋

Last year my exotic plant was Vetiver- but I moved in the winter and I do not think the vetiver liked that very much- it does not look like it made it.😞

Cornelius

I kind of accidentally started with exotic things when I began my plant journey lol (on of my first was a Brazilian grape tree).

@omi Welcome to the Grow Network! Cayenne pepper powder at the base of the seedling (top layer of soil) can help repel the dreaded squirrel (my arch nemesis) from getting nut seedlings (they killed one of my first avocado tree seedlings).

vickeym

I have not tried anything exotic yet. I would love to have fresh mangos growing, but don't have enough room for one indoors and pretty sure they won't survive our weather. Hopefully, once we get our permanent location I can try a few special plants to see how they do.

marjstratton

I tried to sprout some avocado seeds last year, but no luck. I used to sprout them all the time, but then I would neglect them and of course they would die. But now, I would really like to grow a shrub at least, since I recently learned that the leaves can be used like bay leaf. I know that the likelihood of getting fruit is minimal. I think I would also like to try growing a coffee tree, and perhaps even a papaya. Actually getting a greenhouse done would really help with these wild dreams.