clover

[redbird]

It's experiment time. I got someone to mail me some clover seeds, and I bought a small flowerpot and a bag of something called "perlite", which claims to be good for starting seeds and cuttings. I just poured the perlite--a sort of gray granular stuff--into the flowerpot, put one packet of seeds in, as instructed (meaning on the surface, covered lightly), and then I watered it. The water poured in at first, then at the third mugfull started pouring out the bottom, so I wiped it up and stopped. I suspect it would have been better to moisten the perlite first: the surface is uneven, and the seeds may be halfway down the pot by now.

In any case, the pot is sitting on the kitchen windowsill. If nothing happens in a week or so, I will try again (I have two packets of clover seed, one labeled "pink" and the other "red", and only used one), possibly with regular topsoil. If it does work, I'll plant the clover outside, and hope to improve the soil and get some nice flowering groundcover.

Comments

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

the tiny seeds of clover will probably fall through even the fine grade of perlite (unless there is a finer one than the one i have used) -- i don't start seeds in pure perlite, i mix it with soil (it's very nice for aerating soil). it's also easier to transplant if you grow the seeds in a mix, which hangs together much better.

-piranha

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

How funny to think of growing clover from seed. If you have a too-dry potting medium and want to moisten it before starting, and good way to do this is to take a small handful, hold it tightly, and stick your hand in a bucket of water.

Slowly, very slowly, begin to open your hand underwater. As your grip slowly loosens, the water will creep in and wet the potting medium. You don't want to open your hand enough to lose the potting medium in the water. Just let the water sneak in and dampen it up a little. You might squeeze and loosen several times.

This has worked for me with bone-dry potting soils of various kinds. Completely dry soils are quite unwilling to take up water; it tends to just bead up on their surfaces.

I too am wondering if the clover seeds got rinsed away. If you have a spray bottle, that's a good way to moisten the top of seed starts.

K. [good luck with this; I hope it works]

[redbird]

As of this morning, there's one tiny green sprout, so this may yet work.

I'm also thinking of gathering some more seeds from the park; it looks as though the clover is about done flowering and is going to seed. The timing being what it is, I may save the other packet of seeds until next Spring.