Now I really hate to sound petty, but I started seeds and plants in my greenhouse way back in the cold months and I have some large, healthy, blooming plants. Many of which are in large pots with lots of dirt. I'd really hate to walk away with only mere "seedlings".

How does a plant swap work as I've never been to one. Is there a protocol for large plants versus seedlings? As I said, I hate to sound petty, but I have a lot of time & expense tied up in my plants to only walk away with seedlings. Thanks for your advise. Ya'll have a great evening!

Nancy

Mark your calendars for some bargains. I'll be set up down in the market barn! Come on down and introduce yourself!

Janet

Hello everyone, my name is Kelly and I will be hosting the swap. I also have help from my new garden buddy Pam. This swap is for Stark county and surronding areas. I'm looking forward to meeting the garden web folks that have made my first year a truely awesome experience!

Plant Swap: How it Works

Bring up to twenty (20) live, healthy plants--indoor or outdoor-- in one gallon or smaller containers that meet the information described below. (A one gallon container is about the size of a one pound coffee can.) You will receive tickets for each plant you bring in, based on size.

Rules
1. Bring healthy, attractive plants that YOU would take home, in a container no more than 1 gallon in size.
2. Bulbs, corms and other tubers are accepted; please have these separated into individual bags with 3-5 in each bag; more if they are prolific, less if they are large or unusual.
3. Plants MUST be rooted. Planted cuttings should also be rooted and potted up.
4. Label your plants with as much information as you have for their new owners. Plants must be labeled before they will be accepted.
5. Tickets will be given out as follows (plant size should be suitable for container--small plants in small containers, larger plants in larger containers): 1 gallon: 2 tickets
Under 1 gallon: 1 ticket
Bulbs,corms, tubers: 1 ticket per bag
chairs and tables if you have any handy (they're ALWAYS appreciated by the host!).
boxes ~ lots and lots of boxes! You'll need them to carry your things there and to haul home your treasures!
Other things that are okay to bring:
gardening buddies ~ If ya' got 'em, bring 'em! And tell them to bring stuff to swap, too, so they can join in the fun. The more swap partners, the better!
spouses ~ Even if he or she isn't really into gardening, they're always welcome, too ~ they just might strike up a conversation with another non-gardening spouse and have fun after all! Or, better yet, they might just catch the gardening bug themselves ~

we will also be have a potluck, so bring you favorite dish.

this will be a round round style swap.

How this works:
round one- choose 1 plant
round two- choose 2 plants
and so.

THE PLACE:
Simpson United Methodist Church
4900 Middlebranch Rd NE
Canton Ohio 44705
Date and Time:
May 26, starting 10:00

Also this is a FREE event

The Day's Plans Are:
10:00- 12:00 You Arrive, sign your name and number of plants you have, view the the plants and meet and chat with the other gardeners.
12:00- Have lunch
After Lunch- Door prizes are awarded and the games will begin for prizes
1:00- The plant swap begins.
This will last until all the plants are gone.
All remaining plants will be donated.

We are also taking donation for the church. they have been of generous by allowing us to use their propery for free.

If you have any question at all, please feel freely to email us at:
kelrobinson@neo.rr.com or
PPMDESIGN@aol.com

looking forward to see you there.

I sow seed as soon as I have it. For my own this will be early June and for bought seed this is usually mid July. I sow the seeds in square 1 litre pots, 20 seeds to a pot. I use a peat based multi-purpose compost with a little perlite added for drainage. I sow the seeds approx. 10mm deep and top-dress the pots with a 5mm layer of fine grit, just to stop mosses forming on the compost surface.
After watering the pots, I then put them on the floor underneath the staging in the (unheated) glasshouse.

I check the pots every couple of weeks just to make sure they haven't dryed out. Germination usually starts for me in December and carries on until March. When I move the seedlings into their own pots depends on how many seeds have germinated in the pot. If all or nearly all have germinated (H.x hybridus seems to germinate all at once for me), I move them into 3 inch pots at the seed leaf stage. I tip the whole pot out on to the bench and break away the seedlings one by one, making sure that as much compost as possible is surrounding the roots. I find that moving the seedlings this early spurs them on and they soon produce true leaves.

The treatment for species is much the same as above except that I find that germination occurs over a longer period of time. Some seedlings may be well on their way to producing their second true leaf and other seeds in the same pot may be just starting to germinate. Rather than potting the seedlings up in multi-purpose compost, I prefer to use a soil based mix with sharp grit added to aid drainage.

The young plants stay in their 3 inch pots until May/June when they are then moved into 1 litre pots. The hybrids and a few of the species will stay in the 1 litre pots until early September; they will then be planted out into rows where they can be studied and compared with each other. Most of the species are slower than the hybrids and therefore will stay in their 1 litre pots until the following year; they are then either planted out or moved into a 2 litre pot.

And that's how I grow hellebores from seed. Not as complicated as some methods but I do like to keep things simple and I'm satisfied with the germination percentage that I get.

If you use a more complicated method or even a more simple method, then stick with it if you have a satisfactory amount of seeds germinate. If not, then perhaps this posting will be a good place to pick up some tips.

Best Wishes,
Tim