Plants Beginning with P

Hints:

Temperature: The temperatures aren't set in stone, as most annuals should pop up at any temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, while some tropicals will prefer the higher end of that range. Perennials and hardy annuals, which tend to like cooler conditions, usually will sprout at any temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees.

Moisture: To keep the seed starting mix moist for your seeds, cover their containers with plastic wrap until the seeds begin to sprout. Use aluminum foil instead for those which prefer darkness for germination.

Chipping or Sanding Seeds: These processes are only ncessary for seeds that have very hard coats, which water won't penetrate. To protect your fingers, hold each seed between the "jaws" of needle-nose pliers on top of a cutting board as you nick it with the tip of a utility knife. To sand the seed instead, rub it against an emery board or sandpaper until you break through the seed coat.

Soaking Seeds: You easily can soak seeds overnight in Styrofoam cups, writing the name of each seed on the side of its cup. If you need to heat the soak-ing water to a certain temperature, use a candy thermometer to measure that temper-ature. Otherwise, use lukewarm (room temperature) water.

Gibberellic Acid: If you need to use gibberellic acid, dissolve a 100 mg packet of the white powder in about 1/2 cup of water overnight. Then add an equal amount of water to the mix to make a 500 ppm solution, which is best for most species, before soaking your seeds in the solution overnight.

Smoke Treatment: For seeds that require smoke treatment, add 1 teaspoon commercial smoke flavoring to every 3 tablespoons of water you are using. For the best results, find a flavoring that contains only smoke and water in its ingredients list.

Cold or Warm Treatment: When seeds need to be kept damp and either warm or cold for a certain number of months, fold a paper towel into a card shape. After writing the name of the seeds and the date on front of the "card" with an indelible marker, soak the paper towel in water, squeeze out the excess water, and place the seeds inside the card.

You can keep several such cards inside a folded-over sandwich bag to help preserve their moisture.

Keep in mind that, when a seed begins to sprout inside the towels, the first thing to emerge usually is a radicle (main root). So, if you pot up the seed at that point, be sure that you position it with the root underground and lower than the seed from which it is protruding.

Plants Beginning with P

Paeonia (peony): If your seeds have hard black seed coats, rub them briefly against an emery board or sandpaper until you break through to a more tan color. Seeds with tan coats usually don't require this treatment.

Afterward, place the seeds inside a baggie with a handful of damp seed-starting mix and keep the baggie in a warm location at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds begin to sprout roots, which can take 1 to 3 months. At that point, move the baggie into your refrigerator for an additonal three months, after which the sprouted seedlings can be potted up.

Pandorea (bower vine): Plant the seeds so that they are standing upright in damp seed-starting mix, with their tips barely protruding above that mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can occur in 9 or 10 days, but may take longer.

Papaver (poppy): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their container under the center of a grow light and keep it at about 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds begin to sprout, usually in 2-6 days.

Parsnip: Sow the seeds directly into your garden in early spring, planting them 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) deep. They should sprout in 2 to 3 weeks.

Passiflora (passionflower): Place the seeds in a damp paper towel inside a baggie and keep them at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) for 3 months. Some of the seeds may begin to sprout within about a week of being placed inside the towel and then can be potted up.

After three months, move the seeds which haven't sprouted into your refrigerator for an additonal three months. Then return them to a warm location, after which more of them may begin to sprout.

Pavonia: Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can take 11 days or more. Soaking the seeds in 140 degree water before planting them may help them germinate more quickly, within 3 days.

Pea: Sow the seeds directly into your garden in early spring, planting them 1 inch (25 mm) deep. They should sprout in 9 days to a month, depending on the temperature of the soil.

Peanut: Sow the seeds directly into your garden after the threat of frost has passed, planting them 1 inch (25 mm) deep. They should sprout in 5 to 10 days.

Pelargonium (annual geranium): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, usually in about 4 to 8 days for modern hybrids. Some of the species types make take longer--15 days or more.

Pentapete (noon flower): Soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting them in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix, barely covering them with the mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can take as long as 2 to 4 weeks.

Pepper: Sow the seeds 1/8 inch (3 mm) deep in damp and sterilized cactus and citrus potting mix. Keep their container at 80 to 85 degrees (27 to 29 degrees Celsius) until the seeds germinate, which can take as little as 6 days or as long as 6 weeks.

Pericallis (cineraria): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in about 4 days.

Petrea (queen's wreath vine): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can take as long as 4 to 8 weeks.

Petunia: Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 3 to 5 days.

Phlox (annual): Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep their container at about 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 5 days or so.

Phlox (perennial): In autumn or early winter sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Place their container in an outdoor location, such as a coldframe, over winter. They should begin to sprout in about 72 days.

Phoenix (date palm): Soak your date pits in water overnight and rub off any fruit pulp still attached to them before placing them inside a baggie with a handful of damp seed-starting mix. Keep the baggie in a warm location for 2 to 3 weeks until you see that each pit is beginning to send out a petiole.

You then can pot the pits up with the petiole end facing down and the other end near the surface of the mix. It may take several weeks for the pits to send up sprouts, since they need to make roots first.

Phygelius (cape fuchsia): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, usually in 14 to 25 days

Platycodon (balloon flower): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 8 days or so.

Plumbago (leadwort): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 25 to 30 days

Podranea (pink trumpet vine): Sow the seeds in damp and sterile seed-starting mix, barely covering the seeds with that mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can occur in as little as 8 days or take up to 6 weeks.

Polemonium (Jacob's ladder): Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep the container at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 12 days or so.

Portulaca (moss rose): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Place their containers under the center of a grow light at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and the seeds should sprout in 2 days or so.

Primula (primrose): Press the seeds into the surface of damp and sterile seed-starting mix, but don’t cover them with the mix. Keep the container in a bright--but not sunny--location at about 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 9 to 25 days.

Protea (sugarbush): Soak the seeds in a smoke solution overnight before sowing them 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) deep in damp and sterilized cactus and citrus potting mix. Keep the container at about 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout, which can occur in 17 days or so or take much longer.

Pumpkin: Sow the seeds directly into your garden after the threat of frost has passed, planting them 1 inch (25 mm) deep. They should sprout in 5 to 10 days.

Pyrethrum (painted daisy): Sow the seeds 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) deep in damp and sterile seed-sowing mix. Keep their container at about 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) until the seeds sprout in 1 to 2 weeks.