Unfit mother and day two

The little seedlings have been having a hard time of it. You'd think that a big sign by the coffeepot would be enough to remind me when to turn on the grow lights and turn them off again, but no. They endured a few 24-hour days and 24-hour nights. Towards the end, their water dried up. But the will to live is strong, thank goodness.

Here they are awaiting transplanting. This group has cleome, tithonia, nicotiana, cardinal climber and calendula.

 

The cardinal climber and tithonia are obviously strong growers. Nicotiana seed is infinitesimal and it results in tiny little plants all entwined. They're survivors as volunteers, but we'll see how they do with some nurturing. Only three calendulas grew at all. The cleomes, another said to self-sow vigorously, look a little wee.

 

Here is the first set to be transplanted, complete with the cullings. Somehow that never gets easier.

 

Now comes the stage of putting them outside, then taking them in, then putting them out again... considering that I'll be gone the next couple days, they may just need to be strong and live despite the conditions.

A shortened day, but also pruned dead rhododendron stalks and a volunteer shrub by the cedar, and worked on my Colesville list.

Notes to self: get a timer next year, concentrate on the easy ones to grow, and transplant them at least a week earlier.

Tomorrow: the cleomes, which have been transplanted once, get to go outside for a stroll.