Starting Seeds Indoors: Torenia, the "Wishbone flower"

[@perryfamilyfilms]

I really love how she follows the entire process and gives progress pictures through the weeks. Too many of these instructional videos show the seed planting, and then you never see any updates or progress pictures. This was a great tutorial, and I'm happy to subscribe!

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked the video. It does take more planning and time to film, but I agree, seeing progress is important. Glad you subscribed.

[@amyprice5393]

I love how you show beginning to end in one video, I really appreciate that! So many youtube videos only include the beginning. I like to see the whole progression without having to hunt for the "after" video. Thanks!

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad you liked it! It takes patience and planning, so I'm glad you appreciated it!

[@StrongHands10]

This was REALLY helpful step-by-step for a beginner like me who is just starting out. Thank you! and thank you for including the time-lapsed pictures--hardly anyone does on planting videos and see the results at different stages was the most motivating part of the video!

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad to hear that. All the best with your seedlings! 🌿

[@kimolsen1328]

It’s that time of year again to rewatch all your excellent videos! Thank you. Wishing you well

[@RosannesGarden]

Oh, that's so sweet of you to say! I'm so pleased to hear that you are enjoying my channel! I know it's been a while, but I hope to begin soon again.

[@awhalerider]

This video took time and I’m so grateful to learn all the process from this. Thank your !❤

[@RosannesGarden]

You are quite welcome. Glad you found the video helpful! 🌺

[@designed4liberty]

The showy, colorful blooms on the young plants surprised me! Thank you for the excellent demonstration.

[@RosannesGarden]

Torenia are special indeed. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching.

[@esli44]

wow! This was probably the best and most helpful video i’ve found about growing torenia from seed. You were so thorough and your torenias look amazing! I really want to grow them from seed now. They are one of my favorite plants, I will save this video. Thank you so much!

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad it was helpful! Torenia is such a sweet little flower.

[@omegasage777]

What a delightful little flower!! Thank you for the video

[@RosannesGarden]

I'm glad you agree! Thanks for watching!

[@lawrencebardenett6148]

Nice little plant to add color to shadier areas. Thanks for nice instructional video. Great to see you again.

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad you liked the video! I have used Torenia to replace Impatiens in shadier areas of my garden.

[@ruthnarendran8775]

As a fairly new gardener, I learnt so much in one short video plus I love yr sty of gardening I lived in England for many year. Pls continue to post more advice.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you for your comment! I appreciate understanding what my viewers are interested in; it helps me plan for future videos.

[@yushikuang7877]

Thank you for showing the entire process until the end results. I will buy a ikea display cabinet and transformed with some growing lights into nursery!

[@RosannesGarden]

You are quite welcome! I'm so glad you found the video useful. I hope you'll have a lot of fun growing seedlings in your new nursery!

[@bymilliebphotography8249]

LOVE your videos; SUPER informative. You go the extra mile by showing the entire process from beginning to end results. You & your hubby are gardening ROCK STARS! HAD to subscribe!!!

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you again! I am so glad you found my channel. I don't do many videos, and some do take a long time to produce, so I'm glad to hear you appreciate the effort!

[@shezbrook1720]

Thanks a lot your right they take a long time to grow cheers shez have a great day and keep safe

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you Shez. All the best. 🌹

[@meganblasco2]

Good video. Torenia are one of my favorite shade flowers and it was interesting to see how to start them from seed.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you. Torenia are great. 100% germination and success rate.

[@shezbrook1720]

Thanks for the video I live in great Britain and I am just starting so torenia seeds so I hope this helps me to grow the great information cheers shez

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings to GB! I'm so pleased to hear that you will be trying Torenia! Good luck.

[@homesNgardens]

Nice to see you back Rosanne! I don't think I've seen Torenias around here. I am always looking for shade loving plants/flowers. Thank you Rosanne!

[@RosannesGarden]

Thanks you! I'm glad you found something new!

[@carollj.a2597]

Thanks for sharing... I love Torenia flowers its very colourful

[@RosannesGarden]

You are quite welcome! I love the little "wishbone" flower too.

[@jo1708]

New sub! Love how complete and straight to the point this video is 💓💓💓

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for subscribing.

[@janwhite6212]

Really appreciate your teaching techniques and the very informative content of your videos. Thank you.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you for your kind feedback. I do appreciate the encouragement!

[@carollj.a2597]

awesome... I enjoy that flowers it brings good vibes every morning

[@RosannesGarden]

Yes, totally agree about the good vibes! 🌺

[@briggslcp]

This video was SUPER helpful. Thank you.

[@RosannesGarden]

I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Maria_O]

My 3 year old son and I just bought some seeds that we will be planting very soon. Zone 9B over here, so we have a rather long growing season. Hopefully they don't die on us! Thank you for your tips, and the tours of your lovely gardens!

[@RosannesGarden]

I wish you and your son happy planting! What a nice thing to do with a young child.

[@momme5301]

Hi Rosanne, I live in Blaine, MN. The exterior of your home looks lovely. It would be nice to see more of the grounds and exterior. Your channel has a this old house, martha stewart vibe (smiles).

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings neighbor! Thanks for you comments. I try to get more of the garden in each of my videos, but I also try keeping them to 10 minutes or so. It's always a tug.... Thanks again for watching!

[@glendagai]

Roseanne , I stumbled into your channel and fell in love with your flowers. I was so surprised to see your wisteria in your zone grew up with wisterias in the south. We had them all over and of course they were known for the strength of their roots. I am so excited to look into a wisteria her in zone 5 Chicago area!

[@RosannesGarden]

Great! Glad to hear it. They are strong plants and can be thug-like, so be sure to stay on top of pruning. I think they are well worth it, however. Good luck.

[@ginafriend1690]

Thank you for the great lesson! Appreciated

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@robertasica6141]

I love your videos! ❤️

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you. I appreciate you saying that!

[@yuliamikhaylovskaya9781]

Thank you so much for the video! I love seeing your garden, every time it's just a perfection (which I will never achieve I guess :)) I have a question about the grow light: how long does it stay at 4 inches above the tray? Should it be moved up at some point? Thanks again for sharing the beauty of your garden with all of us!

[@RosannesGarden]

HI Yulia, Great question. I keep the grow lights in the same position (about 4 inches from the top of the clear plastic cover) until the plants have grown enough so that I need to remove the cover. I keep the grow lights about 4 or 5 inches above the top of the plants after that. Hope that helps!

[@mollycatcolorado9252]

Last year I grew a torenia after seeing them on KZbin. They were so pretty, bloomed all summer long! Unfortunately, I didn't start them early enough this year so they will be late to flower. I like your suggestion to use the Cow Pots because I damaged a couple of the torenia when I transplanted them. The stems are fragile and snap pretty easily. I did discover that they do propagate easily☺. Really have enjoyed watching several of your videos today!

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. I just put a new one out today :-)

[@shilpams]

Wow! You are such a pro. I got some Fournieri seeds as a gift, and tried putting them straight into soil. Week 1. But I thought I could leave them outside after 5 days indoors.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you! Glad to help. Once you get the knack of seeds, they are very liberating. The options available are so much greater than you can find at nurseries. 🌹

[@LidiyaRau]

Thank you! It is very helpful

[@RosannesGarden]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stephanielynnhome]

I know this video is 6 months old, but I just stumbled on your channel and love it! I live in FL zone 10, but those flowers grow flawlessly down here! I was wondering how or where you planted them in your garden? I would love ideas of how or where to plant mine! Do you show them in another video? Thanks! ~Stephanie

[@RosannesGarden]

Thanks Stephanie. I'm glad you are enjoying my videos! Unfortunately, I do not have Torenia shown in another video, but this is how I approach the planting scheme - Because our garden has so many trees, I have quite a lot of partially shaded areas. From a design standpoint, these areas also seem to need brightening or splashes of color. Every year, and around the garden, I plant small colorful groupings of an annual which I grow from seed and/or buy. This summer, I used Imara Impatiens. Hope this helps!

[@lawgarden476]

Gorgeous.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you! 😊

[@mclark4218]

Nicely explained with detail. Where did you purchase the long plastic bin that was already on the shelf that you put them in? It looks much sturdier. The ones we find in most stores are unfortunately #6 and they are flimsy. We would like to reinforce with something sturdier underneath like you show in case any water leaks from the cheaper ones if they should crack. Thanks!

[@RosannesGarden]

Hi, Those long trays are indeed sturdy. I understand your interest. They came as part of an entire lighting system that we purchased from Gardeners Supply a couple of years ago. They may sell the shelves separately if you call them. They may even be available online. Good luck!

[@louisemarcotte8988]

Hi Rosanne, thanks for the great video. I see you have started your seed in 3" pots. Most instructions I've seen call for starting them in smaller containers then transplanting them into 3 or 4" pots. However, I also read Torenia does not like to be transplanted so your way seems better to me. Can I start the seeds in 4" pots?

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I too have heard that Torenia doesn't like being transplanted (whereas tomatoes are just fine with it). I really do not know the answer to your question about 4 inch pots, although it's a good question. I use smaller pots because I need to economize on space under the grow lights. As long as you make sure to control their moisture and not over/under water, I would say it's worth a try. Good luck!

[@yukiyavalentine5867]

Thank you for the information. Can torrenia survive whole year in the tropics ? we have a lot of sun here. I received one pot as gifts and now the flower starts to fall off. I'm going to collect the seeds to replant (first timer here)

[@RosannesGarden]

You are quite welcome. I honestly do not know the answer to your question for certain, but I believe it is an annual flower regardless of the zone. Once it sets seed, it has done its part and dies. Smart of you to collect the seeds! They are not cheap to buy. All the best!

[@manjushasgarden5500]

Very informative video 👌🏻👌🏻💚

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you! Glad you found it helpful!

[@manjushasgarden5500]

@@RosannesGarden 😊do stay connected

[@excaliburblade96]

Great video. These are great, under-rated flowers. I bought them locally years ago, but now have difficulty finding them. I just got some seeds and will try your method. Cheers from Killeen, Texas. Do you use 3" or 4" cow pots?

[@RosannesGarden]

Hi Killeen and Greetings to Texas! I’m glad you found the video helpful. I use the smaller 3 inch pots sometimes round, sometimes square. That way I can normally fit 21 pots in a standard tray, which I believe is about 10 x 22“.

[@shezbrook1720]

Weather not great here for this time of year so that doesn't help have a great day and keep safe

[@RosannesGarden]

Yes, same here. We've had a cold and dry start to spring. Stay safe yourself 🌺.

[@estij9080]

Hi, thank you for the video. When do you start your seedlings and have you tried winter sowing? I’m in zone 4 and pretty new to gardening. Thank you.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thanks for watching! Great question. I begin with the date it is safe to plant outdoors, meaning it unlikely we will get anymore freezing weather. For me, that's around the middle of May (zone 4). Then I look at the seed packet and follow their instructions on when to plant. For example, the seed packet may say, "start indoors 8 weeks before last frost date." For me, I would start the seeds in the middle of March, or approximately 8 weeks prior to May 15, our last frost date where I live. A very late winter or a very early spring can throw this system off, but it's fun to try. As to winter sowing, yes I have tried it. Here's a link to the You Tube video I did on it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKTGfZubqr6Uo80

[@_Happysowinghappygrowing]

A great video keep up the great work thanks ps I grow my plants flowers that don't root disturbance in toilet roll tubes I find them perfect there free and totally biodegradable

[@RosannesGarden]

Thanks! I've been meaning to try toilet roll tubes. They would seem to support deep roots. Happy growing to you!

[@Kischme71]

When do you take the cover off? As soon as the seedling emerge?

[@RosannesGarden]

Great question. I like to leave the plants under the cover for at least a few weeks after the seedlings emerge. The cover really helps keep the moisture at a more consistent level. With some plants, I remove the cover when the plants have grown enough to touch it.

[@gardeninggrandma5247]

I use these flowers in my arrangements in my pots. My plants seem to take sun well. Recently, something ate many of the Torenia I had in one of my pots. I believe it was rabbits. I put some pieces of Irish Spring soap around the pot, which deters rabbits. They don’t like the smell.

[@RosannesGarden]

Thanks for sharing that. I might try that as we have SO many rabbits. Mostly they stick to hosta, which I guess is OK.

[@monishakrishnan4996]

Thank you for this wonderful Video. Don't we need to cover the seeds with soil?

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. To answer your question, Torenia seeds need light to germinate and should not be covered with soil.

[@monishakrishnan4996]

@@RosannesGarden Thank you mam..! Good day

[@larrykhongwir880]

I have been trying to grow this beautiful flower for two years without any success. Probably its the cold climate of England that is the main cause of this. Would you say a heat mat is therefore essential? Also, what is a pelleted seed and does it offer an advantage over an ordinary seed. Thank you for your very detailed video.

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings to England! I had the great fortune to travel there last May and see some gardens. Great Trip! Torenia can be a bit fickle. I have not tried growing it from seed without a heat mat, but in general, I do believe heat mats are essential as they keep the ground nice and consistently warm. I do not use heat mats on things like squash or cucumber though. Pelleted seed really only refers to the case that they are packaged in (a small capsule). The reason being is that the seeds are so tiny, they could get lost in the corners of paper envelopes. The seeds themselves should be identical. Maybe, just a thought here, the capsules, or pellets keep the seed drier also. Hope this clarifies things a bit. All the best.

[@maggiepypy]

Are these beautiful little flowers growable indoors??

[@RosannesGarden]

Hi, Other than growing them indoors until they are large enough to be planted outside, I have no experience. It certainly might be worth a try! All the best!

[@paulmadrid903]

Bus Y loved it

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you!

[@claraysusflores7581]

Hi, Thanks for sharing this video She is so beautiful and delicate, I have one in pink 💮🌸💮

[@RosannesGarden]

Yes, beautiful indeed.

[@hersheyqueenlisa]

When you fertilize with the watering, do you water from above for that watering or is it from below as usual? Thanks!

[@RosannesGarden]

Great question. I water from below, even when fertilizing.

[@GardeningWise]

Awesome

[@RosannesGarden]

Thank you.

[@ronminerosenberg]

Are they self pollinating?

[@RosannesGarden]

That's a great question that I cannot answer. However, they have no difficulty blooming all summer long.

[@andrewsnow1933]

Did you get all of those flowers from just one -two seeds per cow pot?

[@RosannesGarden]

Yes! Isn't it great? What lovely little shade-tolerant plants!

[@andrewsnow1933]

@@RosannesGarden , i started mine today. Park seed under timed light, heat mat. It's late in the season to do this but i got inspired by your instructional video. Maybe I'll get a month of beauty out of it in 10 weeks.

[@Sofi_CraftsandMore35]

I am interested in your shelf and grow lights- where did you get it?

[@achukuriakose845]

Hi from where i can get the seeds. I am an indian. Is it available online

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings to India! I ordered my seeds online from Park Seed. Here is their link: parkseed.com/cart.aspx I do not know if they ship overseas, however. I wish I could be of more help. Good luck on your seed hunt!

[@chinazaified]

Thank you now I know what I did wrong😊

[@RosannesGarden]

I'm glad the mystery was solved!

[@BanglaNo1]

Hi ma'am, how are you ? Love from India.

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings to India! I am fine and eager for spring.

[@shezbrook1720]

Torenia don't grow very well here in great Britain thought I'd let you know shez grew well under led light to about 4inch hardened them of put out side just have stopped growing don't think weather is good enough here cheers shez have a great day

[@RosannesGarden]

Greetings to Great Britain! Sorry to hear about theTornenia. 4 inches was such a great start!

[@konliner9286]

Why indoor ?

[@RosannesGarden]

If I understand your question correctly, I begin starting the seeds indoors for two main reasons: 1) to nurture and protect them as they are just starting out, and 2) to have them flowering for a longer period of time. Our summers are so short, that were I to wait for summer to plant them outdoors, they would barely begin to bloom by the time fall set in.