Mike Swimm

Image shows a hand holding dried seed pods above a clear plastic container on a wooden table. The seed pods are from swamp rose-mallow, with papery, star-shaped husks that have split open. Inside the container is a small pile of tiny dark seeds that have already been collected. Partially visible in the upper corner is a glass jar, likely for seed storage. This depicts the seed saving process, where a gardener is extracting seeds from dried pods for future planting.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I started some Hibiscus moscheutos (swamp rose-mallow) seeds today from pods I harvested last fall. The pods are so beautiful that I hated to tear them apart.

In my region, rose-mallow is the 7th most important perennial and supports 28 species of moths and butterflies.

#nativeplants

14.03.2025 03:46 — 👍 9    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Image shows an indoor seedling setup with purple grow light illumination. A person's hand is holding a small plant plug with a thin seedling. In the foreground is a black plastic seedling tray filled with various sprouting seedlings, including what appear to be grass-like sprouts and broader-leafed plants. Behind it sits a round container with more mature seedlings. The setup is against white subway tile wall, creating a home growing station for starting plants indoors.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

After a month the purple coneflowers were 2-3x bigger in hydro, the big bluestems were more like 3-5x larger than the ones in soil.

Now I'm curious to see if going back into dirt shocks the advantage out of the hydro plants and the plug tray plants catch up.

#nativeplants

13.03.2025 03:59 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

A clear plastic container filled with dark potting soil mixed with white perlite, growing small round-leafed seedlings labeled "Purple Coneflower" on a plant marker. The container sits under what appears to be a grow light, casting a purple hue over the scene. The young seedlings have small, green rounded leaves scattered across the soil surface, showing the early germination stage of coneflowers.

A round black plant pot containing thin grass-like seedlings emerging from dark soil mixed with white perlite. The pot is labeled "Big Bluestem" on a plant marker and sits on a white towel. The image has a purple tint from grow lights above. The seedlings appear to be in the early stages of growth with thin, vertical green shoots just emerging from the soil.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Rather than plant into plug trays and deal with non-ideal germination rates, this year I germinated in seed trays before pricking out the seedlings. It worked much better.

I moved half my seedlings into plug trays and half into Aerogardens with seed starters. The results were wild.

#nativeplants

13.03.2025 03:55 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Image shows a raised garden bed filled with rows of black plastic nursery pots containing young plant cuttings and seedlings. Each pot has a white label marker and contains dark soil mixed with perlite. Some pots have small green shoots emerging while others have woody stems with new leaf growth. The plants appear to be in the early stages of propagation, arranged neatly in plastic trays inside a wooden frame structure.

Yesterday, I divided up a clump of Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan) my friend Colin gave me. I got 13 solid plants and 5 optimistic stragglers out of it. They are on the left and in the small pots in front. The woody stalks are elderberry plants I started from cuttings last month.

#nativeplants

11.03.2025 16:41 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

My background is in programming, but I’m burned out it right now. I’m currently interested in #nativeplants #conservationecology and #rewilding. I’m also fascinated with #hyrodponics for growing food.

My original career was as a fabricator. So I spend a lot of time #3dprinting and modeling.

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11.03.2025 16:36 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

I’ve been lurking here for a while, but I figured it’s time for an #introduction post. 👋

I’m Mike Swimm. I live in Chapel Hill, NC. For the last 20 years, I’ve run candlescience.com, but I recently hired my replacement, and I’m working on new things.

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11.03.2025 16:33 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Did you make those desert paintings to help process the events of Blood Meridian?

22.02.2025 04:40 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

@jonkimball.bsky.social so glad you’re on here now Jon!!

14.11.2024 18:30 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0