So It begins

FarmFlowers
Written By Christy

December 28th, 2025

560+ lisianthus seeds sown. a modest beginning.

Vegetables aside, lisianthus (prairie gentian) will be the only field flower focus for 2026. There it is. The quiet announcement. No highfalutin fanfare. Just intention and honest work.

I tried these once, back in 2023. 20 seeds. 2 germinated. I planted them out. And? Nothing but leaf. Hindsight tells me I started too late. They likely rosetted before they ever had a chance. I’m cautiously optimistic this go around, and better prepared.

Overhead view of air-prune trays, seed-starting soil, and tools during lisianthus sowing.

I’LL BE SHARING THE PROCESS. EVERY TRIAL. Every ADJUSTMENT. Every WIN.

the trial

this years setup: a simple 50/50 split.
soil blocks versus air-prune trays.

Capillary matting lines each 1020 tray, evenly distributing moisture when bottom watering. This is especially helpful when shelves aren’t perfectly level.

The soil mixed to a sponge-like consistency. Damp enough to hold shape but not dripping. A dusting of cinnamon on top (folklore to ward off fungus gnats). One seed per block. One seed per cell. Surface sown. Each gently misted to soften the pellet coating and settle in the soil.

Humidity domes cover the air-prune trays. Cling wrap does the job for the soil blocks. That said, trust when I say domes make life easier.

All trays now sit tucked into the grow tent, receiving 14 hours of light a day. Otherwise left to darkness.

Close-up of air-prune tray cells filled with seed-starting mix and lisianthus seeds.

I had extra seed. SO AN OLD FOOD CONTAINER ON THE WINDOWSILL JOINED THE EXPERIMENT AT THE LAST MINUTE. CURIOSITY, THEY SAY.

A small container of soil and seeds placed on a windowsill as part of an informal lisianthus germination trial.

the DIRTY DETAILS

Unsure if it’s the sting of past failure or simply love for ruffled, untamed wildflowers. Perhaps both. But I’ve been drawn back to these flowers. It’s the call of the wild I suppose.

The field they’ll eventually call home feels perfectly aligned with their native landscape. Prairie ground. Near a stream. Seasonally marshy. Alive.

And about those rows… I kept saying I’d get to them once the goldenrod bloomed.

Well, it’s long since bloomed. Now dry, brittle, brown and wilted over in every direction. Winter is settling in fast. After a week of 70° days, the temperature dropped into the 20s overnight. Snowflakes fell softly for a moment. I’m feeling pretty darn silly now.

Fortunately, lisianthus are slow growers. I have a good 8 weeks or more before planting out. Just enough time to prepare.

For now, we wait and see what sprouts.

Grow tent shelves holding seed trays covered with humidity domes under grow lights.

The Tools

Not sponsored by any of these companies. All equipment was purchased based on research and the results I’m looking for.

Till next time,
- C
Christy
Next

December