Mike Swimm
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mikeswimm.bsky.social
Mike Swimm
@mikeswimm.bsky.social
16 followers 24 following 8 posts
I'm interested in composting, rewinding, native plants, hydroponics and rapid prototyping.

I love to build stuff.
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mikeswimm.bsky.social
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
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.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
March 14, 2025 at 3:46 AM
mikeswimm.bsky.social
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
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.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
March 13, 2025 at 3:56 AM
mikeswimm.bsky.social
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
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.
March 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
mikeswimm.bsky.social
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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March 11, 2025 at 4:33 PM
mikeswimm.bsky.social
@jonkimball.bsky.social so glad you’re on here now Jon!!
November 14, 2024 at 6:30 PM