Canna ~2013~

Folk I know use boiling water - which makes the seed coat crack.

I've not been brave enough! but my mates grow commercial quantities of them, and filing each one would not be practical.

 

Thanks jwk,they are tough little nuggets! i shall rummage the necessary equipment from the tool boxes very soon
Can they be filed and left for a week or do they need to be soaked straight after?

 

Do you drop them in a pan of boiling water til they crack or just a bowl ??

 

Craft knives are too blunt and flexible for my tastes. That knife sharpener is a phenomenal bit of kit - I used the same two tools to cut this Paphiopedilum flower in half...................

 

Mine is like a Stanley knife (but with a smaller blade), but personally I would, now, prefer not to try using a blade at all for this job, I've found a file much more finger-friendly!

Pop then in a container (a mug, say) and pour on water from a just-boiled kettle.

If you are worried (as I am, to an extent) that that might be too hot / too sudden then add a half inch, or so, of cold water in the mug first, then the just-boiled water to raise the temperature.

You should hear them crackle, if not it wasn't hot enough

 

Where's your sense of adventure!

 

I prefer pliers and a file a la Scrungees method . I don't use Stanley knifes on anything to fiddly , too risky ! The seed skin does take some getting through you need a 6" file from the £1 shop Joolz. I don't think I'll be brave enough with the boiling water method , you'll be wondering if you have damaged the seed.
That must be some knife sharpener Longk if it gets a razor edge on your knife , where did you get it from ? Nothing on Ebay like that.

 

I have this one.
Here is one that uses the same blades but fits onto a key ring. Fiddly to use though.

 

I quite dislike scoring large seeds, I either get nowhere sometimes using nail clippers or if I use a sharp implement of destruction it can be very dangerous indeed!

Keith, your green knife ... is that not a ceramic knife, perhaps from the likes of Aldi as we had them for sale here in green, yellow and I think pink? I did actually buy two (black) ones vegetable peeler and one larger (slightly more expensive) and I sadly have to say I have not used them as they frighten me ...

On the subject of Cannas, for the first year since I've had them (years and years and years) they have not 'died' this winter and still have their leaves, some nice looking and some not so therefore I have actually not cut any of them to the ground ... yet!

 

I also use pliers and a file, quick, easy and safe , then I soak them for 48hrs, sow them and pop them on a heated propagator base and have always had 95-100% germination

 

It is just a very cheap steel knife. Full set for about six quid as I recall.

got it down to 15/20 secs per seed now. Blu-tack is the key!

 

Hmmm, don't have heated propagators here for some strange reason ...

 

I didnt use my heated propagator for those 3 i did over christmas,i put them in the propagator on the window ledge with it slightly hanging over so it had the raising heat from the radiator below Tight fisted or what! they are still doing ok

 

My fingers are getting itchy now. ( must resist )
Till the end of the month lol