My 2015 seed growing "blog"

I have a @Kristen level of seeds species to try and grow this year so I am starting this blog here to share my failures and successes. As it's not about now but the years "project" as a whole including the subsequent growth I've put it in the General Gardening forum.

The scene
I have four main sites for germinating;

• Heated propagator. I only use this for plants from the tropics where night temperatures remain warm.
• Over the fireplace. Here I germinate most of my South African and Australian seeds. The reason being that that although the days may be warm it does cool down quite a bit over the night so the fireplace seems quite successful in recreating this environment.
• Windowsills. Just an average temperature that is fairly stable. Good for many hardy perennials.
• Unheated greenhouse. Good for anything that requires cold stratification.

The seeds
Here I'll list what I've sown and edit it to add what I've subsequently sown and create links to the relevant post with more info as/if they germinate.

Canna;

• C.brassiliensis from the seed swap.
• C.warsewickzii also from the seed swap.
• C.limbata.
• C.altensteinii.
• Princess Cleo.

Datura;

• D.wrightii
• D.metel
• D.ferox

Fabaceae;

• Erythrina crista-galli
• Clitorea ternatea (pale blue form)
• Bauhinia variegata
• Lab Lab
• Sesbania punicea (update 2)
• Sesbania formosa
• Cassia bicapsularis
• Leucaena leucocephala (update 2)
• Strongylodon siderospermum (2nd update here)
• Swainsona formosa
• Lessertia montana
• Lessertia perennans
• Baptisia australis

Salvia and close relatives

• See this separate post

Eucomis (self collected seed);

• E.bicolor (update 2)
• E.autumnalis
• "Oakhurst" (Update no.2)

Various others;

• Amaranthus cruentus x powellii
  
• Amaranthus caudatus viridis
  
• Anomatheca laxa (thanks @HsuH )
• Echium amoenum
• Abutilon megapotamicum (yellow/red and red/yellow)
• Abutilon x hybridum (update 2) (flower)
• Penstemon barbatus
• Dichelostemma volubile
• Cypella amabillis
• Tritelleia ixioides
• Lilium parvum
• Fritillaria micrantha
• Fritillaria sewerzowii
• Calochortus superbus
• Manihut carthaginensis (from Ian Walker)
• Bulbine glauca
• Anigozanthos flavidus (update 2)
• Anigozanthos manglesii
• Puya berteroniana (from Ian Walker)
• Chilopsis linearis
• Bomarea edulis (self collected seed) (update 2)
• Galtonia candicans
• Various Roscoeae species (from Palustris)
  
• Ipomea alba
• Nepalese Impatiens species from Jenny
• Iochroma australis (self collected)
• Solanum laciniatum (self collected)
• Xenophyllum tenax
• Tigridia pavonia
• Dicentra scandens
• Mirabilis jalapa
• Alyogyne huegelii
• Iris chrysographs
• Aconitum volubile
• Cardiocrinum giganteum
• Thysanotus multiflorus (update 2)
• Mackaya bella
• Rhodochiton
• Schizanthus
• Caiophora hibiscifolia
• Jovellena punctata
• Tricyrtis puberela
• Commelina coelestis "Alba"
• Impatiens balsamina
• Lobelia montana
• Oenothera versicolor

Kniphohia;

• K.triangularis
• K.northiae (from Palustris)

Coldframe sown;

• Calochortus superbus
• Fritillaria micrantha

There are others in the greenhouse which I'll add later if it warms up and a lot more still to sow so if you have sent me seed and it's not listed don't be offended!

I have two hopes for this thread;
1] It will serve as a source of information.
and
2] It will not be laden with failures and embarrassing for me

 

Bomarea edulis was the first seed that I started off over the fireplace. Being a Chilean native from some altitude it seemed an ideal candidate for the warm/cooler regime. After three months germination began.............


In a bag sat on cotton wool. Pot up as they germinate.

 

Canna warsewiczii.............


Chipped, soaked and placed over the fireplace. These are about two weeks into the process.

 

Bauhinia variegata took three months to start germinating which did surprise me...............


I suspect that they may have germinated quicker in the heated prop but I chose to put them to the side of the fireplace (circa 22°c when the fire is going) as the seed came from someone in San Francisco.

 

The Eucomis autumnalis and bicolor was old seed that would not germinate the last time I tried. This time I used the placcy bag method, seed on cotton wool and placed at the cooler end of the fireplace. It started germinating in two weeks and continued germinating up to ten weeks. Eucomis are very easy to propagate from leaf cuttings but I am trying the seed as the two species were grown together and they are known for cross pollination.

The Oakhurst seed took longer (four weeks for the first) to germinate despite being fresher and in the same place . I'm growing these in the hope that they revert back to E.comosa.

 

At what stage to you transfer the germinating seeds to soil in a pot?

 

That's a good question. The Eucomis were transferred when they had all germinated. I lost several of Jennys Impatiens as the roots had wormed their way into the cotton wool. So my rule of thumb is smaller seed a day or so after they start germinating, larger ones later. If they're struggling to shed the seed husk I'll pot them up as this helps.
The biggest trick though is getting the moisture right. It wants to be humid in the bag without the cotton wool being wet.

 

Question from a complete novice...

If the roots do make their way into the cotton wool could you just cut the excess cotton wool off and plant with some attached or would it cause a rotting problem? sorry for the daft question,just curious

 

Nowt daft about that! That is exactly what I am doing if they will not pick out easily. The reason for shifting to cotton wool is it seems more resistant to mould than paper towel.

 

This is looking good. One of the Strongylodon seeds has swollen quite considerably. When they arrived...............


And now..............


That is the seed that I chipped, the smaller one I hadn't. I nipped the edges off around the chipped area as there was a bit of mould forming on it.
Placed in the centre area above the fireplace where it is warmest and the heat is retained during the day when the fire is not going.

2nd update here.

 

Well that lot should keep you busy Longk

 

@HarryS - that is only about 20% of what I have to get through!

 

Hope some of the Busy Lizzie seeds work for you Keith. Very interesting thread this,
thank you for creating it,
Jenny

 

I have three plants Jenny so all is good!

 

The Anigozanthos flavidus seed is germinating like cress over the fireplace. The same seed did nothing in the heated prop last year so it clearly likes night/day temperature difference. The downside is that the very fine roots emerge first and get embedded so to avoid losses I'm potting them up as soon as germination occurs.................