My 2015 seed growing "blog"

longk: how many days after germination do you sow your seeds?

 

It very much depends. I have left Eucomis in the bag for several weeks with no ill effect but I lost a lot of Impatiens as the very fine roots quickly burrowed into the cotton wool. As a rule though I try to do it two or three days after germination.

 

Sesbania punicea continues to germinate without the seed rotting. @wiseowl - one of these is yours for your pond...............


The fireplace method is working especially well for the Fabaceae family. I have had 75% germination on ssome Cassia bicapsularis seed that is six or seven years old and germinated poorly in the heated prop when it was fresh.

 

Having been crowing about the successes it looks as if Datura wrightii could be a failure. Eight weeks so far and still nothing.

 

On the plus side the first Puya berteroniana seed from @Ian Taylor is germinating

 

@longk did you soak your daturas?

 

I did. This is the first year that I have ever struggled with them. Just soaking some more for another go.

 

I have 3 kinds in at the moment. Only 1 seedling showing at the min but only been in since last Sunday

 

Aconitum volubile is germinating after just a week or so. I'm a little surprised as I thought that they needed cold stratification and I wasn't going to start that stage for another couple of weeks. Live and learn!

 

Recent germinations;
Tigridia - about a week
Salvia Yvonnes Giant Form - slow at about two weeks
Salvia patens "Cambridge Blue" - about three days
Salvia gregii - five or six days
Abutilon hybrids - started after a few days
Dicentra scandens - a week

 

Are these all still germinating on the fireplace?

 

Mostly. The Puya, Aconitum, Penstemon barbatus and Echium amoenum and Cypella have germinated in the heated prop or warm windowsill.

 

I've just sown some seed for Thysanotus multiflorus which I have failed with in the past. The instructions from this Australian seller recommended smoke treatment and suggested an easy method as follows;
1] put some of the sowing medium in a fireproof container and place 6 to 10cm of dried leaves on top.
2] set fire to the leaves.
3] blow most of the ash off and then mix the remainder in with the sowing medium.

We'll see if that works.

 

That dunking method was a godsend to me last year. Genius!

 

LongK - that dunking method is a new one on me. It sounds very effective - thanks.

Where are you getting your seeds from and more importantly how fresh are they. I bought a packet of Ipomea quamoclit last year, and only had about one seed germinate which shortly afterwards died. A bit later I was lucky enough to see a small quamoclit on sale (I have never seen one offered before), it grew well and I collected seeds in the autumn. In January I sowed the seeds and virtually every one germinated and grew strongly, so I now have more small plants than I can use.

My own seed was not that fresh - several months after harvesting. But what had happened to the seeds I bought - they must have been many years old. How often do we buy packets of seed that are virtually all dead? And many tropical seeds need to be even fresher to have a chance of germinating.