My 2015 seed growing "blog"

Thet were both the same size. If the first one germinates safely I will chip the second one.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

Canna limbata may have set the record that cannot be beaten - 24 hours after bagging up four of the six have started to germinate at the warm end of the fireplace.............

 

Lovely! When will you pot them up?

 

When the growth stem starts to form. Probably another two or three days. I did leave a couple of Eucomis in the bag for the best part of a month with no ill effect though so I may try a couple of Canna like that too.

 

Ok, mine are at the same stage as yours so I'll leave it til the weekend. Thank you.

 

Leave them until you see green growth. Have the pot and soil ready and at the same temperature too.

 

Jeez that is one big seed Longk !
You should try these seeds in the photo.........Giant RedWood seeds , 4 seeds are as big as a match head.

 

those black round seeds look unbelievable!

 

Yes - my heated propagator is inside my lightbox and both are on for 14 hours a day on a time switch.

I do like your use of cotton wool. Have you thought of using moss? I used it a couple of years ago with some palm seeds. It has the same open structure and the moss naturally stays moist.

I particularly like the ability to see the seed's progress.

 

What is unbelievable is that one of them may be germinating

I used it last year for a few things. My biggest bugbear with it was that it was difficult to see the root run of the seedlings.

 

Self collected seed from Salvia "Black and Blue" is germinating at a high percentage after just two days at the middle of the temperature range (about 28°c) over the fireplace. I'm hoping that the seed will revert back to the species S.guaranitica but there are so many forms/cultivars of this species that it should turn out good no matter what!

 

Kniphofia northiae was sown last year and has tickled along slowly over the winter. The leaves are a little leggy but as they are just juvenile leaves I don't see that as an issue. Sown in a sandy medium and left on the kitchen windowsill to germinate.


Solanum laciniatum from self collected seed. Sown on cotton wool over the fireplace they started germinating after a week or so. I'll separate them in April using the dunking method.

 

Glad to see the Knifophia growing.
Have you tried this method as posted on the Scottish Rock Garden site?
For iris seeds which take a long time to germinate, including old or ultra dried-out seed, or many known to be precocious or difficult to germinate, place the seed in a small fabric pouch, sown along 3 sides. Add a label with whatever information is required. When you have a handful or however many you wish to sow in a single session, Place the little pouches upright in a small basin or margarine pot and pour onto them, a full strength cup of regular tea, well cooled. Let the seed soak for 24 hours then drain and add a fresh, cooled cup of tea. Do this twice more so that the seeds have a soaking from 4 cups of fresh tea, each soaking for 24 hours. Then drain the pouches (I place them on a wrung out dish cloth which absorbs the majority of the remaining tea and makes it easy to extract the seeds from the pouches), and then sow the seeds in regular seed pots or however you normally would, covering lightly with whatever medium you would normally use for this, such as a thin layer of seed mix, grit or whatever. Place the pots in a cool, secure place and water thoroughly, then as required.

 

I did a test sowing and had three of the five seeds germinate Lost one through neglect though.

I have but zero luck so far. That said I struggle with Iridaceae in general (except Dietes for some reason). I've found that they germinate like boogery in the compost bin though so I'm thinking of potting a few and sticking them in the side of the bin.