Passiflora germination

Just received some passiflora mollissima and coccinea seeds from Jungle Seeds. The cultivation advice includes the tip to soak the seed in orange juice for 24 hours! I've not come across this before.....does it have to be orange juice? Is lemon juice too harsh, pineapple too sweet? Are they likely to resent orange and banana nectar which is what they got?? I'd love a scientific explanation behind the advice

 

I read on Vernons geranium site that they use a vitamin C mix for cuttings . Maybe soaking seeds in vitamin C may help as well ? I soak my Chilli seeds and sweetpea seeds etc in cold tea following a tip some years ago . Whether it works or not is hard to tell , I do get pretty good germination rates though.

"Some years ago someone once wrote in a pelargonium magazine that it was beneficial to use a solution of vitamin C for cuttings, so we tried it and had to agree it helped, so we have been using it ever since. We put about half a teaspoonful of powder in a couple of eggcupfuls of cold water and stir it with anything that is non-metallic (usually a plant label) and it is stored in a dark bottle. Tablets would do just as well as powder – and what you don’t use for your geranium cuttings can be made into a drink – so it will do you both good! We never use hormone-rooting powders or liquid, as this makes the ends go soft and they are more likely to rot than root."

 

Thanks, Harry! I remember the Vernons coming to do a talk at our local Horticultural Society quite a few years ago when they said about the Vitamin C for cuttings.
Hadn't heard the one about cold tea, though. The elderly parent is going to find her cuppa whisked away before she's finished drinking, at this rate

 

I can only say that most of the Passiflora seeds I've tried have always germinated better when planted directly from the fruit and still wet.
The dry seeds you buy have always been a bit iffy.

Maybe soaking in fruit acid tricks the seed in to thinking its still fresh, if you know what I mean.

 

Here's a site that I have in my bookmarks.....................

http://www.passionflow.co.uk/seed213.htm

 

According to many passiflora cultivator I know , orange juice is just a waist of time , warm water in a termos will do a better trick , also if the seeds are not fresh they can take months or not germination at all , use acid soil for them to grow in .
A good fresh passiflora seeds should germinate in less then 3 weeks

 

Why didn't I think of that!

 

I've only grown them fresh from supermarket fruit and they've come up within days after an initial quick wash to remove some of the flesh of the fruit. Just sown normally and placed on a warm windowsill

I've also read that stored seed can take months to germinate?? So I guess any tricks are worth a try to break the dormancy

 

Just checked mine and I`ve soaked them the 2nd of January and the 50% are start to germinate already

 

Cheers all. I've just sown half the seeds soaked in Leclerc's finest and the other half without soaking. Will let you know what happens. If it's the fermentation that does the trick (alcohol according to the link above) then it'll be the old dear's G&T with strange bits floating in it in future

 

Here we are no messing around , wet paper , plastic container and electric propagator



strangely the old seeds have germinate before the fresh

 

Well done, Sal! No sign of any of mine germinating in the propagator yet. In fact, out of all the Jungle Seeds stuff, there's just one Sesbania grandiflora seedling. Not very impressed

 

Very nice!

I have S.puniceous which is surprisingly frost tolerant..................


And I have S.formosa coming along from seed. Far more tropical though...........


I bought from this seller and had very good germination...................
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hummingbird...?pt=AU_Plants_Seeds_Bulbs&hash=item2341d6a6a3

 

Hi longk! Those Sesbania are beautiful! The seller you mention is the same one that does Cassia javanica, I believe? Tried to order some seeds from him but I can't suss out how to order multiple items without paying multiple postage
I contacted him to ask, but no reply to date.....
Will have another go, though