Galanthus seed

[Sue Beatty]

Hi, I did go back and look at a post from a couple of years ago but it suggested starting a new one. I'm a novice gardener but throwing myself into it and having some success and some failures.  So, I was very excited to actually notice the seedpod on the snowdrop and since then I'm trying to figure out when I should actually pick it.  I think I'm a bit late for some of them but there's a couple still there - I'd like to know anyway so I could collect more for the seed exchange.

I picked two small brown 'seeds' off.  I'm guessing some are in my garden - or some little bird had them for brekky.  There's one or two with a larger yellow pod still.

I can't find any seed pods at all on crocus or iris - I think it may take a little while before I'm contributing much seed.  If not this coming exchange then hopefully by the next one I'll actually know what I'm doing :-)  Thanks.  Sue

[Maggi Young]

Hello Sue,
 it can be tricky to find Crocus seed... the seed capsules are pretty much held underground until they are really ripe and push up a little on wee stalks.  Have a root around the area and you may find some waiting. If they are very green, leave them for a bit longer, if they are going straw coloured you could gather them.

As to the Iris.... when we first tried pollinating Iris it was a nightmare... these are perhaps the most prudish flowers and most adept at keeping their sexy bits to themselves, so I wish you luck in finding some swelling seed pods from natural pollination.

On another thread, Melvyn has mentioned about galanthus seedpods, collection and ripening.... see here :
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8904.msg243687#msg243687  

[arilnut]

As to the Iris.... when we first tried pollinating Iris it was a nightmare... these are perhaps the most prudish flowers and most adept at keeping their sexy bits to themselves, so I wish you luck in finding some swelling seed pods from natural pollination.

Oh contrar'  Maggie. I find Iris very easy to pollinate. And have bee pods quite often.
I have large pods on elegantissima, korolkowii, and hoogiana purpurea, these are
hand made crosses. Haven't looked for bee pods yet this year.

John B

[Anthony Darby]

I keep looking for elegantissima seed, but to no avail. Having watched queen wasps pollinate widow irises (Hermodactylus tuberosa) in the greenhouse I wondered if cotton buds would work?

[Maggi Young]

As to the Iris.... when we first tried pollinating Iris it was a nightmare... these are perhaps the most prudish flowers and most adept at keeping their sexy bits to themselves, so I wish you luck in finding some swelling seed pods from natural pollination.

Oh contrar'  Maggie. I find Iris very easy to pollinate. And have bee pods quite often.
I have large pods on elegantissima, korolkowii, and hoogiana purpurea, these are
hand made crosses. Haven't looked for bee pods yet this year.

John B

  Glad  to hear of your success, John... we nearly went crazy trying to get seeds from reticulatas!

[Lesley Cox]

While I'm sure it doesn't apply to you and the BD Maggi, it's a fact that many people don't know WHAT to pollinate with irises. Irises don't have a regular stigma, but what is called a stigmatic lip, a little frill or sliver of petal-like material attached under the style arms. It is virtually impossible to see where the pollen goes down the tube carrying it to the ovules but if the anther with pollen is wiped onto this lip, or pollen on a brush placed on the upper side of the lip, pollination will take place. Whether fertilization does, is another matter of course, depending on species et al.

The general run of rhizomatous species will set seed easily and the pods are very obvious once fertilization has occurred. Some species such as oncos may well be more difficult to achieve pods (though all our Forum onco growers have an amazing success rate) and reticulatas can be a pain though again, attention to pollen and stigmatic lip is helpful, it's just that they're so tricky and fiddly to work at, in such small plants, a hands and knees job if they're in the garden, easier in pots.

Highly bred varieties such as many of the siberians and bearded irises are also problematic for seed production and it helps to know about genes and chromosomes etc, which by and large, I don't.

[wooden shoe]

If you are afraid the Galanthus seed pods will be eaten by birds you can leave them on the stalk but bury them under the sand, so they will be out of sight of birds. They will ripen underground. You can dig them up every other week to check if they are ripe or if you leave them there you will have seedlings beside the motherplant next year. I expect the seeds to be ripe on the half of May, but that depends on weather and climate of course.
Rob

[fermi de Sousa]

Interestingly, Rob, that's the advice I got when I first started growing galanthus - to bury the seedpod while still attached and then the seedlings would be close to the parent but far enough away not to become too congested.
Now I just let them germinate where they want to or where the ants or whatever carry them! But that only happens with G. elwesii where I am.
cheers
fermi

[Sue Beatty]

Well, thanks all.  I wasn't successful with the crocus - however I managed autumn crocus :-)  I also got tulipa seeds - but they were extremely easy!  I did get some snowdrop seeds but not from mine.  Mine didn't have the seed stalk(?) but I went with a friend to an area where I'd seen tons growing.  We went to dig up the bulbs themselves (they are building in the area and I wanted to rescue all I could.  It was quite overgrown but I knew exactly where they were and we hacked our way in thru the brambles.  I had scratches everywhere but we got a huge haul.  Some had a seed stalk so I'm wondering now why mine don't - I did read it had to stay attached to the bulb and so I buried the bulb and laid the stalk down and promptly forgot where I put them.  This collecting seed for seed exchanges is a huge learning curve for a beginner - but very exciting.  I'm not overly successful yet but I will keep trying.   

[arillady]

I have just noticed this thread and with the smaller irises it can be a bit fiddly to pollinate. A late Aril Soc member supplied me with a few tweezers which he had adapted so that they have tips that are at an angle. So much easier to use. Once you know the right 'parts' of an iris you will be fine. Here is a website that shows the process.
http://www.finegardening.com/pages/bg0002.asp