Gentiana depressa

[johanneshoeller]

Hello everybody,

I am looking for seed of Gentiana depressa!
Who can help me?

Hans

[Lesley Cox]

Hello Hans,

I MAY be able to help you, next (southern) winter. I've had this species for about 6 years I think and it set a little seed for the first time after its 2007 flowering. There were only 5 capsules but they had good seed in and in fact, I'm planning to pot the seedlings today. So, if it sets more seed and if you can't get it elsewhere and if you don't mind waiting for about 6 months, I'll do what I can. No promises, but I'll try.

[Lesley Cox]

Well, they're all potted now. I did 55 pots, and each pot has two or three seedlings. Not visible in the picture, are the dozens of tiny ones, lurking under their big brothers and sisters. I frequently pot in this way if I have more than I need of a choice and relatively slow-growing plant. It seems from the date on the label that they were sown early May so if there is any seed this year it should be in the late autumn.

[johanneshoeller]

Thank you Lesley!  A great pic of Gentiana depressa. I have 3 older plants but never seed. The last seed has germinated very well but they have not survied the first very warm day (more than 30°C). Do you grow the seedlings in shaddow, they prefer cold conditions?

Hans

[Lesley Cox]

Sown May, germinated about August if I remember correctly, and in a sunny place right through, but I put a shade cloth over all my seeds in late October when the sun gained some real heat. The seedlings have stood up to heat and wind very well in their seed pot and now they're potted individually, I'll tomorrow put a shade cloth over them and other recently potted things. We've had it cool (16C and wet here for the last few days but real summer is about to start, according to the weather forecasters (not that I believe a word they say )