Observations and theory of Galanthus germination

[annew]

A very interesting discussion, and thank you for taking the time to explain it to us (in very understandable English!)

[partisangardener]

Today, I have collected seedpods from some galanthus species.  G.woronowii is missing. In case somebody has  fruiting G. woronowii, or some species I have not mentioned I would be grateful if he would try my experiment and show the results here.

The paper label with the species name is 10 x 10 cm
 I will pott them after some days when the seeds have matured.
Fist some gaze and then a layer sand (2cm). Another layer of 2 cm garden soil with some sand. Then the seeds and a cover with another 5 cm of the former mixture. This pots will be set in some shady place in the ground and watered when they are getting too dry. From July on I will check them regularly
The identification of G.gracilis is based on the following features: Flowers like elwesii but mostly smaller. Twisted leafs and generally smaller seed pods and leafs (colour same as elwesii). Maybe doubtful.

It is maybe interesting enough to pin this topic

[Maggi Young]

Good idea, Axel - I will pin the topic.

[mark smyth]

Why pick the pods now when they are still developing?

[partisangardener]

Slugs and other animals have already eaten a third of the seedpods by now (slugs eat holes into the fruit and empty them chamber by chamber). Harvesting much earlier have produced viable seeds before . At this stage there are the seeds already developed. Only the colour is very light and at this stage delicious for slugs. It has started to get wet by now.

The biggest seedpod of G. plicathus at the top of the picture was already emptied by two third from a slug. I have found very often slugs while the were feasting on fresh white seeds of Galanthus.
Here are ripe seeds still fresh form seedpods harvested 10 days ago. The seedpods have been dark green when I was visiting a distant garden. Species is G.elwesii.
A lot of good looking seed pods are empty they turn yellow more early and are spongy to the touch. They were sterile from the beginning.
About a third of very big seed pods have disappeared in my garden within the last week. I think a mouse ore some other animal has gathered them. They were the more exposed ones.

[Tim Harberd]

Hi There,
   I’ve queried, on this forum before, about whether my Sam Arnotts are the real thing. This year they have set some seed pods. Not the usual empty ones. Since I’ve read that SA is sterile, does this prove that mine isn’t SA?
   Also… my Mrs Macnamara has produced a pod. I had read that she is triploid, so I was expecting her to be sterile too.

Tim DH

PS Apologies for the rough cut on my 10cm square!

[ashley]

Yes I've had seed set on both of these too this year.

[partisangardener]

If you think the seeds need a longer time to develop you might try my regime.
I keep them with enough light in damp peat. The picture will show how it is done. If the flower had effective pollination it will sometimes even grow short after this event.
The little yellow one is a fruit of Sandersii group X Viridapice. Probably only one seed inside. Still not yet ripe after all this weeks.
Such a small fruit would have died otherwise.

[Tim Harberd]

Hi Ashley,
   My ‘Sam Arnott’ was bought for me.. 15 years ago, from (I guess) a general nursery.. If it isn’t actually ‘Sam Arnott‘, then I suppose quite a few other people have got ‘Sam Isnot’ too! it’s a good do-er, and I’ve given away about 100 bulbs myself! I was more interested in the pod than the actual seed.

   Mrs Macnamara is a different matter! That pod ‘spilt the beans’ yesterday. If she is triploid I would have expected few seeds since most gametes should have failed/aborted at meiosis. The hope would be that it throws a few unreduced gametes, which, when combined with (normal) haploid pollen might give fertile tetraploids.
   Seeing a full pod of seed would suggest that she isn’t triploid… (Or, possibly, that my MrsM isn’t!!) But there is always a chance that, with this pod, I just got lucky

Tim DH

[partisangardener]

Very beautiful.
I hope you will get a lot of new plants.

[partisangardener]

That is my setup with the fruits of G.plicatus. The other species look similar but are not jet ripe.

[partisangardener]

Today was potting time.
Most of the species were ripe. Only G.nivalis had a lot of still unripe pods.
I put two third of garden soil mixed with some Seramis in a big pot. Onto this layer the ripe seeds.  Cover with 2 cm of the same mixture. The still not ripe fruits on top. I will mix it into the upper layer within the next two weeks.
The pots are kept in the shade under a pear tree.

The first time i kept fruits of Galanthus in a plastic bag. Some mold appeared on quite a lot of seeds because of the rotting flesh  covering the seeds. It did no harm.

[partisangardener]

Just an update.
End of August  I observed first germination in G.elwesii.
Now after my vacation I checked in all the pots.
For this purpose i dug with a soupspoon equal portions out of the pot, just on spoonful.

The first was G. nivalis germination just starting only one with a long root.
the second was the pot with elwesii good germination about 50 % with long roots.
third was G.plicathus nearly all have germinated but no bulb jet.

[Gail]

There is an interesting article on germination here;

http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/03/08/aob.mct051.full

[johnstephen29]

Hi what does a young galanthus seedling look like above the compost? The reason I'm asking is that I sowed some g. Transcausicus seeds a while ago and something that looks like grass is starting to appear.