SRGC Seed Exchange 2016-17 No. 70

[Gabriela]

Some of these I never had the pleasure to try. Helleborus and Hepatica I keep/kept moist and germination is fine - but not precisely your species.

The two I can provide info about are: J. diphylla - good seeds kept moist, warm/cold - germination +/- 100%.
Trillium erectum - as well germinates 100% and since I always have more seeds than sell, there is always leftover seeds which I don't get to plant in pots. So, the images below are of T. erectum from 2015 - which remained in the Ziploc bag till 2016, late Dec. ! when were planted in pots (hope I won't be accused of plant cruelty).

[Véronique Macrelle]

This picture of germinating Trillium looks like a treasure for me!
When I order and sow Trillium,   I have a dozen seeds only . .. not enough to make a lot of experiments.

As for Jeffersonia, even seeds from my own plant, sown immediately, do not germinate ... but last winter was perhaps not cold enough.

[Cfred72]

Gabriela,
The first picture seems to show a very wet vermiculite? Is this how you open the bag? Is it because you rinsed the substrate with the seeds before making the photo? Can you tell us ? Thank you. 

[Gabriela]

Fred - I never make the vermiculite very wet - only slightly moist. It may seem like that because of the light reflected in the picture.
I use the type with large particles (see image with Corydalis).

Its multiple properties make it an excellent medium not only for storing seeds, but also for growing seedlings, storing bulbs,....Especially for tuberous/rhizome forming species is works wonders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermiculite
If the seeds germinate while in bags, the fine (feeding) roots will attach to the vermiculite particles and can sustain the seedlings for long periods of time (see Sanguinaria).

[Gabriela]

As for Jeffersonia, even seeds from my own plant, sown immediately, do not germinate ... but last winter was perhaps not cold enough.

I already posted about Jeffersonia but here it is again - most often the problem is not the winter cold (4-5C is enough) but the summer temperature.
The embryo needs to reach a certain length (under high temp.) in order for the cold stratification to be effective. See article below:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2444529?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

In picture - one year-old seedlings I transplanted in late fall. They form an impressive root system in one season.

[Maggi Young]

Gabriela, if all our plants made such good root systems so quickly I think we would have no worries !

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Received my seeds today, thanks for all the hard work to everyone involved as usual a great job well done.
Best wishes to all, John.

[Carolyn]

Assuming the dry ephemeral seeds are still alive, I had read how a major problem with rehydrating these types of seeds was that if water is imbibed too quickly, the cellular structures can permanently crack.  The action of certain parts absorbing water faster and expanding faster than other parts creates pressure differentials that cause breakage at the cellular level. This breaking of cell integrity leads to the demise of the seed.  This is why The Kew SID sometimes begins hydration of recalcitrant seeds with high humidity rather than liquid water contact.

Well, at least that’s my very basic explanation.  I dare say, if you want to learn all about recalcitrant seed, this pdf will keep you going:
 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjRjPCplOHRAhUk74MKHeCSA9EQFghiMA8&url=https%3A%2F%2Frngr.net%2Fpublications%2Fttsm%2Fch4%2Fat_download%2Ffile&usg=AFQjCNHrCW_b0afzw5Yg1YqGzb6qPeULNw&bvm=bv.145063293,d.amc

In 2015, I did some experimenting with the dried ephemeral seed from the seed ex.
I was blessed by an accidental mistake and received two packets instead of one of Corydalis malkensis (SRGC#1064).  So I had enough seed to try a crude “scientific” trial: 32 seeds planted directly into moist soil and 32 seeds first in a 2x3 inch ziplock bag with a bit of paper towel with the tiniest bit of dampness on it - for 2 weeks, and then planted in moist soil.  Both treatments began on 13 Feb 2015.  While I had planned on working in a cold treatment before spring arrived in Minnesota, it didn’t happen.  They didn’t get their cold treatment until the following natural winter.  They were both treated the same and stayed together through the spring of 2016. 

The RESULTS are encouraging! 
--- The lot planted directly into the soil had no germination.
--- The lot pretreated with 2 weeks of water vapor sprouted 23 out of 32 seeds in March 2016!

Although I didn’t have enough seed to try side by side trials with other species, I did try the same vapor method at the same time with a few other similar type seeds:
Erythronium caucasium
Erythronium revolutum
Cardamine pentaphyllum
Hepatica nobilis

But no seed emergence of any of these.

A friend has just given me a few dry seeds of Jeffersonia diphylla. I think I will try to rehydrate them gently in a plastic bag with perlite and a drop of water. I will keep them warm indoors (for how long?), then in the fridge for 3 months. I will report back. Unfortunately there are not enough seeds to do a 'control' pot too. Thanks for the suggestion, Rick.

[Claire Cockcroft]

At last, the seeds have made their way through USDA plant inspection and were delivered today!  Thank you to everyone involved in the seed exchange.
...Claire

[Jan Jeddeloh]

Has anyone from the US who didn't donate seed gotten theirs yet?  Trying to decide if it's time to call the Seattle inspection station and give them a gentle hint.  I'm also still waiting on AGS seed. At this time of year I always have visions of my seed dying on top of a hot computer in Seattle. 

Jan

[ikizzeki]

Seeds arrived here today  , many thanks to all involved!
GREETINGS FROM TURKEY,ANTALYA..

[Lesley Cox]

Not having been a donor for this list (I will be next time!), I was not among the first to receive my seeds and in fact it arrived on January 26th and was sown on the 27th, but by golly I bet I am among the very first to have some germination. This morning there is what looks like a 100% germination of Dracocephalum grandiflorum. I'm so pleased to have again after many years, this lovely blue-flowered plant. It was a favourite years ago and always performed well. I suppose I lost it as a result of a house move or something but hopefully it will be at home here.

As well, Leena, if you are looking here, seedlings through this morning of both Iris bulleyana and I. sibirica 'Siberian Spring.' Thanks again for these. I didn't expect germination until perhaps our spring but here they are starting in what we hope is still summer but is beginning to feel like autumn already, so cold, wet and windy it has been.

Although not the best flower time, I am always most excited by the germination of seeds and autumn here is when most from the northern hemisphere start so I'll be up in the air for a while.

[KK-Ann Arbor]

Non-doner US member received partial shipment of seeds today. 
Thank you volunteers involved, donors.
I liked the new labeling system very much!
Koko

[Leena]

As well, Leena, if you are looking here, seedlings through this morning of both Iris bulleyana and I. sibirica 'Siberian Spring.' Thanks again for these. I didn't expect germination until perhaps our spring but here they are starting in what we hope is still summer but is beginning to feel like autumn already, so cold, wet and windy it has been.

Thanks Leslie, it is good to know they are germinating. I thought they would need cold stratification first, but apparently not. I. sibirica was 'Sibirische Fruhling'.

From seed exchange seeds I have now germinating John's Rhododendron mucronulatum taquetii, two weeks after sowing, and also one seed of Trillium sulcatum has started to grow (in warm vermiculte in zip lock bag)

[Susan Band]

Thanks for the surplus seed sent to the Perth group SRGC. Usually we give it away to members but when I opened the packet and saw they were named instead of numbered it was great so we charged a nominal fee for them. All sold as people knew what they were getting. A little bit of money to the group funds and lots of happy members.