Smoking Freesias

[Tim Harberd]

Has anyone else tried using smoke to break bulb dormancy?  ( Checking through the old posts on here: Back in 2009 Darren mentioned he might try smoke to wake up tubers of Walleria gracilis.)

I’ve been growing Freesias from seed for a few years, and I’m not good at throwing the bulbs away at the end of the season! However, the bulbs don’t seem to want to live either!!

I’ve tried keeping the bulbs in an (unheated) greenhouse for July/August, to simulate a South African summer. I’ve also tried incubating the bulbs at 30 degrees for a few weeks prior to re-planting. In both cases, sprouting was erratic.

This year I came across a Japanese Scientific paper (Fortunately the summary was in English!) which suggested that smoking the bulbs was as good a way as any to break dormancy.

I had a pile of surplus freesia bulbs, so I split them into three equal groups. Cutting the bottom off a square plastic milk bottle provided a smoke cooling chamber. I pumped smoke in from a bee-keepers smoker and sat plant pots of Freesia bulbs on top.

One lot received no treatment (on left in photo)
One lot received 5 mins smoke once a week for four weeks. (in centre of photo)
One lot received 10 mins smoke once a week for six weeks. (on right in photo)

The initial results are encouraging!!

Tim DH

[Maggi Young]

Promising results indeed - no saying what the neighbours thought, though!! 

[ashley]

Nice experiment Tim, and an interesting result. 
I'd say you're a beekeeper too; that smoker looks well used

[ArnoldT]

Tim:

Using smoke to break dormancy in bulbs and seeds has been discussed frequently on the PBS forum.

You can search for messages here: http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php#Archive

There was at one time a paper that was impregnated with smoke residue that you put in your water can to give a seed or bulb the "smoke" treatment.

[Darren]

Very interesting Tim,

I've some newly germinated Walleria gracilis as it happens. I never did persuade the last lot to re-sprout.

Oddly enough I've never thought of freesia as being reluctant to sprout, but I have only two species anyway. I would have tried the hot summer treatment first, just as you did.

I have never considered using a beekeepers smoker - what a brilliant idea and thanks for passing it on!

You can still get the 'Kirstenbosch Seed Primer' papers that Arnold mentions from either Kirstenbosch or Silverhill Seeds - I got some just a year ago.

[fermi de Sousa]

We don't have a problem with freesias usually - I wonder if the treatment could be used for Tropaeolum?
cheers
fermi

[Paul Cumbleton]

Coincidentally I have just written an article about smoke for the next issue of the AGS journal. The one piece of info I'll pick out here is that an easy alternative you can use instead of actual smoke or impregnated filter papers is Liquid Smoke food flavouring. Yes - really! Scientists have used this successfully in various research experiments. The specific one they mention is "Colgin Mesquite Liquid Smoke " (See pic below). I suggest a 1% solution of this (i.e. 1 part of the liquid to 99 parts water) would be a sensible rate to start any experimenting with. See the next AGS journal for a whole load more info about its use in treating seeds and stimulating bulbs in growth.

Paul

[Maggi Young]

Good for AGS members to hear that an article on this is forthcoming - but of course only AGS members will be able to read that.

 A reminder that after a couple of years exclusivity, all SRGC Journals are  freely available online  as part of SRGC determination to share knowledge and information as widely as possible.
 

[Maggi Young]

This liquid smoke food flavouring is worth a try  so  is  pssibly very useful info. So long as it doesn't make the bulbs taste like  BBQ and even more delicious to rodents!