Ramonda seed

[frits.kp]

I am trying to gather as much information as possible from growers who have been successful in getting Ramonda seed to flowering size plants. I have been hybridizing Ramonda for the last three years, each plant produces thousands of seeds which in turn germinate like cress in an unheated propagator, then slowly over three month die away. I've tried not too wet and not too dry, I've tried inside a propagator and also inside the unheated greenhouse, but always after three months I am left with nothing. Now my plants are setting seed all over again, I need help, any ideas, small or lengthy, help me please. Tell me how the nurserymen germinate Ramonda seed.

[jomowi]

Fritz - you sound as though you are doing all the right things.  Keep persevering.  You may find some help from a couple of articles in former Journals: Growing Alpine Gesneriads, Vol 24 p. 191 and X Ramberlea ‘Inchgarth’ Vol 27 p. 62. Good luck

[Lesley Cox]

My only suggestion would be to sow small amounts of seed, very thinly. I know most people sow ramondas, haberleas, rhododendrons and many other cool-loving plants which have tiny seeds on sterilized spaghnum or a similar medium but my own best successes have been sowing these on grit over a leafy mix. Otherwise mosses and algae seem to overtake the tiny seedlings.

If sown very thinly and so germinate with some space around them, and if the undermix has some nutrition in it, in theory at least, the little seedlings should grow on enough to be able to be handled, even it that's only to be separated into clumps and grown on again for later division.

Having said all that, you'll probably get better advice from the professionals or those who grow the wonderful specimens presented at the shows. Best wishes for future sowings. It seems a terrible thing to have such generous seed set and not be able to benefit from it.

[Maggi Young]

Fritz - you sound as though you are doing all the right things.  Keep persevering.  You may find some help from a couple of articles in former Journals: Growing Alpine Gesneriads, Vol 24 p. 191 and X Ramberlea ‘Inchgarth’ Vol 27 p. 62. Good luck

These journals - and many  more - are available to download from this page of the main SRGC Website - where there is also an index:  http://www.srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/journal

 The first article has been loaded before to the forum : you can find a copy here : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=7499.msg206171#msg206171
the second article is  in issue 106 of the Rock Garden.

some posts from Gene Mirro which may be relevant, are mentioned in this thread  - Alpine Gesneriads from seed :
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=7499.msg209401#msg209401

[frits.kp]

That is very helpful, thank you. I certainly would like a professional nursery to tell me how they grow from seed.
I will take on-board the tip about thin sowing and will set to and read the article that Maggi suggested. And thanks again Maggi for getting me back on line, you were a star.

[Mark Griffiths]

hi, I think the trick is to keep everything as clean as possible to prevent the growth of moss.

I sow on a sedge peat layer which is then over normal compost. I keep the pots in a propagator and use a fine spray misting to keep them moist (rainwater).

I've raised R. serbica, R. myconi alba and rosea to flowering size this way but there is a point where many of the seedlings die and they do remain tiny for a long time before suddenly getting a move on.

I have some R.serbica that I thought were overwhelmed but after giving the moss a haircut I can still see tiny seedlings.