Ranzania

[Buddy]

I have found it relatively easy to get seed of Ranzania japonica to germinate but failed in many attempts to keep seedlings alive beyond a couple of year,s or to keep plants (from Japan) alive through winter and have given up hope of seeing a flower.  In the late Autumn of 2018 I planted two 7 cm pots with seed from the 2018/19 seed exchange run by the SRGC Mecononopsis Group, getting two plants in each pot. This winter I brought the pots into a cold greenhouse and in March the plants in one pot remained dormant but in the other pot two emerged, one as a very vigorous shoot that to my surprise flowered in mid-March when only 10 cm tall. It has continued to grow apace and is now twice the height.

[Gail]

Oh well done. I killed mine...

[Carolyn]

I killed mine too....several times.

[Leena]

I planted Ranzania outside last year, I hope it comes up. Fingers crossed!

[johnw]

I planted Ranzania outside last year, I hope it comes up. Fingers crossed!

You shouldn't have a problem there Leena.  We grow it here in Nova Scotia on the north side of a fence, bright but no direct sun till the evening.  Careful watering the first year and during a drought.

john

[Gabriela]

I have found it relatively easy to get seed of Ranzania japonica to germinate but failed in many attempts to keep seedlings alive beyond a couple of year,s or to keep plants (from Japan) alive through winter and have given up hope of seeing a flower.  In the late Autumn of 2018 I planted two 7 cm pots with seed from the 2018/19 seed exchange run by the SRGC Mecononopsis Group, getting two plants in each pot. This winter I brought the pots into a cold greenhouse and in March the plants in one pot remained dormant but in the other pot two emerged, one as a very vigorous shoot that to my surprise flowered in mid-March when only 10 cm tall. It has continued to grow apace and is now twice the height. (Attachment Link)

Well done, that's why I like to grow from seeds. In almost all species I've done, there is one or few seedlings which will exhibit more vigorous growth and/or early flowering.

[Gabriela]

You shouldn't have a problem there Leena.  We grow it here in Nova Scotia on the north side of a fence, bright but no direct sun till the evening.  Careful watering the first year and during a drought.
john

Beautiful clump John!

I also think you shouldn't worry Leena; I planted two seedlings in the ground (2 years old) and last year they showed up in late May (25 May after my records). On second thought maybe I should have raised them one more year in a pot.

[Carolyn]

Well done, that's why I like to grow from seeds. In almost all species I've done, there is one or few seedlings which will exhibit more vigorous growth and/or early flowering.

Yes but they are still all slug caviar whether seed raised or bought from a nursery! My slugs always choose the tastiest, most expensive/difficult to grow morsels.

[Leena]

Thanks for the heads up, John.

I also think you shouldn't worry Leena; I planted two seedlings in the ground (2 years old) and last year they showed up in late May (25 May after my records).

Gabriela, it is good to know that they come up so late. This was a bought flowering size plant, and there is no sign of it yet, but it is early days, and I'll be patient.

[Leena]

Here is a picture of Ranzania japonica I wrote earlier in this thread two years ago.
I'm so happy it survived well last difficult winter. It flowered already in spring 2021, and I got a few seeds from it which sown fresh germinated well last spring. I pricked them out in July and now they are in root cellar over winter and I will plant them outside next spring. The clump has increased well from what it was two years ago.

[Véronique Macrelle]

oh Leena, it's wonderful..this Ranziana : it seemed to me an inaccessible plant...
 don't the seeds have to stay fresh to germinate?

 I didn't dare to order them at the srgc for this reason... and then also, many other species attracted me at the same time and I have to choose!

Did anyone know how to sow it from dry stored seeds?

[Leena]

oh Leena, it's wonderful..this Ranziana : it seemed to me an inaccessible plant...
 don't the seeds have to stay fresh to germinate?

Hi Veronique, and I'm sorry I didn't notice your question earlier.
Yes, I believe Ranzania seeds have to be fresh to germinate. I have tried them twice from dry seeds, and never got them to germinate,
until now that I had fresh seeds. Maybe there is a way to help germination from dry seeds but I don't know how.

[Gabriela]

Here is a picture of Ranzania japonica I wrote earlier in this thread two years ago.
I'm so happy it survived well last difficult winter. It flowered already in spring 2021, and I got a few seeds from it which sown fresh germinated well last spring. I pricked them out in July and now they are in root cellar over winter and I will plant them outside next spring. The clump has increased well from what it was two years ago.

It looks like a very happy Ranzania Leena!
I kept mine in a location too dry and as a result is growing so very slow. I moved it again this fall.
A warning for those interested - it really dislikes drought. My Glaucidiums also suffered this year.

[Gabriela]

oh Leena, it's wonderful..this Ranziana : it seemed to me an inaccessible plant...
 don't the seeds have to stay fresh to germinate?

 I didn't dare to order them at the srgc for this reason... and then also, many other species attracted me at the same time and I have to choose!
Did anyone know how to sow it from dry stored seeds?

I also tried it from dry seeds and it didn't germinate Veronique. Maybe from a large batch of seeds a few would germinate, but given that from any seedex you get 5-6 seeds it is not worth the trouble.
Yuzawa engei from Japan sometime sell fresh seeds.

[Buddy]

This spring I have had good germination of Ranzania seeds supplied completely dry from Japan (in my previous purchases they were damp packed) - 6 seedling of the normal form and 3 seedling (so far) of forma alba.