SRGC Seed Exchange 2021 - 22

[Carolyn]

Seeds are starting to ripen in the garden and I have just made my first collection of this year. Fingers crossed for a really good seed exchange next winter.
I attended an excellent zoom seed lecture by Diane Clements a few weeks ago. She gave a useful tip for seeds from spring ephemerals which really germinate best if sown fresh, such as Corydalis malkensis. Store them straight away in glassine envelopes (that’s the sort which the seedex uses to send out seeds) and they retain viability much better. Store them somewhere fairly cool - I use a cupboard in a north-facing room.

[Diane Whitehead]

Cool might be OK, but not cold. 

Some early flowering plants shed seeds before the embryo has completed its growth and they finish during the warmth of the summer.  Putting them in the fridge can stop embryo development.

[Maggi Young]

Cool might be OK, but not cold.

Some early flowering plants shed seeds before the embryo has completed its growth and they finish during the warmth of the summer.  Putting them in the fridge can stop embryo development.

Indeed, Diane,  most  bulbous species in particular can be damaged by putting  too soon into the  fridge for storage.  In many cases the  enmbryo has  to complete its development once the  seed  has left the  plant.

[Carolyn]

Diane, by cool I mean currently about 14C, rising to about 16C in summer. Not Canadian ‘cool’ which might be colder! I just wouldn’t leave the seeds in a sunny room where the temperature rises more.

I now have 2 packets of seeds for the seedex - the hepatica seeds are ripening too.

[Tristan_He]

What is other's opinion of donating these type of seeds to the seedex? Generally I don't bother doing so because I think it's important to sow them really fresh, and by the time seed is distributed in January it's really a bit late. I never order them for the same reason (and also because I have had too many Corydalis seeds in particular from different seed sellers that I believe were probably dead when I received them).

Am I mistaken in this opinion?

Also wondering if we could use the forum to exchange Corydalis seed with each other?

[Diane Whitehead]

A number of years ago, someone developed the Ephemeral Seed Exchange.  We'd send everyone a list of what we had to offer, and then would mail the seeds to individuals who requested them.

I have some triliums in bloom now that I received as seeds in 1995.

[Carolyn]

What is other's opinion of donating these type of seeds to the seedex? Generally I don't bother doing so because I think it's important to sow them really fresh, and by the time seed is distributed in January it's really a bit late. I never order them for the same reason (and also because I have had too many Corydalis seeds in particular from different seed sellers that I believe were probably dead when I received them).

Am I mistaken in this opinion?

Also wondering if we could use the forum to exchange Corydalis seed with each other?

Tristan,
I have had some success with seedex ephemerals, for example, Eranthis hyemalis which I treated with GA3 and several Corydalis sp from the extensive list offered in 2019 - 20, including Corydalis nobilis. I have also had reasonable success with hellebores, and Thalictrums.
As I said, Diane Clements swears by storing in glassines for these.
Diane, as for an ephemeral seedex, I would love it if there was one, but the difficulty is finding volunteers who are able to commit the time and effort at a busy time of year. I’m happy to do seedex stuff in winter, but not in summer!

[Diane Whitehead]

As I recall, there was no organizer for the Ephemeral Exchange.  Someone started it, but from then on, the members just posted messages, emailed their requests to the individuals offering the seeds, and the seed offerers then mailed the seeds out.

We didn't have a Maggi.

[Gerdk]

I am not sure whether I missed a a corresponding message but I would like to know
if there is a seed distribution outside the United Kingdom planned/possible.

Nevertheless I started to collect seeds because 'hope dies last' !

Gerd

[Carolyn]

 No, Gerd, you didn’t miss any message. I think the answer to your question is that we still don’t know yet - things may change and become clearer later this year. Fingers crossed!

[Tristan_He]

Hmm... definitely worth thinking about. I would be willing to contribute in some way, maybe even run it, but would need some advice from wiser heads! I'm thinking that any such exchange would be fairly small (and therefore easier to run) because the number of eligible taxa is small.

[Gerdk]

Carolyn & Tristan,
Thank you both for this encouragement!

Gerd

[Véronique Macrelle]

Speaking of dry Corydalis seeds, out of 4 species from the 2019/2020 exchange, 2 germinated and here is their flowering:
Corydalis bulleyana


Corydalis foetida


I did not succeed Corydalis nobilis on my side in dry seeds . Afterwards, I am not very good at sowing compared to you.

fresh seeds would certainly be better because germination was poor, I only have one plant of each, but I no longer hesitate to test dry Corydalis seeds anyway and keep the seedling pot 2 spring.

I would be too unhappy to no longer be able to benefit from the exchange !!!

[wooden shoe]

No, Gerd, you didn’t miss any message. I think the answer to your question is that we still don’t know yet - things may change and become clearer later this year. Fingers crossed!

Hi Carolyn,
We are now halfway the year. Is there any news about an International Seed Exchange for the end of 2021? It is not very motivating to collect seeds without knowing if they will be used and distributed.

[Carolyn]

Rob,
I will find out if anyone in the seedex team has further information. I am sure there will be a mainland UK seedex of some sort, but I am not aware of any updated info on the international side.
I have been busy saving seeds and hoping for the best!