Forced Germination - preparing onco seed

[Yann]

Using Rafa's method, here's what i got 2 weeks after cutting the seeds.





3 weeks after cutting the young seedlings are now repotted in a 100% fine grit mix.

[ikizzeki]

Very nice job, Yann. Do you think, it is easy for beginner?

[PeterT]

Using Rafa's method, here's what i got 2 weeks after cutting the seeds.

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3 weeks after cutting the young seedlings are now repotted in a 100% fine grit mix.

(Attachment Link)
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Very nice Yann. I did not know that this was Raffa's method too. I have not seen him on this thread.

[Yann]

I read your post Peter and got advices from Rafa.
Yes it's quiet easy, the hardest was to found a shop that allows me to buy scalpel.

The first batch was a bit tricky with 2 seeds destroyed, but after almost 50 seeds i can say it easier than i thought.

Using this method you can easily win a season of growing.

Thanks to the folks for sharing.

[PeterT]

I am glad it worked for you. My experiance is that it does not work so well in Summer, but that it is quite easy.

[Yann]

Almost one year passed and here're the babies.
I also used seramis as medium and the results are better than in perlite.

[Maggi Young]

Bob Nold  has  sent this  document  of his  work with the Forced method of  Aril Iris Seed Germination

It's a pdf - click here to download it 

Thank you, Bob!

[penstemon]

Sure.
How ironic it is that the seedlings do much better for me when planted out in the garden rather than grown inside.....

[Maggi Young]

 I think a new thread, on 'Invitro culture of rescued Oncocyclus embryos'  will make  a fine companion to this one  - see it  here :
  http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=14058.0   

[Mini bulb lover]

These posts are very helpful! I've never grown Onco irises from seed before. After sourcing some seed (Iris mariae), reading these posts and Bob Nold's forced germination document I decided to give it try.

It's early days but it seems to be working. After soaking the seed for two days (tap water with a drop of dish washing detergent) I cut the seeds on March 1st (start of autumn). The seeds are stored in moist perlite in a zip-lock plastic bag in a dark cupboard.

The first picture was taken March 9th. There had been an outline of the embryo before but this was the first date that it could be seen protruding. The other photos are from March 9th and 13th.

[Mini bulb lover]

I have some more Onco seed (Iris kirkwoodiae) to try so I thought I'd share some photos of them being cut today. The top seed in the 3rd photo moved as I sliced so it cut more than I wanted. I'll see how I go.

[Jupiter]

Jon, how are your kirkwoodiae seeds looking? Any sign of movement? I'm going to do some soon as well.

[Véronique Macrelle]

the 2020 srgc exchange being canceled (hopefully it will resume next year!) I find myself without iris seeds to sow this year.
  your discussion made me want to give it a try. and so my idea was to sort out my pots of iris seedlings from a previous year that did not germinate:
 I thus found 4 beautiful seeds of Iris paradoxa. (I occupy my confined winter Sundays as best I can!)

 I have some questions:

- is it essential to sterilize the seeds and the substrate?
- can we sow directly in a gravel pot? without going through the 'perlite in plastic bag' phase? I have always missed this type of sowing with Trillium or Paeonia: too wet or I handle them too much, eager to see changes ... too curious

[Véronique Macrelle]

in fact if it should germinate it does not take long: it's too funny!
 I steam sterilized everything.
 I also cut some on the wrong side because on these old seeds the arill was no longer visible.
 I have one that started in 2 days!
 the others I cut back, and 2 are already starting .. but the end of the root is truncated, so I doubt the result.
 the last one (I had 4) seems to be cut off on the wrong side, it doesn't move



and once we have a germination, what do we do with it?
 hot, cold, fertilizer, artificial light?
 i fat germinated it directly in aquarium gravel, but it can't feed