Germinating now- - photos of seedlings

[fermi de Sousa]

When we were in Tabor we got some wild collected Pulsatilla seed from Olga; the first ones have germinated!
cheers
fermi

[meanie]

No photos I'm afraid as they are minute, but two weeks after sowing my Musschia wollastonii seed are germinating. I'm rather pleased by this!

[Maggi Young]

From what I read about the plant, meanie, you can expect a veritable explosion in the rate of its growth quite soon!

http://www.rareplants.de/shop/prodtype.asp?CAT_ID=246
http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/m/musschia_wollastonii.htm
 

[meanie]

From what I read about the plant, meanie, you can expect a veritable explosion in the rate of its growth quite soon!

http://www.rareplants.de/shop/prodtype.asp?CAT_ID=246
http://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/m/musschia_wollastonii.htm
 

I know! It is the flaw in the plan as it were - I like to do a test sowing ASAP on "special things", but when they germinate I feel obliged to look after them. Trouble is we haven't even seen the winter equinox yet.

[johnw]

No photos I'm afraid as they are minute, but two weeks after sowing my Musschia wollastonii seed are germinating. I'm rather pleased by this!

Was it the cream/brown or the red-flowered one?   That's not so easy to find.......

johnw

[meanie]

Was it the cream/brown or the red-flowered one?   That's not so easy to find.......

johnw

I have seed for both forms, but this test sowing is the red (more reddy brown really?) form. Having read elsewhere of the difficulty others have had germinating them I did mine using the plastic bag method on a good quality paper workshop towel.

[meanie]

No photos I'm afraid as they are minute, but two weeks after sowing my Musschia wollastonii seed are germinating. I'm rather pleased by this!

Although they seemed to germinate easily enough, transferring them from the damp paper towel to a compost has so far been a 100% failure!
Now that I know the seed is viable I'll do them again in the spring, sown thinly in mini plugs.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Tulipa seedlings 19th January 2014:

Tulipa kuschkensis, Tulipa biflora, Tulipa lehmanniana, Tulipa rosea, Tulipa Species KV89, all from Kurt Vickery

[johnralphcarpenter]

One more, plus a couple where Kurt sent me small bulbs, not yet flowering size:

Tulipa hoogiana, Tulipa polychroma, Tulipa Species KV97.

[Menai]

Over the last couple of years I have found that Kurt's seed quicker and more reliably than anyone else's.
Here (from the left) are Colchicum kotschyii, Crocus laevigatus & Tulipa kaufmanii 'Voshod solnca'. The last one is Fritillaria lanceolata but I can't remember where it came from. The brown paper envelope had " 3. Ex Ukiah CA" on it. Does that ring any bells with anyone?

Erle
Anglesey where snowdrops are coming fast and the first Eranthis

[johnralphcarpenter]

Crinum moorei f. album: flowered in late July and set seed. Recalcitrant seed, so sown immediately in September, then curious new growth observed in November; finally seedling today.

[Matt T]

Narcissus rupicola watieri from home-collected seed (very few) sown in September 2013 and at 5cm deep following the Ian Young method.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Narcissus rupicola watieri from home-collected seed (very few) sown in September 2013 and at 5cm deep following the Ian Young method.

Where can I read about "the Ian Young method"? Any help with breaking dormancy of seeds is always welcome - so many species, so many specific requirements! (Light/dark, warm/cold, wet/dry, fire, etcetcetc).

[Matt T]

Where can I read about "the Ian Young method"?

Here: www.srgc.org.uk/journal/young/bulbsfromseed.html and lots of useful tips in Ian's excellent weekly bulb log: www.srgc.org.uk/logs/index.php?log=bulb

With these seeds specifically, I half filled the pot with my normal potting mix (equal parts JI no3, sharp sand and 6mm grit), scattered the seeds and filled the pot with more potting mix so that the seeds are at about 5cm depth. It was then gently tamped down and topped with a half inch of grit. A good watering and then stood in a cold frame* with the light permanently propped open. In essence, dark, moist and with a cool spell.

*Most folk advocate putting pots of bulb seeds in an open frame until germination, when they are brought under cover, but I dare not risk it as our weather and exposure here are so extreme that an un-noticed seedling that has just germinated could be quickly burnt off by the next gale.

I claim no credit, I have found Ian's tips to be invaluable.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Thanks Matt!