Germinating now- - photos of seedlings

[penstemon]

(I posted something similar on the Nargs forum.)
Photos of astragalus seedlings, both from collections made last century. Nicked and soaked within the last three weeks.
First, Astragalus hirticalyx, from a Jurasek collection in 1991 or 1992.
Second, Astragalus sobolevskiae, from a Halda collection in 1995.
Photographed on wet filter paper.
Neither the Kew herbarium site nor Plantarium has images of A. sobolevskiae.

[Gene Mirro]

Some gentians, sown at 55-65F, GA-3 solution dripped on the soil mix, covered with transparent propagation dome, placed under fluorescent lights.  All germinated in 2-3 weeks.  All have received one feed of dilute soluble fertilizer.  Moss and algae start growing as soon as fertilizer is applied.  You need to keep the plants growing faster than the moss.

Gentianopsis grandis:



Gentiana calycosa:



Gentianopsis crinita:

[Gene Mirro]

Alstroemeria pulchella and pulchra, sown November 11, 1/4 inch deep, 55-65F, grown under fluorescents:

[SJW]

A kind gift of various autumn-flowering crocus species, seed wild collected in Greece. Sown 16 October 2014, first seedlings through by mid-December.

[Gene Mirro]

A fresh batch of Physoplexis comosa:



Note the gigantic perlite and vermiculite boulders.

I love digital photography.  Can you tell? 

[Gene Mirro]

Campanula cochlearifolia alba, one month from sowing of seed:



They are nearly ready for transplanting.  Some of them will bloom this summer.

When growing white forms from seed, I discovered that I should not discard the smaller, weaker seedlings, because they might be the white ones.  The blue ones grow a lot faster.

[Michael J Campbell]

Watsonia seedlings sown 7-9-2014.
Tritonia lilacina seedlings sown 24-08-2014.
Tritonia Prince of orange seedling sown on the 24-08-2014
Tritonia Tangerine seedlings sown on the 08-09-2014
Acis Autumnalis seedlings sown on the 08-09-2014

[Michael J Campbell]

A few more.

Moraea Lurida seedlings sown 18-07-2014.
Gladiolus carneus seedlings. sown 08-09-2014.
Moraea setifolia seedlings sown on the 27-08-2014

[Gene Mirro]

Incarvillea mairei 'Frank Ludlow', seed purchased from Jack Drake around 1988, stored in freezer, sown one week ago at 15C, placed under lights:



Saxifraga arendsii, sown two weeks ago at 15C, placed under lights:



A huge range of seeds germinates well under fluorescent lights, even the ones that Deno says require darkness.

[Gene Mirro]

Some tiny babies:
Phyllodoce empetriformis, seed collected in Cascade mts; surface-sow; 2 weeks at 60F:



Gentianopsis crinita:  surface-sow, apply GA-3 to soil surface; 2 weeks at 60F:



Phyteuma scheuchzeri:  surface-sow; 2 weeks at 60F:



Physoplexis comosa:  seeds garden-collected; surface-sow; apply GA-3 to soil surface; 2 weeks at 60F:



My seedling farm:



Temperature:  55-65F (13-18C).  Fan above the lights gives a little gentle air flow over the plants.  I don't leave it on all the time.  Transparent propagation dome keeps humidity high around germinating seeds, without the use of plastic bags.  Hooks and chains let me adjust height of fixtures.  Foil-covered insulating foam (barely visible at back) reflects light back to the plants.  By Spring, these plants will think they are a year old, and many will bloom this Summer.  Stresses and hazards are nearly eliminated in this system.

[Matt T]

Coming home from two weeks on Christmas travels I found several pots of Crocus seed have germinated:

From the Crocus Group seed exchange:
Crocus boryi
Crocus laevigatus and
Crocus laevigatus 'Gold Back' ex Crete

From SRGC seed exchange 2013/14:
Crocus speciosus
Crocus tommasinianus

[Robert]

One of our California native perennials:

Lupinus albifrins var. collinus

I start many of our native annuals in seed pans too. They are started about 1 October. They are all up and growing now and will be moved into the garden as soon as possible. When the native annuals are happy they reseed themselves without my help. If all goes right the spring show can be very nice.

[Matt T]

Germinating now is Crocus mathewii from the Crocus Group seed exchange. This pot was actually upset by the wind soon after sowing, spilling the contents everywhere. I retrieved what I could but didn't have high hopes of getting anything at all. However, I might still get one popping up from the cracks in the paving! 

[YT]

Here is a Crocus mathewii seedling, too. Both parents of the seeds in this pot came from Janis.

[meanie]

Canna warscewiczii..............


Ridiculously easy! They were chipped on the 21st, soaked for 48 hrs, wrapped in cotton wool, bagged up and hung here................