Germinating now- - photos of seedlings

[Lesley Cox]

Michael, my seed was from Marcus Harvey in Australia (Tasmania) and I guess was reasonably fresh when he offered it, same with the Richea and Patersonia. A couple of other things haven't germinated though, Isophysis and something. I think I need to get the Blandfordia potted up now or perhaps wait until spring. To be truthful I'm a bit scared of disturbing them. Marcus' email if you want to try his seed is hillview400@hotmail.com

Hochu, I had some seed last year on the Asteranthera and have some more pods from the pre-Christmas flowering and am pollinating each flower on the present batch. When some is ripe I'll be very happy to send it to you. It germinated for me quite quickly, about a month I think. Send me your postal address in a private email.

I have often found that seed going from one side of the world to the other takes a different time to germinate. It may be that the seasons being different, germination takes place differently. For instance, crocuses take 3-6 months here, fresh from my own seed, but if someone in say, the UK sends me fresh crocus seed it may take 18 months. I mention this because if I say the Asteranthera takes only a month and then it takes much longer if sent away, that may be the reason. Let's face it, seed is funny stuff and each kind has a mind of its own, it seems to me.

[Hoy]

Lesley, did you say that Richea usually needs 2 years to germinate from seed?
BTW, you don't need germination in your pots - the sand/granules are beautiful!

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley, did you say that Richea usually needs 2 years to germinate from seed?
BTW, you don't need germination in your pots - the sand/granules are beautiful!

I don't know if Richea NEEDS two years Trond. I suspect for the first one when only the single plant germinated, it got too dry for too long and then was totally neglected. It was a miracle that I found the single plant and well grown at that. The second lot could have taken a lot less time because the seedlings when brand new are so tiny and I may not have noticed them for a long time. I went through a period of about 18 months when I spent little time with my plants through other commitments, and lost a lot of things as a result. The whole place became overgrown mostly with grasses and I'm only now beginning to get some control back.

The first one may well have been one of many more and all but the one died, I just don't know. I must admit to being amazed at the number of little ones in the more recent pot. Obviously they WANT to germinate. The seed looks so dusty and unseedlike, somewhat like Eucalyptus species and heaven knows they germinate well. I have seedlings in every other pot of seed from the tall trees we have growing here.

I buy the sand as horticultural sand from a local supplier and there is about 70% dusty sand in it which I laboriously sieve out and add to the potting mix as I think it is quite full of nutrients. Then I use the bigger bits for seed cover.

[Tony Willis]

Meconopsis punicea seed germinating. The original seed came from Norway in 2008

[johnw]

Meconopsis punicea seed germinating. The original seed came from Norway in 2008

Tony - 3+ years to germinate?

Our Lingholm seed sown late last summer came up several weeks ago but no signs of your punicea seed from a sowing in June.  Is it later than Lingholm or might they take another few years?

johnw

[Tony Willis]

Meconopsis punicea seed germinating. The original seed came from Norway in 2008

Tony - 3+ years to germinate?

Our Lingholm seed sown late last summer came up several weeks ago but no signs of your punicea seed from a sowing in June.  Is it later than Lingholm or might they take another few years?

johnw

John the problems of a common language. No these were sown last summer,from plants which I grew from seed I received in 2008!!

I had a good number germinate in the autumn just three months from sowing.

Have you brought them into the warm? This spurs on germination

[johnw]

John the problems of a common language. No these were sown last summer,from plants which I grew from seed I received in 2008!!
I had a good number germinate in the autumn just three months from sowing.
Have you brought them into the warm? This spurs on germination

Silly me.  The punicea pots are at about 10c where the Lingholm seed sprouted.  I will try moving them into warmth and move back to the cool when they sprout.

Thanks

johnw 

[Garden Prince]

Germinating now:

Angelica gigas (fresh seed from the UK)
Cytisus battandieri (why do I keep sowing things that are not hardy and probably die their first winter?)
Nomocharis aperta (From China via Norway to the Netherlands: these seeds are real globetrotters!)

[Lesley Cox]

I have some cuttings in of the Cytisus. They've lost their leaves but the stems are stil silky green and quite turgid. I'm hopeful, if I can keep them green thru' the winter.

I would have expected the seedlings of Ang. gigas, especially at the true leaf stage, to be dark red?

[hochu]

Lesley, thank you very much for agreeing to share the seeds Asteranthera. I told my address in a private email.

[Philippe]

Seeds sown and left outside during January, experiencing the 2 weeks cold wave early february.
Gentiana nubigena and G.altorum are just beginning with finding their ways to the light right now.
All seeds from M.Pavelka
I hope we won't have too warm weather for some of them and their followers during April, as the return to the more fresh air of the alpine garden, included me, is only in 6 weeks.

[Lesley Cox]

Lesley, thank you very much for agreeing to share the seeds Asteranthera. I told my address in a private email.

Yes Alex, I have noted your address and will send the seeds in due course. It may still be a couple of months. I'll report progress from time to time. I have a dozen pods so far, some well formed and some from the newer flowers just beginning to swell but they take a really long time to ripen.

[Onion]

Germinating now:

Cytisus battandieri (why do I keep sowing things that are not hardy and probably die their first winter?)

Because you can get seedlings that survived minus 15 degree Celsius. My Cytisus battandieri have survived now 6 winters. Every winter we have minus 15 degree. The plant "lost" the foliage, but recovered. Flowers every year with me.

[Maggi Young]

Germinating now:

Cytisus battandieri (why do I keep sowing things that are not hardy and probably die their first winter?)

Because you can get seedlings that survived minus 15 degree Celsius. My Cytisus battandieri have survived now 6 winters. Every winter we have minus 15 degree. The plant "lost" the foliage, but recovered. Flowers every year with me.

Good for you, Uli.... worth some difficulties to get that wonderful fragrance from the flowers.

[hanninkj]

I have collected seeds of a Clematis species with large flowers(18-22cm) from China and one part treated with GA3.
After 3 months the first seeds germinated which were treated with GA3. Now after 2 months no seeds which were not treated no germinating.
I have sometimes good results with GA3.