Germinating now- - photos of seedlings

[Yann]

Pleased to see some Crocus autranii germinating after seeing the pic of the flower posted by Janis recently
cheers
fermi

Fermi what's the size of your pots?

[fermi de Sousa]

Fermi what's the size of your pots?

Hi Yann,
the pots are 3inch (7.5cm) wide,
cheers
fermi

[Diane Whitehead]

Eager to grow:   

Nerine gracilis seeds sent in late September from Eire to the Pacific coast of Canada where they arrived October 14. 

All germinated en route, though they vary a bit - some have long stems and the beginning of a bulb already.

[Vinny 123]

Eager to grow:   

Nerine gracilis seeds sent in late September from Eire to the Pacific coast of Canada where they arrived October 14. 

All germinated en route, though they vary a bit - some have long stems and the beginning of a bulb already.

I had much the same with a packet of lots of Crossyne flava that took an age from S Africa earlier this year. I am unsure how many may actually make viable plants, hopefully a few, although I may be waiting a while for flowers!!

[fermi de Sousa]

Iris iberica ssp elegantissima germinating? Sown in 2008!
cheers
fermi

[PhilG]

A couple of Cyclamen now germinating (photo's taken a couple of days ago.
Cyclamen coum - now 7 seedlings so far, over 100 seeds sown on 9th September 2021


Cyclamen pseudibericum - 3 seedlings so far, about 30 sown on 9th September 2021
Particularly pleased with these seedlings, as I've managed to kill the parent plant.

[PhilG]

Just a quick update.

Over 40 of Cyclamen Coum now germinated.
About 15 of Cyclamen pseudibericum and I've now had germination of Cyclamen intaminatum started, which were sown a few weeks after the other 2.

[Tristan_He]

I have recently been experimenting with growing hardy orchids from seed. Unfortunately growing in vitro proved a total failure due to contamination - I think you really do need access to a lab. However, the cardboard method so far looks very promising:



Dactylorhiza purpurella protocorms



...and a germinating seed.





Anacamptis morio protocorms.

[Rick R.]

So orchid seeds don't have the normal one radicle that emerges from the seed?  Or is that fungal mycelia radiating "all over"?

Incredibly interesting!

[Tristan_He]

Hi Rick, apparently the orchid protocorms produce many tiny rhizoids that connect up with the fungal mycelium and take nutrients from it. The trick with the cardboard method is to grow plenty of the right sort of fungus (which seems to 'eat' cardboard as well as dry twigs etc - basically anything with a high cellulose / lignin content). In turn the orchid seeds use this to germinate and grow in the early stages.

I agree, it's a fascinating method and well worth giving a try. In the photos you can see both the rhizoids emerging from the protocorms and the weblike fungal mycelium.

Happy New Year!

Tristan

[Gail]

I love that these poppy seeds are not waiting for anything as mundane as a tray of seed compost...

[Véronique Macrelle]

the protocorms are very interesting... on "pre-decomposed" cardboard how? on the compost, for example? on the ground? I have only one Orchid in the garden, it is an old and enormous Orchis purpurea, would it work for her?

 oh! Gaël's poppies, it's so cute! they look like hairy heads! in which region are the poppies already germinating now? it's not too early?

[Tristan_He]

Hi Véronique, it's actually surprisingly simple. The method was invented in Japan but it seems to work very well for European terrestrial orchids such as Anacamptis and Dactylorhiza. It should also work for more difficult species including Cephalanthera, Epipactis and Cypripedium, as well as your Orchis purpurea. I should say I only started this recently, so am inexperienced, but have had excellent germination so far. To be honest this isn't the ideal time to do this (probably best done in late summer / autumn), though seed I sowed only a few days ago is already germinating.

You will need:

- Orchid seed (obviously);
- shallow plastic trays to sow into - I find the type you buy tomotoes, meat or mushrooms from the supermarket are ideal. Make holes in the bottom for drainage.
- plain brown cardboard (not the glossy stuff);
- suitable nutrient-free substrate - I like to use Seramis as it is dark (so easy to see small protocorms), retains water well but keeps an open structure that seems good for orchids;
- a few twigs and leaves from the garden, broken / shredded finely;
- a small amount of soil from around where orchids are growing (this and the twigs should provide fungal spores - be careful not to introduce any bugs);
- clear plastic bags large enough to put your trays into.

Method:
1. Cut up some of the cardboard into small pieces about the size of your little fingernail. You need about 500ml of cardboard pieces
2. Soak cardboard and Seramis in rainwater overnight and drain, reserving the liquid ('cardboard tea').
3. Mix the cardboard with about 2-3 parts of Seramis, a dessertspoon of the soil and a dessertspoon of the shredded bark or leaves.
4. Place in a container with a lid on and leave in a dark place at room temperature for a week or so (you don't have to do this, but it gets some good fungal activity going). The mix should smell like freshly dug earth. The lid is to keep out fungus gnats, which like to eat both the fungus and protocorms.
5. Cut strips of dry cardboard to fit your container lengthwise and place them vertically in your container at even intervals. Pack the gaps with the Seramis mix (I'm not sure this is really necessary but it's quite fun).
6. Using a teaspoon, sow the seed thinly on the surface of the mix. It seems to grow most rapidly on the cardboard itself, where there is most fungal activity. Label and place on a saucer of the 'cardboard tea' to soak overnight.
7. The following day, place in a sealed plastic bag to exclude fungus gnats.  Keep for 6 weeks or so in the dark at room temperature, by which time small protocorms should be visible.
8. Transfer to a cool but frost free light place, still in the bag. Cooler conditions should stimulate leaf growth, when it should be possible to repot the small plants (I haven't yet reached this stage!).
9. Keep any spare compost in a covered container in a cool dark place as a 'starter' for future use.

It seems a crazy method but actually it is quite easy (beginners' luck?) and I have found it very reliable for germination. So far I have had germination of every species I tried: Anacamptis morio (which germinates very quickly and readily), Dactylorhiza purpurella, D. incarnata, D. incarnata var. dunensis, Platanthera bifolia (this is a bit slow, the seeds seem to have a thicker outer coating resulting in slower germination) and perhaps Orchis purpurea - not quite sure about this one and the seed was old but I think I can see small protocorms. I'm hoping to try more species if i can get hold of seed.

There is a Facebook Group (Cardboard Orchids Sowing Group) where different growers share experiences, recipes and photos.

Good luck!

[Tristan_He]

Gail I love your poppy seed heads... I only wish I had such a good head of hair 

[aldo]

Helleborus versicarius