Seed-starting chronicles 2011

[Lori S.]

I got bored and started planting a couple of weeks ago, and in short order, now have some seedlings to watch!

Aloinopsis spathulata - giving this another try; abundant germination in 1 week, warm
Astragalus coccineus - Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, abundant germ in 1 week, warm
Astragalus missouriensis - Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, germ in 1 week, warm
Astragalus purshii v. lectulus  - from Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm
Globularia stygia   - Pavelka 2010 order   ; 1 germ after 6 days, warm
Oxytropis besseyi v. ventosa  -Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm
Oxytropis lagopus   -Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm
Oxytropis podocarpa   - Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm
Penstemon venustus   - NARGS #2400 2010 seedex - germ in cold room after 2 weeks
Saussurea stella - Pavelka 2010 order; a couple germ after 1 week, warm
Trifolium nanum   -Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm
Trifolium owyheensis    -Alplains 2009 order; after scarifying, several germ in 1 week, warm

Anyone else?

[RickR]

Lori, what temp is you cold room?  I do try to keep track of others' experiences.  Thanks for posting.  I haven't planted anything except some delayed hypogeal germinating lilies.  So far:

Species/nargs#-year of seed collection

Lilium kelleyanum ex Ratco 1909-09 -- germ 1 week,68F(20C).All 4 seeds germinated immediate epigeal. Must not be L. kelleyanum
Lilium ledbourii 1913-09 -- germ 30 days,68F(20C)
Lilium monadelphum col. Georgia 4539-07 -- germ 26 days,68F(20C)
Lilium monadelphum col. Russia 4266-09 -- germ 21 days,68F(20C)
Lilium monadelphum var. szovitsianum col.Georgia 4540-07 -- germ 25 days,68F(20C)

[Hoy]

I have planted about 60 different species, about 1/2 is outside.
The rest stand in a room in the basement (12-17C) together with 40 pots that germinated last fall.
These have germinated in the last days:
Rhododendron sp
Triodanis perfoliata
Scilla obtusifolia
Hedysarium boveanum
Urginea undulata
The last three are gifts.

[Lori S.]

Rick, the cold room is 44°F (6.6° C) right now, while it's 39°F (4°C) outside.  It's insulated and vented to the outdoors, so it was probably a bit colder when it was -20°C out.  The rest of the basement - including the furnace room area where my plant table is - is close to ~20°C.

Trond, what light source do you use to keep germinated seedlings/plants indoors all through the winter?    How many months would that be?  (I know your winter must be much shorter than ours... well, whose isn't? )

Several sprouts now of Helianthemum germanicopolitanum - a yellow-flowered Helianthemum from Turkey - after ~8 days, warm.

[Hoy]

Trond, what light source do you use to keep germinated seedlings/plants indoors all through the winter?    How many months would that be?  (I know your winter must be much shorter than ours... well, whose isn't? )

Several sprouts now of Helianthemum germanicopolitanum - a yellow-flowered Helianthemum from Turkey - after ~8 days, warm.

I use common white 64Watt fluorescent tube light and place the pots 20-30cm from the tubes. The temperature goes down at night when the light is off so the plants grow slowly. Occasionally I loose some plants - overwatering and/or irregular watering.

Last fall i had to bring the seedlings into the basement from the cold greenhouse mid November (unusual cold weather) but usually I do not move them before Xmas or I place them in a slightly warmer one which I can heat. I bring them back to the cold greenhouse March/April depending on weather.

The sun doesn't give any warmth before ultimo February, my place faces West-Northwest.

[Lori S.]

Does anyone have any advice on how to start Lomatium columbianum?  Deno advises cold treatment.  I tried that last time and unfortunately had zero germination.

[RickR]

He says germination in the 7th week at 40.  That's a long time to wait.  Isn't in interesting that some of the Lomatium spp. die when give 3 months at 70F...

Sorry. No help from me.

[Lori S.]

Hi, Rick,
Well, I guess 7 weeks is not so bad given Dr. Deno's standard of 3 month temperature periods... 
Okay, into the cold room with them, and I will hope for better results this year.  

[Lori S.]

A few little things from under the grow lights...
1) Astragalus utahensis

... which I hope will survive to look like Anne's gorgeous plants, here:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24.0;attach=7852;image

2) Scutellaria hypericifolia:

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200020317

3) Aloinopsis spathulata... one more try to see if it will be hardy for me.


4) Onosma paniculatum.  I grew some last year as well, and seeing that they are said in the attached description to be biennial, here's a shot at trying to get them to the state of being self-seeding (assuming wintering success this spring).

http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019166

5) Calandrinia umbellatum... very much in need of potting-on!  (This is what happens with very fine seed and a laissez-faire attitude to planting.)  A rank experiment... perhaps with excellent drainage, a south-facing exposure and the shelter of rocks in the tufa garden... ?

http://www.wildgingerfarm.com/Calandrinia.htm

Anyone else willing to share pix of seeding efforts?

[Todd Boland]

I have about 80 pots in cold storage at the moment...will bring the first into heat in about 2 weeks, after 6 weeks strat.  I have a few pots indoors sprouting but I cannot recall the species (I am actually in Calgary visiting my brother at the moment).

[RickR]

Well I have more Lilium spp. that germinated and are producing their tiny underground bulb, like the one I had on the image of the day:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24.0;attach=11559;image
But to the non-lilium aficionado the species would all look the same, I think.

I did have an interesting development with one seed of Lilium monadelphum collected on Mt. Gunib, Daghestan, RU: it is producing scales like a lily bulb might do in its second (or greater) year!  In addition, the scales are spaying apart rather than appressed.  If it were treated with colchicine or some other altering  chemical (which it was not), this would be an indication of the bulb converting to a tetraploid from a diploid.   I don't know what to think of it.  At any rate, it is special and one to watch.  Excluding the three scales, the bulb is about 1.5mm in diameter.  The other four germinated seeds from this batch are progressing normally.

[Lori S.]

Your skills are admirable, Rick!  I certainly don't have the patience for lily seeds.

A few little things, looking rather cute as the true leaves develop:
1) Astragalus coccineus


2) Astragalus missouriensis


3) Oxytropis besseyi var. ventosa


4) Trifolium nanum


5) Penstemon albidus


6) Penstemon attenuatus var. attenuatus


7) Penstemon euglaucus

[Lori S.]

The 2010 NARGS seedex list had a fabulous selection of Salvia!   (Many may yet be available from the surplus seed list, which I have not yet checked.)
Salvia are generally easy, warm germinators, as I determined from the extremely helpful seed starting advice that was published in a CRAGS bulletin last fall, and these followed that pattern.
The tiny first true leaves on both of these are intriguingly furry:
1) Salvia cyanescens

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_cyanescens
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/98524/

2) Salvia hypargeia

http://www.pavelkaalpines.cz/Photos/Turkey2010/salviahypargeiaeofgoremeturkey.html

Here are a couple of useful reference sites for the less common Salvia:
http://www.robinssalvias.com/blue/c.shtm
http://www.rmrp.com/Reference/OnlineRefSS.htm

[Todd Boland]

Looking good Lori!  I just found my missing 150 packets of left-over NARGS seeds from last years seedex...all are now sown with most in the root cellar for a now, short strat period...I hope 4 weeks is long enough! At last count I have over 250 pots sown!  I expect many will be duds as the seeds were kept at room temp.

[RickR]

I hate it when that happens. 

It seems I am always "misplacing" seed packets! 
Somehow, they get all over the house...