Seed starting chronicles 2012

[Hoy]

Déjà vu is just the French phrase for the feeling that something has been seen before.  

I know that I'm talking about the strange signs jà between the j and the à! and these:  following my name!!
They're like squares with a two zeros and a number in (the numbers are 17, 11, 17, 05, 12 and 05). Thought they were some ascii code. Don't yousee them?

[Lori S.]

Déjà vu is just the French phrase for the feeling that something has been seen before.  

I know that I'm talking about the strange signs jà between the j and the à! and these:  following my name!!
They're like squares with a two zeros and a number in (the numbers are 17, 11, 17, 05, 12 and 05). Thought they were some ascii code. Don't yousee them?

No, I don't.  All I see is the semi-colon right after your name, followed on the next line by the link I posted.  

Edit:  I was experimenting in the post, prior to sending it, trying to remember what keystrokes were used for acute and grave accents, and did type out a string of symbols, but I deleted it all prior to sending... that's what it sounds like you are seeing, but I can't imagine why you might be seeing it after I deleted it, and why I can't see it now?  One of the mysteries of computers, perhaps?  I have a Mac - do you happen to have a PC?  I do notice weirdness sometimes when linking from Macs to PCs at work... ?

Bah, it's all black magic!  

Edit:  Trond, I went back and retyped the "deja vu" bit... I hope that has corrected it and removed the weird symbols from your view!?

Edit:  Errr, okay, I guess it's something to do with the keystrokes for the accents then, not the other stuff I deleted.

[RickR]

You are not going crazy, Trond.  I see them, too.

There must have been something that Lori left behind in her message, or something the computer did itself as a result, that our computers don't recognize.  Consequently, another symbol was put in its place.  I'm sure they must mean something in computer lingo, because I see them exactly as you describe.

[AmyO]

And I am NOT seeing them! How strange!

[RickR]

s... a modest start towards building up a bit of a reference database, and carrying on from some efforts in last year's seed season.  Any thoughts on this?  

Could we make a separate Seed and Seedling photo gallery in our Wiki?
--- That would be awesomely cool! 

[cohan]

And I am NOT seeing them! How strange!

Lori's message showed properly for me, with the french accents in place, and no extra symbols; I do know the sort of symbols Trond is talking about though-- I have seen them sometimes when viewing pages or words in other languages and clearly my operating system or browser or something is not recognising them.. some conflict between different systems I guess, that some of us are seeing proper French and some not...

BTW, my keyboard can be set to various formats, to make those accents, but then they displace other regular characters- one would have to learn a whole other keyboard (the other characters are not marked on the keys!).. when I need to make 'foreign' characters, I use this:
http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html

[Lori S.]

Yes, I use similar guides... for Macs, though.

[Hoy]

No, I don't.  All I see is the semi-colon right after your name, followed on the next line by the link I posted.  

Edit:  I was experimenting in the post, prior to sending it, trying to remember what keystrokes were used for acute and grave accents, and did type out a string of symbols, but I deleted it all prior to sending... that's what it sounds like you are seeing, but I can't imagine why you might be seeing it after I deleted it, and why I can't see it now?  One of the mysteries of computers, perhaps?  I have a Mac - do you happen to have a PC?  I do notice weirdness sometimes when linking from Macs to PCs at work... ?

Bah, it's all black magic!  

Edit:  Trond, I went back and retyped the "deja vu" bit... I hope that has corrected it and removed the weird symbols from your view!?

Edit:  Errr, okay, I guess it's something to do with the keystrokes for the accents then, not the other stuff I deleted.

Lori, I have a Mac :-) and your retyping moved the weird symbols in front of the sentence 
Don't bother- I was just curious and wondered if you had used some symbols I didn't have

[RickR]

Good germination information in this pdf for those wanting to germinate eriogonums native to Utah:
--- E. alatum
--- E. bicolor
--- E. brevicaule
--- E. corymbosum
--- E. heracleoides
--- E. jamesii
--- E. ovalifolium
--- E. racemosum
--- E. shokleyi
--- E. umbellatum

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCoQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nativeplantnetwork.org%2FContent%2FArticles%2F1-1NPJ18-24.pdf&ei=sO8qT6PpKdTKsQKLl4muDg&usg=AFQjCNF_zsBg_FukrQtVTIMsCHHvSwJ-fQ

[Lori S.]

Could we make a separate Seed and Seedling photo gallery in our Wiki?
--- That would be awesomely cool!  

That sounds like a great idea!
Until that, or something like it comes about, here are some new ones and some updates on others:

There is a definite familial similarity between seedlings of the locally native Saussurea nuda var. densa and Saussurea nupuripoensis... (both of these have been easy to germinate... if there is a challenge, it will be in growing them!)

Here is Saussurea nuda var. densa; the seeds germinated in 9 days in room temperature conditions:


Here is Saussurea nupuripoensis which germinated in 5-6 days at room temperature; the seeds were from Vojtech Holubec, and collected in Zhdanko, Sakhalin, Russia at 400m elevation from a scree habitat  (description:  "caespitose plant, 20cm high, lanceolate tomentose leaves, lilac flowers in terminal cymes, 2011 seed").


Arenaria pseudoacantholimon; seeds also from Vojtech Holubec, ex. Palandoken, Turkey at 2300m elevation, from limestone scree (description:  "compact cushions like Acantholimon, 5-10cm wide, spiny leaves, 8 mm long, white flowers on thin 10-15 cm stems"; seeds collected in 2011):


Acantholimon saxifragiforme is taking on an acantholimon-like look as the true leaves emerge:


What very timely references to starting Eriogonum, Rick.   I will need to peruse those too!

[Hoy]

Good germination information in this pdf for those wanting to germinate eriogonums native to Utah:

Thanks again, Rick! I have about 20 pck of eriogonums

[David Sellars]

That germination information is very interesting Rick.  I was particularly struck by Table 3 that indicates to me that chilling is required for at least 2 months and maybe 4 or 5 months for high altitude species, based on their experiments with Eriogonum.

I use two strategies for seed starting.  Those that need cold stratification are left outside with a cover to experience alternating temperatures.  Those seeds that need warm temperatures I start in a greenhouse.  If I get seed from the exchange at the end of January the challenge is that, in our climate, I don't have 2 months of suitable cold stratification weather remaining before spring.  I have observed that I get better germination if I sow outside seeds in November so that there is a full winter period for cold stratification. So some seeds that I receive in late January I now save for planting the following November.

I have outside seed trays of Lewisia rediviva and Douglasia nivalis sown last November that germinated in January.

[Todd Boland]

Here are some of my results.  I have about 200 pots on the go.  Many are being stratified and some were just sown and stratified today so they will not see heat until April.  Having said that, here's what is germinated

Direct Sown Jan 27/12, germinated Feb.7/12 (some germinated earlier than this but I essentially make notes once a week, they are growing at 10 C nights, 15 C days)

Alyssum borzeanum
Alyssum pulvinare
Achillea clavinae
Erigeron foliosus
Erigeron simplex
Hymenoxys subintegra
Heliosperma pusillum
Heterotheca pumila
Scorzonera austriaca
Townsendia hookeri
T. incana
T. rothrockii
T. scapigera
T. florifera
T. mensana

Stratified Dec. 21/11, brought into heat Feb. 2/12, germinated Feb. 7/12

Primula cortusoides
Penstemon pachyphyllus
P. fendleri
Draba parnassica
Incarvillea mairei
Onosma cinerea
Onosma helvatica


Stratified Nov. 10/11, brought into heat Jan. 9/12, germinated Jan. 23/12

Androsace obtusifolia
Allium stellatum
Campanula celsii
Symphandra armena
Delphinium smithianum
Saxifraga cherleroides v. rebunshirensis

I'll post an update in a week!

[Hoy]

Todd, those sown Nov/Dec last year, are the seed fresh or stored from another year?
I never get seeds that early in the season?!

[RickR]

If I get seed from the exchange at the end of January the challenge is that, in our climate, I don't have 2 months of suitable cold stratification weather remaining before spring.  I have observed that I get better germination if I sow outside seeds in November so that there is a full winter period for cold stratification. So some seeds that I receive in late January I now save for planting the following November.

I do that more and more now, too, waiting to plant seeds next season.  Maybe partly because I don't get it all done as early as I should.  It seems to be preferred by a lot of fritillaria people, and certainly could be better for seed that might do better when aged, like penstemon and some cactus.