Seed starting chronicles 2012

[Todd Boland]

Yes Trond, they were last years seeds.  Some of the seed exchanges I use don't send seed until April which is too late for strat.  And then I also get excess NARGS seed and they don't arrive until April-May, so I have plenty of seed that sits around until the following fall.

[Todd Boland]

Latest germination:

Stratified Nov. 10, heat Feb 2, germination Feb. 9

Draba norvegica (native)
Armeria maritima ssp. siberica (native)

Stratified Dec 2, heat Feb. 2, germination Feb 9

Draba brunifolia
Arabis parishii

[Lori S.]

A few recent ones:
Physochlainia orientalis (the leftmost seedling is an imposter); Rheum delavayi; Campanula topaliana; Smelowskia calycina:
     
Some info:
Physochlainia orientalis- seeds from Gardens North; germinated at 6 days at room temp; an interesting, early-blooming hardy Solanaceae; this photo is from the Reader Rock Garden in Calgary:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/14980862@N03/2494136461/
http://www.rareplants.de/shop/product.asp?P_ID=9059
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=120&taxon_id=242442760

Rheum delavayi - seeds collected by Holubec in China, Beima Shan, Yunnan, 4800m elevation, slate scree, 2008.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242343374

Campanula topaliana - seeds from NARGS in 2010; whereas many Campanula seem to require stratification, this one sprouts readily at room temp; in the first attempt in 2010, germination took 8 days; this year, from the same seeds, germination started the day after planting; I'm growing some more of these in case they do turn out to be monocarpic, and to disperse at the CRAGS plant sale, if there is any interest in it:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=24.msg13116#msg13116

Smelowskia calycina - a native alpine Brassicaceae:
  http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=934.msg13941#msg13941
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Plantago urvillei; Microula tibetica; Scutellaria megalaspis:
   

Plantago urvillei - seeds from Holubec, ex. Olkhon, Siberia, grassland, collected 2011.
http://www.fotomontaro.com/flora/plantagina/plantago_urvillei01.shtml

Microula tibetica - seeds from Holubec, collected "China, Shengli Daban, Borohorshan, 3500m, open erosion gullies, compact caespitose cushion, 2-3 cm high, scabrous lanceolate lvs in ground rosettes minor blue sessile flws, 2011"; Boraginaceae.
http://holubec.wbs.cz/3Borohoro-Shan_-Xinjiang.html
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200019128

Scutellaria megalaspis - seeds from Pavelka, 1500m, Hekinham, Turkey; Bigger cushions, branched stems, 15-25 cm, violet-blue flws, dry stoney slopes, 2010 seed.
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Thymus aff. haussknechtii; Ebenus pisidica; Cynoglossum lanceolatum:
   

Thymus aff. haussknechtii - seeds from Pavelka, "1600m, Kop Dag, Turkey; dense dwarf subshrub, 10-20cm, strongly bluish-glaucous lvs, big white to pink flws, very good, 2008 seed"; seeds germinated in 5 days at room temp.

Ebenus pisidica - seeds from Pavelka, "1600m, Dirmil Pass, Turkey; cushions of silky-silver lvs, 10-15cm, red-purple flws in globose inflorescence, stoney slopes, 2009 seed"; seeds germinated in 2 days after being scarified by rubbing against a file.
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo232044.htm

Cynoglossum lanceolatum - seeds from Pavelka, "3300m, Zhongdian Range, Yunnan, China; short lived perennial, silky hairy leaves, erect scapes, 10-50cm, many sky blue flws, stoney slopes, 2009 seed".
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200018962


Edited to add details.

[Lori S.]

Also Syncalathium soulei or more correctly(?), Melanoseris souliei and Cancrinia tianshanica:
 

Syncalathium soulei - seeds from Holubec, China, Hong Shan, Yunnan.
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=963.msg14996#msg14996
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=250097510

Cancrinia tianshanica - seeds from Holubec, "China, Shengli Daban,Borhoroshan, 3600m, alpine sandy deposits, caespitose pl, 3-7cm high, hairy pinnate lvs, 2-3 cm long, ball-like capituli, 15mm wide, yellow flws, 2011".
http://holubec.wbs.cz/3Borohoro-Shan_-Xinjiang.html

These also germinated in a few days at room temperature.

Edited to add details.

[Fermi]

This Ebenus creticus was sown a few weeks ago and germinated yesterday - I hadn't been hopeful as mice had gotten into the packet and I didn't know if anything viable (edible!) was left to sow! Seeing Lori's Ebenus psidica made me think I should post this pic!
cheers
fermi

[McDonough]

Fun seeing all these little babies pop up. 

Lori, I don't even know the genus on some that you show.  I looked up the genus Syncalathium in Flora of China, there's a note at the bottom about S. souliei being ascribed to the genus Melanoseris (as M. souliei)
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=132065

This link discusses related genera (I know none of them) and some photos of very interesting looking plants:
http://english.kib.cas.cn/rh/rp/201104/t20110406_67336.html

Syncalathium souliei on the Holubec site, 3rd photo from the bottom:
http://holubec.wbs.cz/6Tibet_-China.html
...terrific looking form and large clear photo on the Database of Chinese Plants site:
http://www.plant.csdb.cn/details?guid=photo:cfh@8f4d0a7e-e01a-4ce0-a69a-c995db946e2b
http://www.plant.csdb.cn/details?guid=photo:cfh@fb9c051b-f560-44bc-ab8c-e2d41b621f47

[McDonough]

This Ebenus creticus was sown a few weeks ago and germinated yesterday - I hadn't been hopeful as mice had gotten into the packet and I didn't know if anything viable (edible!) was left to sow! Seeing Lori's Ebenus psidica made me think I should post this pic!
cheers
fermi

Fermi, I've always been curious about your seed sowing technique where it looks like the gravel mulch is "domed" and filled right to the brim of the pots; is this done for drainage purposes?  From what I've seen, you get good germination.

[Todd Boland]

Like Mark said, I don't recognize half the seeds you are growing Lori....I assume these are mostly Halda or Holubec seed? (In which case, most would not be suitabe for Newfoundland as we are too wet).

[Todd Boland]

BTW, I would have thought many of those genera needed a strat period..yet you didn't.  How do you know which to do and which not to do? (I follow the ORGS site but many of the more unusual seeds are not listed there)

[Lori S.]

Thanks for the info about Syncalathium/Melanoseris, Mark - I'll add that to my records.

The very unfamiliar things I'm growing are mainly from this year's (and past) orders from Mojmir Pavelka and Vojtech Holubec, collected in Turkey, China, Macedonia and Greece, Kazakhstan, and Russia.  (I'll go back into that posting and add some more detail about the species, provenance, etc..)

So far as deciding whether they'd need stratification or not, well, I make some wild guesses!  
I made the assumption that Brassicaceae and Asteraceae may be less inclined to need stratification than some others.   What does everyone think about that?
If they don't germinate after, say 3-4 weeks, I put them in the cold room for some chilling, and pull them out again in 6 weeks or so for another try.

I scarify all Fabaceae, and then try them at room temp, which usually works.  (I think that's pretty standard... ?)

Other than that, I rely a lot on an article by Alan Bradshaw (Alplains) about seed starting that was published in the CRAGS newsletter, which gives some useful guidelines for which genera generally need stratification and which don't... and I refer to Dr. Deno's texts, although many of the more exotic genera aren't covered there.

[Hoy]

Lori, Syncalathium souliei looks very exiting! Hope you manage to grow it.

Firstly I set my seedpots in a temperate room and then bring them to a colder place if they don't sprout in  two - three weeks. Some montane species like Cremanthodium sprouts immediately in 10-15C other prefere higher temperature.

[Todd Boland]

I agree that Syncalathium souliei looks like a keeper!

Lori, are you growing Inula rhizocephala?  I have seeds from two sources and neither germinated...maybe THEY need stratification?

[Lori S.]

Looking back at my notes, I grew Inula rhizocephala in 2009 at room temperature and had germination... enough to result in several plants to set out.  I didn't note how long it took to germinate.  So, perhaps it might have done better with stratification, I don't know.

[cohan]

Good show Lori and Fermi
I looked at the Syncalathium when looking over Holubec's offerings- I'm more and more enamored of many Asteraceae, but some of these Himalayan oddities are especially exciting...

[Todd Boland]

I am germinating in a cool greenhouse....only 13 C on a cloudy day (most days!) but to 20 C on a sunny.  Maybe they (Inula) just need a longer time.