Seed starting chronicles 2012

[Toole]

Thanks all regarding the Silene --it never set seed ........

Here's an Ixiolirion tataricum flowering from my own 'home' seed .

Cheers Dave.

[Lori S.]

              Oxytropis nana - germinated at room temperature in 2 days after scarification and 2 hour soak.  It was quite amazing how quickly they absorbed water.  In the 2 hours it seemed like they doubled in size, but in reality they increased in size by about 50%.

I did a second trial at room temperature with an equal number of seed from the same batch (NARGS Seed Ex seed wild collected in Wyoming) unscarified and not soaked.  One seed emerged in 35 days, so far.
               tried to inline include (attachthumb) attachment #3 but it could not be found (or you don't have permission to view images).

Comparing my methods and results to yours in general, it appears to be the scarification that's the key, not the soaking.  I don't soak any pea family seeds (or any other seeds with exception of a few drops of GA-3 solution for gentians), yet get comparably rapid germination.