Re: pod ripening

At 10:02 AM 09/08/2000 +0200, Ben Zonneveld of Netherlands wrote:
>Earlier I said that it takes 70-90 days from the first flower to the
>seed to be ripe This is a far cry from the 30 days of Zilis. There are
>a few  caveats in my timing
>1. very small plants seem to ripe earlier.
>2. My day temp is usually around 68-80 F ( 18-23C) so a higher
>temp may give faster ripening but not 3 times faster!.
>3. My first plants flowers the end of june ( sieboldiana and venusta
>types) THey will be harvested the end of this month All pods are
>then still green, but contain black seeds!
>4.I dont have the problem of frost First the first frost arrives
>somewhere in november secondly I usually place those that ripe
>late on the windowsill at around 70 F I think it is useless to leave
>them to ripen on the plant when the frost has hit them
>5.Still I thiink it very useful to mark the scape with the date of the
>first flower.
>Ben J.M.Zonneveld
>Clusius lab pobox 9505
>2300 RA Leiden
>The Netherlands
>mintemp-16C(5F)
>Zonneveld@RULbim.LeidenUniv.NL
>Fax: 31-71-5274999


Ben and hosta'open'teer's ...I personally, would like to know the 
conditions by which a hosta-pod will have ripe-seeds, a month after 
pollination?  I agree with you, that it takes about 3-months for seed to 
become ripe, depending on climate ..I suppose?
              ....in addition to what you wrote, I would like to mention, 
that I did seed-ripening-indoors, for several years now, here are the 
particulars:
1... Late flowering types were potted, moved to and pollinated indoors 
(sunny window?) in September.

2... Seed from Fall Bouquet and other longipes-types, was collected in 
mid-February, when pods showed splitting.  Germination was good.  This was 
a four to five month process of seed ripening indoors.  I would guess, this 
long-time-period, was due to a short day length and very weak candle-power 
of light intensity indoors.

*Cutting Podded Scapes & Ripening Seed in a Water Solution*

Last year, Ron Livingston of Detroit, mentioned that Herb Benedict, cuts 
flower stems, and by putting these in a water + sugar solution, the seed 
will ripen fully, to allow for germination of same?

I did some experiments:

1.. I personally, used quart preserving jars, about half full, with a level 
teaspoon of sugar added to the water.

2.. The scapes were kept in a sun-room unheated, so night temperature was 
as outside (on the cool side).

3.. When frost was to become a regular nightly event, these were moved 
in-doors, placed in a sunny window; and the water was changed, ever few 
days, to avoid the smell of rotting scapes.

The big problem was, the water becomes murky (milky colored?) within a 
week; I did not change the water as often as I should have in the 
beginning, so the flower stems got mouldy & rotted.

Some of the seed pods in this trial, did have mature pods (seed sprouted 
okay?) from a seed collection in late November.

I'm thinking? ..that with regular water changing every few days; and 
possibly, some kind of sterilizing of the flower stem part, which will be 
sitting in solution -- THIS TYPE OF SEED RIPENING WILL WORK?

This year, I am going to try SUPER'thrive + sugar in the water solution and 
try to keep the water clean.

<just some thoughts> and remaining

sympatically yours

WiN = William Nash\Canada <raffi@sympatico.ca>
  
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