Hi Griff,
Thank you for your compliment. I hope I do start a run on
them. They are wonderful irises to grow, see, and use in
arrangements.
I didn't have any trouble starting spuria seeds. I didn't know
about all the techniques - ie. soaking, nicking, etc. One spring I just
set up some 4" pots with potting soil and put the seeds from each pod into
them (1 pod, 1 pot). The seeds had been drying for months. I kept
them damp and when they sprouted, placed them in filtered sun. We get
soooo hot and dry here that I didn't want to put them out into full sun.
I kept them moist and in a few months had pots that look like the "cat grass"
pots in the pet store. Then I planted them in the garden in the
fall. We tend to do our major planting here after the heat breaks - in
October.
I have tons of seedlings that began blooming 3 years ago. I am
still getting maiden blooms so it takes awhile to see all of them.. Haven't
found one I didn't love although some have only 4 buds.
Oh, by the way, I planted daylily seeds at the same time then forgot
about it when I lined them out in the fall. I had a mix of spurias and
daylilies. It was interesting. I took a good look at them and
could see the difference then but hadn't noticed it when I was
planting.
Spurias are either really easy to germinate or I was very
lucky. Robert Pries publishes "The Illustrated Checklist of Spuria
Irises" for the Spuria Society section of AIS. He says that many
hyvridizers sow seeds fresh from a newly splitting capsules before they have a
chance to dry out will produce the highest percentage of germination the
first year. He says dry seed may take several years to germinate.
Just do not let the seeds or seedlings dry out.
Good luck,
Jan in Chatsworth
"J. Griffin Crump"
<jgcrump@cox.net> wrote:
Nicely done on the spuria photos, Jan!
You'll probably start a run on them.
The spuria seeds I planted in the past from the
couple of varieties in my garden didn't germinate. Any advice from
spuria growers? -- Griff
Zone 7 along the tidal Potomac near Mount
Vernon, in Virginia
----- Original Message -----
From: j*@yahoo.com
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 6:32
PM
Subject: [iris-photos] Spurias
#5
Last two from the trek bouquet
Missouri Streams (David Niswonger) 1982
Vintage Year (David Niswonger) 1979
Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!
Play
Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.
