Re: SEED VIABILITY

Hi Elm, You're a young squirt! I am 81 and still hanging in there with the
arils. Of course that is why I grow them in pots among other things. I also
can control the watering if and when they need. The rest of the garden, Sven
has put them under automatic sprinklers and that would be too much water for
arilbreds at times. Of course in the rainy season all systems are off. We
have an acre but only about 1/3 is cultivated and the rest grows 'wild',
mostly with vinca and oak trees, live and decidious. We have a 30+/- degree
slope and we cultivated the more or less level part in the middle. It is
getting to be a little much for us but we love it here and we saw it
developed from nothing to what it is today. So we do what is urgent at the
time and go on from there. When you state you use forced germination what do
you exactly mean. Embryo-culture is not that difficult, but you do need to
have very sanitary conditions. I used alcohol to sterilize anythin and every
thing the seeds would come in contact with or my hands and I sterilized the
culture tubes with a pressure cooker. This was years ago, but I used John
Holden's method which is in the 1960's booklets. Other than that it is not
difficult. I lost very very few plantlets in the tubes. The trick is at
transplanting time. It is a fast way to get your plants to blooming time.
Later.

Francesca
irisgirl@attbi.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <Elmsterj@aol.com>
To: <iris-photos@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 12:36 PM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] SEED VIABILITY


> Francesca,
>
>        As I noted in the Aril Robin recently, a year ago I planted
8-year-old
> seed that were arilbred crosses, seed I had not planted because of health
> problems.  The germination was good.  I planted them in plastic cherry
lugs
> in the fall, put a mesh screen over the top to keep cats out, watered
them,
> and let them sit outside exposed to the weather.  Those that were viable
all
> sprouted in the spring.  This year, I planted 7-year-old seed in July,
same
> style of planting and, as of yesterday, there are 5 crosses germinating.
> These again are all arilbred crosses.  As for pure species seed, they can
> take MUCH longer to germinate, as you noted.  Those that don't germinate
> after the first year I use forced germination on, since I don't know how
to
> embryoculture and also don't have the room. (Hey, I'm 65 and I can't wait
20
> years!!!!!)
>
> Elm
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>


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