Bill,
I've never consciously noted this, but there does seem to be a
correclation. I often over-sow seed in pots and typically get amazing
germination. Whether this is a hormonal trigger or similar, I couldn't
say. It may be, as you suggest, simply a case of correct conditions in
a tight spot. Even a pot has microclimates.
Jamie Vande
Cologne
Germany
Bill Chaney schrieb:
I have been reading all the seed cutting posts with interest,
and may give it a try this year. One of the other valuable tidbits
that was in the last SIGNA bulletin was another comment also in Elm
Jensen's article on forced germination of Aril seeds. The section I'm
referring to was: I remember one other mention about seeds
from another short article in that same 1962 yearbook. "On Planting
Seed" in which Eileen Heinze of Australia stated: " I have found that
the closer they are together, the more evenly they come up (Heinze, p.
52). Whether using the forced germination method or planting the seeds
naturally, now I always cluster the seeds together and have found doing
so leads to having more seeds from a cross germinate.
This struck a chord with me because I have observed that when I
plant in a fairly small pot, I see that most of the seeds seem to
germinate at nearly the same time. But perhaps more strikingly, when I
stratify the seeds in a baggie in the fridge, I often find when one
germinates, many more will germinate very soon. This is true for iris
seeds and rose seeds.
OK, so this begs the question; does a germinating seed release a
stimulation cue to the seeds around it? And further, if this is the
case, can we further use this to help germinate the particularly hard
to germinate seeds? What would be great is if there was an effect and
it crossed species; then we could soak and stratify seeds, then put
them in a little mesh bag inside a bag of germinating wheat (or some
other cheap, easy to sprout seed) and wait for them to germinate, then
plant them. Of course their is also the possibility that the seeds
sprout at the same time is because conditions are right, not the
proximity to another germinating seed.
Amazing what long winter nights will get me to thinking about.
I did find an interesting review article in
The Plant Cell by
J Derek Bewley entitled 'Seed Germination an Dormancy" which can be
found at
http://www.plantcell.org/cgi/reprint/9/7/1055.pdf That
should kill one or two cold nights.
Anyone else think see they see the germination stimulates
germination effect?
Bill
--
Jamie V.
_______________________
Köln (Cologne)
Germany
Zone 8
