iris@hort.net
- Subject: Re: HYB: germination (was: HYB Tyke seedling blooming with MDBs on photos)
- From: L* M* <l*@lock-net.com>
- Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 06:05:33 -0400
Griff, it sounds like maybe you've started using some parents with the genes that take an extra cycle of cold? Frustrating! Most of the west coast parents that I've mixed with my stuff seem to germinate <much> better the first year than crosses between two strong survivors here. Not always tho.
It's wierd - some from burritos that get at least two cold cycles (one in the fridge, followed by sunporch to germinate, followed by outdoors to chill some more, followed by outdoors warmth to germinate) still send up a big wave of germinants the following year. If the winter temperatures are erratic (i.e., most winters here), they get multiple chill cycles on the sunporch!
Most crosses germinate well with the two chilling cycles.Then there are those IMM crosses, most of which have terrible germination, even after two years.
Another thing I've noticed tho, and I hope this isn't what's going on with your seeds this year - seeds from a really poor season (i.e., frost damaged parents, drought or excessive rain while pods are ripening) seem to have low germination.
All that blather just to say here's hoping they are at least going to germinate next year! I'm not suggesting that you start burrito'ing/stratifying in the fridge - tho I do enjoy watching the little green sprouts come up in the dead of winter, it's a lot of trouble. & sure beats the 1 to 3% germination rates I used to get here.
Enjoy the break?< Germination, however, is confounding -- holdover pots crowded with sprouts, and virtually no sprouts in this year's pots. Essentially, a year of crosses lost. -- Griff>
Linda Mann east TN USA zone 7 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
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