Re:Seeds
- Subject: Re:Seeds
- From: g*@directcon.net
- Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 20:59:24 -0000
Carryl, I want to try starting my own iris by seed, and your method
makes it sound so easy. Thank you. Mary Geddis
--- In iris-talk@y..., "Carryl M. Meyer" <carrylm@b...> wrote:
> When I am digging for our club rhizome sale, and have to dig a
clump with a
> pod--I just label the pod and stick the end of the stem in water--
and let it
> go ahead and ripen there--right now, I have 8 pods with their stems
in
> water, waiting for the pods to dry enough to spit out the seeds--
> then I dry the seeds, place them in film canisters, and put them
out in the
> garden shed for the winter--the shed is not heated--and does get
below
> freezing for several weeks during the winter--sometime in early
spring I
> take the seeds out and plant them--in the same trays I use for
flower or
> veggie seeds--cover the container with plastic screen--water can
get in but
> this keeps birds and squirrels from eating the seeds--and put the
tray out
> under the fruit trees--out in the snow--
> eventually the sprouts appear-- which I transplant to another tray,
and
> leave the original tray out--so that more seeds can sprout-- I
figure that I
> must be doing something right--to get such a good germination rate--
usually
> about 55 to 60%--both for my own crosses, bee pods and SIGNA seeds--
> If I put the seeds to sprout in the fall, I am sure that the little
sprouts
> would freeze and die from the cold during winter--
> We are very dry here, so there is usually no problem with fungus on
the
> seeds--
> The main problem is where to put the little sprouts--I take a 2
quart milk
> carton, lay it on its side, and cut the up side off--them add dirt
and be
> sure to punch drainage holes--5 or 6 of the milk cartons will fit
into a
> nursery tray--and put them out where they get morning sun and
plenty of
> water from the sprinklers--by this fall, the new sprouts will be
strong
> enough to winter over--using some leaves to mulch them--
> This way of doing it takes a year longer than if the seeds were
planted
> right away--but the survival rate for the seedlings is much higher
than if
> the seeds sprouted in July or august and then had to survive the
winter.
> I sorta laugh to myself when a talker talks about putting seeds in
the
> toilet tank for xxx flushes, or in and out of the frig every day--
that is
> work!!!!! I try to emulate Mother Nature--and do the seeds her way-
-and for
> me it works!!!!!! Carryl in western Montana zone 3/4
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