HYB: seed germination

Of the 34 crosses stratified in the fridge for 3 months (no toilet tank
soaking before refrigerating this time), 14 germinated.  I will have to
go back and check, but I think that's a higher percentage of crosses
than past experiments.

However, germination was very low - generally one to five percent,
pretty much what I used to get from most crosses when planting seeds
outdoors in the fall to stratify naturally over the winter and germinate
in the spring.

I have no idea whether the lower germination this year compared to last
is due to differences in weather & varmints on pod and seed development,
lack of seed pre-soaking in the toilet tank, temperatures when they were
taken out of the fridge and potted or ?  No rotting apples providing
ethylene ....

One cross - IC4:cream seedling (IMMORTALITY x CELEBRATION SONG) X TRANS
ORANGE - germinated about half the seeds.  My notes say "9 seeds in this
pod, all bad".  So much for relevant observations on seed appearance!
<g>

There may be a lot more germination in the spring from most of these
crosses after a second round of chilling outdoors starting next month.
Hopefully getting back up to last year's average of around 30%.

I sure hope I don't have to go back to the toilet tank soaking.  That is
a nuisance. :-(

The pots are all on the enclosed sun porch now staying "warm" for a
month.  I will pot up the babies, push them along with Miracle Gro, then
return the pots to nature in Jan/Feb, bring them back inside if more
start germinating & push them with fertilizer and warmer temps on the
sun porch.
--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
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