RE:HYB: seed germination

Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:31:27 -0500
From: Linda Mann <lmann@volfirst.net>
Subject: [iris] 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 now have seedlings under lights. I got about 145 pots out of 150 with germination. At least 50% of seeds in each pot. These were planted in flats holding 10 planting trays each. They had been outside in garage last winter but poor germination. These ones had been put in fridge  for abour 3 1/2 months, then in unheated greenhouse for about one month where they just sulked. Now inside under lights and growing like crazy. Photo posted on iris-photos.

Chuck Chapman


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

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