RE: HYB: seedlings & slugs
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: RE: HYB: seedlings & slugs
  • From: &* H* <c*@wi.rr.com>
  • Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2012 16:45:19 -0600
Hi,
What is reemay?
Char

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of Linda
Mann
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2012 2:59 PM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: Re: [iris] HYB: seedlings & slugs

I think so too, but burying them under a thin layer of crumbled up, fast
decomposing leaves and a double layer of reemay type material that's well
anchored should damp down the shock enough that they would be ok. 
Also will let them get a little diffuse light over the winter.

I often move pots of seedlings outdoors while it's still getting down to the
teens as long as I can securely cover them under a double layer of reemay.
Only time I've had problems has been when the pots were too close to the
edge of the covers, or when temps have plummeted faster than I expected and
I used old covers that were a bit shredded.  If it drops from the 70s to
single digits, I'll bite the bullet, load them all on the cart and drag them
into the kitchen.

So far, only about 10 pots have seedlings above ground.  One of those
crosses had a gajillion seeds, good germination last winter, and good
survival, so those can stay out and do some survival of the fittest for the
winter.  I usually cherry pick which pots to bring in early anyway, & since
this year was such a disastrous bloom season, only 13 pots from this year.
So may just go ahead and bring a bunch of them in when it turns cold.

But its good to know others have had survival of late fall germinating seeds
over the winter as long as they were protected from shocks of temperature
swings and freeze drying.

On 12/5/2012 12:43 PM, MryL1@msn.com wrote:
> Linda, if you're having 70s, your babies are going to be too used to 
> warmth to acclimate to any sudden, severe drops.  I'd at least cherry- 
> pick your 'best' ones to bring in.

And potential rebloomers, and Fogbound/Treasured descendants, and plics, and
Decadence descendants and and and... ;-)

Especially pinks/oranges.
>

At least my seedling notebook is finally all organized, with pots color
coded by year, so I can make sure I don't overlook the ones I care the most
about.

Linda Mann east TN USA zone 7b

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