LA: seed germination

I was startled last week to see some baby Louisiana seedlings in the pot
from last year.  None germinated last spring or this fall.  I rescued
the pot from the eager, label-gnawing clutches of the new puppy (what
the heck am I doing with a terrier mix puppy when I am trying to grow
irises?????) the week after Thanksgiving and there were NO sprouts
showing at that time.  I heard on the news that we had record cold for
November/December (coldest in over 100 yrs of record keeping), and the
ground was frozen, at least below the top few inches, until this week,
since sometime in November.  The pot is on a table that is constantly
shaded so probably has had frozen soil most of that time.  The tops of
these wee things have been killed, but they look like they are alive.
Amazing.  There are three or four seedlings, each less than an inch
tall, each with several leaves.  Teensy little fans.

So, is this typical of LA seedlings?  They look like they have been
growing in spite of the cold.  Did they germinate in the fall and keep
their leaves hidden?

Or, did the puppy monster switch labels and are these possibly some
'weed' bearded seedlings that I just missed last fall?  They don't look
like bearded seedlings, but are pretty cold-damaged, so might be.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index