Re: CULT: Germination Follow-up

On 11 Jan 2003 at 10:39, Lbaumunk@aol.com wrote:

> Many thanks for the thoughtful responses to my query about iris seed
> germination.  
> 
> Keith has caused me to highly suspect that insufficient leaching may
> be the reason for my relatively low germination percentages.  

   Where I live in MS, we average six inches of rainfall for each of 
the months of November, December, January,  February, and 
March.   I usually plant bearded seeds in November, so the seeds 
have gotten up to thirty inches of rainfall on them before they 
sprout. My germination is not all that good either, and with all of this 
rainfall, my problem is probably too much leaching.

   In Texas my germination rates were much higher than what they 
are here. The rainfall there is much lighter, and I had to water the 
seed pots several times during the winter when it got dry.

  My seeds spend about three months in the freezer before being 
planted after it turns cold in November. I do not soak them before 
planting and rarely have to water them since Mother Nature is so 
generous here.  I don't think my seed pots, which are sunk in the 
flower beds, have ever frozen solid.  I do think sustained cold 
weather makes for the best germination.  I noticed Denver was 
near seventy degrees the other day, so you have alternate freezing 
and thawing which may be a limiting factor in your germination.  
Our ground rarely freezes, but our temperatures are constantly on a 
free fall after seventy degree January afternoons.

I wish bearded germination was like JI germination, which always 
appears to be 99%.

Walter Moores
Enid Lake, MS USA 7/8

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