Re: HYB: germination - numbers

If you harvest your seeds in July-August, then 2-3 months of chilling, would put you into October-November. (Leaving them in fridge any longer will just be a way to slow down germination.) Or hold for a few months and time things so seeds are ready to germinate in December
This would give you 4-5 months of growing before time to plant out. If they can't survive at that time, then they are just not survivors.
I'm sure you would be able to find a place for seeds , at that time that is between 18-22C ( 64-72F) . Not a sunporch or cold greenhouse
Just keep in mind, if you keep doing things the same way you will continue to get the same results. 


Chuck Chapman

Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:55:23 -0400
From: Linda Mann <lmann@lock-net.com>
Subject: [iris] Re: HYB: germination  - numbers

I'm guessing TBs germinate at higher temperatures than medians.
?
Part of the problem with room temperature germination/non-germination of 
seeds here may be that room temperature is ~78oF in summer.  And it's
still well above 68oF outdoors here two months from now, so I'm not sure 
I'd get any germination before October/November.  Can easily be in the
90sF in Sept.

What you are saying is a bit confusing, Chuck - my seeds <do> start to
germinate <in> the fridge after 3 or 4 months, but not after just 2.

I do occasionally find rotted seeds, either in burritos or rotted pods,
but not many.

Hard to draw conclusions here from germination rates when some take two
or more years to germinate & percent ranges from very low to very high,
but it would be nice to have more than a handful of seedlings from most
crosses to evaluate!  I've quit counting germinating seeds most of the
time, just surviving lined out seedlings.

Highest number of seedlings per cross (first year germination only) for
this winter were 40 seedlings of 78 seeds, 33 of 63, 27 of 50; highest
percentage surviving germinants were 8 of 11, 3 of 5 (HoM X DECADENCE!). 
 Average first year survivors continues to average 30 to 60%.  That's
first year; goes up to 80% on quite a few after second year.
Losses after germination and before lining out varies a lot depending on 
parents.  Zero losses from a strong cross, has been as much as 50% from
weaker ones.  Typically only a few.  Number of lined out first year
seedlings per cross is around 10 to 15, mostly because of low seed set
per pod.

Because of frequent low #seeds/pod, I try to get 5 pods/cross if plants
cooperate - often lucky to get one pod. Most I've ever gotten is three. 
 Unfortunately, only those few cooperative ones have <lots> of seeds!

May as well leave them in the fridge for at least 3 months here till
outdoor temps cool off enough for germination.

Bottom line - I'm pretty happy with ease of handling,
germination/survival rate these days.

Two crosses this winter did not germinate any seedlings after 4 months
in the fridge plus two cycles of warmth/chilling on the
sunporch/outdoors, but did finally germinate a few seeds outdoors very
late in the spring.  Maybe these needed higher temps to germinate??

<So...... take seeds out of fridge after two months, or anytime after
that, and plant them, and keep at room temperature, or at around 68F.
The extra time in fridge is wasted time that could be spent growing the
seeds.>

I guess you didn't really ask me a question... ;-)

Linda Mann
TN

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