Re: HYB: TB my experiences with germination

Thanks Steve for sharing your experience.
One of the key point in Steves's use of water is regular agitation of the seeds. This arerates the seeds and prevents suffication. The seeds in the fridge have slower metabolization so they can tolerate lack of oxygen better then if they were at room temperature. Tolerence emphazized here. But oxygen is part of the seeds needs. The less they have, the slower the already slow metabolization will be. Oxygen is an essential component. My own experience using damp peat moss was a great sucess, proably mainly because peat moss while keeping seeds moist, also alows breathing. Great sucess has also been reported with damp sand. This will also keep seeds damp while alowing air circulation around seeds.
An additional factor with dampness is "water root" (as it is reffered to by green house growers)This is a long thin developing root that is lacking in root hairs and reduce plants ability to take up water and nutrients . This happens in conditions of seed germination or cutting rooting where there is moisture but little air. Thus the danger from drying out in newly planated seedlings. They havn't been able to develop the hair roots that enable them to take up moisture from soil efficiently or any other nutrients. As Steve noted , they will do ok and survive as long as the soil is kept damp. They wouldn't be as susceptable if they had some root hairs, and probably would grow a bit faster.
There is a difference between "survival" and optimal. Chilling and dampness are two of the seeds needs for germination, oxygen is also a need, and if attention is payed to all of the seeds biological needs the whole process will work better. Without agitation or opening up burittos for fresh air there would be a lot of seed mortality. 

Chuck Chapman

Date: Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:40:23 -0400
From: Linda Mann <lmann@lock-net.com>
Subject: [iris] Re: HYB: TB my experiences with germination

Thanks for the detailed description, Steve.  Sounds like you started
experimenting for the same reason I did - 3 seeds out of 80 is exciting
the first time, but annoying if it happens the second time!

Just to make sure I understand this part - the seeds are completely
underwater in their baggies?  So much for suffocation worries!
Or do you mean there is just enough water to make sure they don't dry out? 

I agree - too many other variables re: genetic mix, antecedent
conditions while pod & seeds are maturing, & some variability in
moisture/temperature even in the fridge to get 100% consistent results
from year to year.

<I, myself, prefer using ziplock or plastic baggies with either freshly
shelled
seeds or dried seeds just covered
 with water.>

Linda Mann
TN

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