Re: HYB: stratification seeds - another experiment
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: HYB: stratification seeds - another experiment
  • From: B* W* <1*@rewrite.hort.net>
  • Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 12:25:54 -0400 (EDT)
Linda, I would only question the chemicals given off by the apple.  I seem to
remember apple being used to promote . . . . bla, bla, bla.


Betty Wilkerson
Zone 6 KY
autmirislvr@aol.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Mann <101l@rewrite.hort.net>
To: iris <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Thu, Jul 10, 2014 4:26 pm
Subject: [iris] HYB: stratification seeds - another experiment


This year, I'm putting fresh (not dried) seeds straight into a baggie
(no towel, or added moisture), closing it (not sealed) with a twist tie,
then into a bigger zip lock bag, zipped ~90% closed, with half an apple
for moisture.

First seeds went in Sunday (today is Thursday), and I like what I see -
a few drops of moisture condensing from the apple on the inside of the
ziplock.  Just right.  I got the idea of using a cut apple from what we
used to do to soften brown sugar after it turned into a brick - cut
piece of apple, close up the box, and like magic, the next day it would
be soft again.

I've not been happy with moisture/air circulation for my stratifying
seeds.  Used to wrap seeds in a slightly damp paper towel burrito style,
but had to unwrap to inspect seeds, sometimes forgot to monitor them and
lost a cross now and then.  Plants are so stressed here, they produce a
lot (?) of seeds that aren't viable anyway, so never was sure if it was
the burrito or the seeds.

Last year, I tried a damp paper towel inside the sandwich baggies, but
not wrapped around the seeds.  Just wadded up on top of them.  But I
wasn't totally happy with that either.  I could see the seeds, but
moisture wasn't consistent enough to suit me.  & some got a bit 'furry'.

Because of erratic viability, % that sprout won't tell me a lot, but if
the seeds that start out looking good are still looking good, I'll be
happy.  Only one cross with a lot of good looking seeds so far, much
worse breeding season than usual this year.  Some of the seeds that look
bad from other crosses will probably be ok. Few seeds.

Linda Mann

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