HYB: aphylla germination

From: "Sterling Okase" <sterling_o@hotmail.com>

Hi Talk-ers,
 
>Stephanie Markham wrote:
>> 
>> About the aphylas.  Crosses between i. aphylla and TBs are fully
>> fertile -- they're both 48 chromosome tetraploids after all.  
However,
>> germination the first year for these crosses can be VERY low --  
10-25%.
>> If you hold over the cross for another year, or even 2, you can get 
75%
>> germination because the seeds are all viable, but they seem to break
>> dormancy with great reluctance. 

Thanks Stephanie. I did some TB X 48 chr. MTB crosses this year and was 
curious to know how many crosses I could plant since room to grow 
seedlings is  very limited. Sounds like these type crosses have a very 
low first year germination rate compared to TB X TB crosses. The Craigs 
think germination should be pretty good. I would like more than just 
10-25% germination in the first year because like everyone else in the 
whole world......I HATE waiting!!! Perhaps I will try knicking the 
seeds, soaking, refrigerating the seeds to up my percentage of 
germinations.
 
>> I would advise that rather than planting these seeds directly in the
>> ground, that they be planted in pots, and the pots be sunk in the 
ground.
>> That way, you don't end up with rogue plants 2 years down the road in 
the
>> middle of something else because the aphylla hybrids finally decided 
to
>> break dormancy and sprout.  My mother has had aphylla hybrid seeds 
come >>up in the middle of stuff YEARS after the seeds (germinated in 
pots, of
>> course) were tossed, along with the excess soil from the pots, 
somewhere
>> that eventually became garden.

Yes, I am always very careful when handling seeds. I plant them in 4 
inch pots and cover them with a screen so my festive little squirrel 
friends don't dig and scatter seeds everywhere. In the spring, after 
planting out the sprouted seedlings, I make sure to carefully dump the 
remaining potting mix along with any ungerminated seeds into my garden 
waste bins and have the city take it away to recycle. As neurotic as I 
am, you would think I was handling nuclear waste. And, as obsessive as I 
am, I just know somewhere at the city dump grows an iris that was meant 
to be a Dykes Medal....tee hee.
  
>>  My house got hit by lightning and nearly burned down last Monday, 
and I've >>been dealing with that instead of other things.  Not to 
worry, everyone's OK. 

Sorry to hear about your lightning accident but glad to hear you and 
your family are okay. Things could have been much worse, too frightning 
to even think about  so I will not mention it.





Iris Maniac,
Sterling (not Innerst)
Seattle, WA. Zone 8
AIS, KCIS, HIPS and MIS
sterling_o@hotmail.com


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