Re: CULT: Germination Techniques

Thanks Sharon,
>
>I have tried both ways.  Even did a series of controlled experiments
>simulating seasonal variation:  summer [warm stratification], fall [diurnal
>cycle], winter [cold stratification] & spring [diurnal cycle].  I split a
>number of pods evenly among the various lots and started each set with a
>different "season". That study was published in SIGNA several years ago.
>
Four week cycles?

>Predictably, the summer/fall/winter/spring cycle produced the best
>germination overall, but all were better than simple stratification so
>that's the technique I settled on.  It requires more attention than the
>traditional process so it has not become widely accepted, but I consider
>the results worth the effort.
>
>>
>I'm planning on
>using plastic butter dishes with holes punched in the lids for air
>circulation using perlite for the planting medium.
>
>This might work in a more humid climate, but I found that air holes let the
>perlite dry out too quickly.  Clear plastic [like Saran wrap] held in place
>by a rubber band provides better moisture control and is easy to monitor.
>When conditions are right, a faint film of moisture will show.  If the
>plastic is completely dry, the perlite is too dry.  If water drops form on
>the underside, the perlite is too wet.
>
Okay, that's easy enough to change.
>This can save YEARS if you work with wide crosses, as I have.  In such a
>program, seeds are scarce, germination is elusive, and every seedling is
>precious.  But I'm certainly not recommending this extra effort for crosses
>that produce a large number of easily germinated seeds.
>
Well, I'm only proposing to use it on those pods which have produced 8 or
less seeds with one exception.  The only AB x AB I had success on had
only 5 seeds.  All the others excepting one are either AB x TB or TB x AB,
but with not many seeds per pod.  Pods which are yielding larger numbers
of seeds I will handle just as I did this year by soaking and planting in
pots
outside over the winter months.  Variable rates of success this past year
from almost 100% to none.  The two exceptions are a pod yielding 39 seeds
which the grasshoppers ate through the stem below the pod causing it to
turn brown early and a bee pod on FROSTED VELVET, an MTB.  This only
yielded two seeds and there is a possibility it would be MTB x AB since it
is on the route back into the house.  Most likely pollen candidate would be
ARABIAN MIDNIGHT, but it could be one of a couple of others.  I daubed
at the medians on this route after pollinating in the big iris beds.  Really
considered it practice and expected no pods, but then FV set that pod,
so....The seeds on the grasshopper pod look okay, though small.  I just
think they may not have been mature enough (they all are sinkers in
water) and thought the methods above might teach me something.

I guess after going to the trouble of obtaining the pods, those that yield
a few seeds suddenly seem exponentially more tantalizing than those
that yield a good number.  Also, it might come in handy later to know
the process and what it involved.  If it's successful to a degree, I still
wouldn't be overrun with seedlings which require more space than I
can handle.  If it's not, then I won't be wasting time staring at a pot
filled with dirt and waiting endlessly for nothing to appear :).

Thanks again.

Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7, USA


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