Re: HYB: germination

With cooler temperatures (either refrigerator, or sun porch in winter), seeds germinate (both in the embryonic and sprouting sense) in batches that last about that length of time. That is, some will germinate over several weeks, then there will be a pause of a few weeks (we discussed this last winter - can't remember the exact timing mentioned), then another flush of sprouts.
Starting with refrigeration as soon as the pod ripens, with some crosses, there have been as many as three flushes of germination - the first in the fridge, the second on the sunporch (or outdoors if that part of winter doesn't get much below freezing), the third flush comes outdoors during the "normal" germination time.
Unless it gets really cold (low 20sF to teens), germinating seedlings survive under several layers of Reemay outdoors - otherwise, I bring pots back onto the sunporch until it warms up again.
I'd have to rent a backhoe to dig trenches in this gravel pile I call a garden, but I can see that would really be helpful here. Maybe a trench with Reemay covering would provide adequate stability of moisture and temperature here.
Most of my seedlings don't have a rapid enough growth response to fertilizer & abundant water to get them to blooming size without the early start of fall/winter germination. I think mostly because of summer heat and intermittent drought from April thru November.. Sure is lush this year, though - like living in the tropics! Wish I'd lined them all out after bloom finished! 

<Typically I see seeds germinate over several weeks. That is between
first seed and last seed that germinates in a tray there is usually a
week or two>

Linda Mann
TN

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