Re: HYB: germination - numbers

I'm guessing TBs germinate at higher temperatures than medians.
?
Part of the problem with room temperature germination/non-germination of seeds here may be that room temperature is ~78oF in summer. And it's still well above 68oF outdoors here two months from now, so I'm not sure I'd get any germination before October/November. Can easily be in the 90sF in Sept.
What you are saying is a bit confusing, Chuck - my seeds <do> start to germinate <in> the fridge after 3 or 4 months, but not after just 2.
I do occasionally find rotted seeds, either in burritos or rotted pods, but not many.
Hard to draw conclusions here from germination rates when some take two or more years to germinate & percent ranges from very low to very high, but it would be nice to have more than a handful of seedlings from most crosses to evaluate! I've quit counting germinating seeds most of the time, just surviving lined out seedlings.
Highest number of seedlings per cross (first year germination only) for this winter were 40 seedlings of 78 seeds, 33 of 63, 27 of 50; highest percentage surviving germinants were 8 of 11, 3 of 5 (HoM X DECADENCE!). Average first year survivors continues to average 30 to 60%. That's first year; goes up to 80% on quite a few after second year.
Losses after germination and before lining out varies a lot depending on parents. Zero losses from a strong cross, has been as much as 50% from weaker ones. Typically only a few. Number of lined out first year seedlings per cross is around 10 to 15, mostly because of low seed set per pod.
Because of frequent low #seeds/pod, I try to get 5 pods/cross if plants cooperate - often lucky to get one pod. Most I've ever gotten is three. Unfortunately, only those few cooperative ones have <lots> of seeds!
May as well leave them in the fridge for at least 3 months here till outdoor temps cool off enough for germination.
Bottom line - I'm pretty happy with ease of handling, germination/survival rate these days.
Two crosses this winter did not germinate any seedlings after 4 months in the fridge plus two cycles of warmth/chilling on the sunporch/outdoors, but did finally germinate a few seeds outdoors very late in the spring. Maybe these needed higher temps to germinate??
<So...... take seeds out of fridge after two months, or anytime after that, and plant them, and keep at room temperature, or at around 68F. The extra time in fridge is wasted time that could be spent growing the seeds.> 

I guess you didn't really ask me a question... ;-)

Linda Mann
TN

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