Re: Seed germination
- Subject: Re: Seed germination
- From: p*
- Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 03:09:08 -0000
Exactly the conclusion I've come to, Vicki. All the babying I did to
the seeds last fall simply submitted them to two winters. I planted
a few from a few crosses directly into the soil (but after the
treatment) and they're the only ones showing signs of germination.
(Could someone post a pic of beginning seedlings on iris-photos to
identify sprouts from weeds?)
But I'm no longer worrying about nongermination, since so far this
late winter/early spring, we've been lucky to get one day of partial
sun per week, and temperatures far below 60. (A typical Northwest
winter, which we on the island seldom get.) When we get a true sunny
spring, I'll begin looking in earnest. And if they take another
year, sobeit. Since all my irises, including 2001 plantings, are all
looking healty and happy and right on schedule, I trust Mother Nature
to tell her seedlings when to sprout. Next year, they will all be
put in her care.
Patricia Brooks
Whidbey Island, WA, zone 8/9?
--- In iris-talk@y..., craigiris@i... wrote:
> Hi,
> Just thought I would mention that our seed has just begun to
germinate
> here in the Portland metro area. Soil temp. was right on 60 degrees
for
> the seedlings in pots.
>
> However, every year after we remove the germinated seedlings from
the
> pots, we dump the soil from the pots onto the ground where ever we
can
> find space in the garden. The seed from pots which were dumped last
> summer germinated three weeks ago and are doing very well. There are
> over 5 dozen seedlings with more showing up each day. Furthermore,
we
> had a bonus germination last season from these same pots!
>
> I wonder if it might be better just to plant either in a raised bed
> (that's what Gordon Plough did) or just into the ground as we do
for our
> peas, lettuce, onions etc.
>
> Bennett Jones plants his seed directly into the soil in the fall
and has
> great results. If I remember correctly, he borders the bed with wood
> slats and plants the seeds in rows, covering the entire bed with a
metal
> screening to keep pests out (like the neighbors cat!!!) How they
loved
> to dig 'potty holes' in our garden. I dislike cats! Don't have that
> problem with my Dobermans in our yard.
>
> We plant in everyday (bagged) potting soil, wet it down, add seed
and
> then cover the seed with very small gravel. The gravel prevents
floating
> during our winter rains. It has worked very well for us. Don't
> refrigerate the seed, we just plant dried seed in November or
December
> and have found that 'Mother Nature' knows best.
>
> Is there anyone out there that lets nature take it's course and
doesn't
> baby the seed? I am refering to those of you that live in climates
where
> you experience below freezing nights for a few to many nights in the
> winter. I can understand somewhat the problems confronting those who
> live in a climate with very little cold winters. ( bearded iris)
>
> We have lived in a variety of areas due to Jim's career. We have
> successfully grown and bloomed iris from slightly above sea level to
> high mountain desert areas with 90 days growing season. When we
lived
> in an area with very long (8 Months) of freezing cold snowy winters
we
> built a clear plastic tent over the seed. This allowed us to have
great
> germination. The only problem we ran into was the late, late killing
> frost that occured on the 4th of July one year1!
> Destroyed the bloom, but the iris survived to bloom another year.
>
> Vicki
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