Re: sowing time

At 01:58 AM 3/27/96 MST, you wrote:
>Hello to you all!
>
>I hace recently received the folling Iris seeds :
>
>Iris chrysographes
>     delavayi
>     ensata
>     graeberiana
>     hookeriana
>     humilis
>     latifolia
>     magnifica
>     orientalis
>     pseudacorus
>     setosa ssp. canadensis
>     setosa v. arctica
>     spuria
>     tenax
>     versicolor
>and some hybrid seeds.
>
>Can someone help me with information how those seeds shall be treated
>for the best germination result  (stratification etc.).
>The seeds are of course dry, harvested last autumn-keeped in dry storage.
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>		Gunnar   Sthlm/Sw

Hi Gunnar and other fellow seedfreaks:

Here are some of my own experiences. I highly recommend Deno's Seed
Germination Theory and Practice and await the new supplement. However I have
found that the paper towel technique that he uses requires a little more
watchfulness than I am prepared to give: it can be disasterville if you
leave sprouted seed in those baggies for very long and they are tedious to
handle. Instead I sow the delayed germinators into some sort of protected
pot and put them outdoors to let nature do the work. If I have gotten seeds
too late for the cold period that most seem to require, I sow them in a
clear plastic pastry box with soil and put them in the fridge. (No, dear
husband, those are NOT brownies... empty nest syndrome: I do not have to
worry about hungry teenagers!) 

My own humble experience with a few:
I. chrysographes: good germination after 8 weeks of cold. Some may be
staggered and germinate as much as a full year later
I. delavayi: for me these sat for a year before they germinated. I started
them outdoors in late winter
I. pseudacoris: was easy and sprouted after a few weeks of cold, it
sometimes self-sows here in damp areas
I setosa ssp. canadensis is erratic some will germinate after a few weeks of
cold or they will sit for awhile, the seeds keep for a long time and the
seedlings are slow-growing at first. I would think this one would do
especially well in Sweden since it grows in areas of cool weather.
Spurias are sometimes slow to germinate and slow to develop but worth the
wait. Don't throw the pans out if nothing happens- this is another erratic one.
I. tenax needs a cold period if the seed is not very fresh. It also
self-sows here and is a wonderful pest-free carefree thing if it does not
get too much summer rain. I do not know what mintemp it will tolerate, but
it might be ok if you plant it in a protected spot.

I have a zillion Iris babies in pots and these are the ones I can think of
right off. 

Now I wish I had kept better records of everything and will in the future. I
think I have some magnifolia that has not germinated...should go and check
it out...
Have a good time with those seeds, if they don't germinate, we can find out
if young Anna Marie has any secrets to share!


Louise H. Parsons  <parsont@peak.org>
1915 SE Stone St.
Corvallis, OR 97333  USA
USDA zone 7 , Emerald NARGS, AIS, SIGNA, SPCNI, transplanted Oregrowian
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