Re: RE: 2005 germinants

thomas,
   
  Not sure how to answer your question about dormancy.  The theory that the age of a pod at harvest was somehow related to the development of germination inhibitors in the seed coat is one I am testing.  I have a good germination success with seeds that are 6-61/2 weeks old at harvest.  These seeds are often still white.  The browning of the seeds seems to be related to exposure to the air, not the age of the seeds.
   
  For the most part the earliest germinants this year are from crosses involving 03-9-2 (JESSE'S SONG X REBOUND) which bloomed out.  So for those crosses at least the hybridizers rule (seeds resulting from your own seedlings germinate earlier than others) seems to apply.
   
  In reference to my bathroom, I keep the stratified burritoes that have already germinated at least one seed in the bathroom (with the door closed) because the temperature is more stable.  We finally started having fall/winter temps a couple weeks ago and so the heat was kicking regularly enough that the temp in the bathroom is up a few degrees from the rest of the house.
   
  As far as leeching,  I don't do the 'standard' dry then soak then refrigerate.  What has worked for me so far has been burritos directly from pod.  Fairly wet burritos... straight into the fridge.  By about four weeks... maybe six, the seeds 'shed' an oil coat.  There seems to be a connection between the oil coat and aggressive germination, but I don't have enough data yet.   Regardless of the oil coat, if you use white paper towels then you have a barometer of the leeching of the brown stain onto the towels.  That stain is supposedly what the soaking is leeching out anyway.
  
but what do I know 03-9-2 was the first seedling I got to bloom.  Still only one surviving from the eight crosses that year.  I can't hardly wait for May!
   
  Christian
  ky
thomas silvers <tesilvers@yahoo.com> wrote:
  Hello Christian,
I agree. Certain seeds do seem to be more stubborn
about germinating than others. Do you think it might
have something to do with how early they're harvested
too?
I harvested many of my seed pods this season, just as
they were starting to shrivel and split a little (but
were still greenish). Maybe they hadn't fully
developed dormancy yet.

Do you you the "toilet tank method" of leaching? I
noticed you mentioned your bathroom temperature as a
factor. Do you think warmer leaching would be better
or worse than cold leaching? I leach mine in cups at
room temperature.
Thanks, Tom


Christian Foster wrote :
>Thomas,
> 
> I think that there are just certain crosses 
>that like to germinate in the cold, or at least 
>certain seeds. I had an early flush of germinants, 
>starting at about six weeks in the cold, at the 
>end of Sept. They can be fickle though, some 
>crosses will germ one seed at six weeks in the 
>cold and then do nothing else for another month 
>or so. 
>
> 
> With the specifics of my technique I think 
>one crucial difference between those that 
>germ and those that don't is not enough 
>leeching. Another, seems to be how warm 
>my bathroom gets.

Christian
ky




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