Re: Romneya germination


-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Starkeson <johnsaia@dnai.com>
To: valhalla@iafrica.com <valhalla@iafrica.com>
Date: 17 January 2001 03:15
Subject: Romneya germination


>Glen,
>I was also interested in learning how to germinate Romneya seedlings that I
have
>collected.  I ran across the following old message on the plant propagators
>forum on germination of Romneya:
>
>My small experience with growing Romneya coulteri from seed:  A
>native plant group I belong to did an experiment 2 years ago in
>October.  We set up two (clay) pots with soil in them and Romneya
>seeds spread on the top of the soil.  One pot then had dry pine
>needles spread over the seeds and soil.  This was set afire and
>burnt out in a few minutes.  Then some of the ashes were transferred
>to the second pot.  One person took the "fired" pot home, and I
>took the second one.  Both pots were kept outside and given no
>special care, other than (probably) a once a week watering.  The
>"fired" pot seedlings came up fairly quickly with widespread
>germination.  The seedlings were transplanted to 2-inch separate
>pots in the spring, if I remember rightly.  If I have the right
>batch in mind, they are now ready (some of them) to be potted in
>gallon pots.
>Meanwhile, my pot at home, the one that got just the ashes, managed
>to produce 1 seedling after a few months.  I left the pot alone,
>and probably forgot to do anything with it.  This spring, about a
>year and a half after sowing, there were more than a few other little
>seedlings that came up, perhaps as a result of the winter rains.
>So it seems that fire helps to speed up germination of this Romneya.
>Ray Deutsch, Menlo Park, California Zone 9/10 NARGS Western, AGS
>
>
>
>Someone else I talked to seconded the gasoline soak method - she said she
used a
>half hour soak.
>
>Totally different subject: For one who has never been to S.Africa, what are
the
>best times of year to observe wildflower blooms?
>
>Richard Starkeson,
>Berkeley, California


Hi Richard. Thanks for the Romneya info. The succesfully germinated pot
would have got the smoke treatment OK. Washing ashes into the mix is
definitely not the same.

As for SA bloom times. - Spring/early summer is definitely the best right
through the country. In the summer rainfall areas its when all the new
growth kicks in & in the Cape Floral Kingdom its when the bulbous & annual
display is at its peak. This can depend on when the first rains arrive, but
you can say the best time in the Cape is from mid August through to the end
of October. With early rains I've seen Namaqualand in full bloom in the last
week of July, but that is very unusual. Its when the fynbos also flowers at
its peak, except that in the areas to the east of Capetown, which have a
different climatic regime, this can start in Autumn & can look quite
stunning from late March onwards.

Regards

Glenn Breayley. Ragnarok & Valhalla Research.
POBox 26158, Hout Bay, 7872, Capetown, South Africa
Ph/Fax SA 021 7904253 E-mail valhalla@iafrica.com
Wholesale nurseryman & Tillandsia specialist wholesale & retail grower.
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