Re: Help ! Seeds requiring light to germinated
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Help ! Seeds requiring light to germinated
- From: D* G*
- Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 12:32:42 -0500
At 08:36 PM 1/29/2000 -0500, you wrote:
Last year I had such a bad experience with impatiens that we
>bought them at a nursery. Germination rates were 6% and 23% on 2 varieties.
>They were sown in flats, seeds left uncovered, flats enclosed in plastic
>freezer bags and placed under lights.
The critical thing for impatiens is a constant temperature and moisture
regime. I suspect that in a plastic bag and under lights you've probably
cooked them or steamed them to death.
If you depend on your annuals - get a bottom heat mat. You can use it for
other gardening propagation as well but the ability to hold specific
temperatures for germination of annuals is the subject under discussion.
The verimiculite you want to use on your impatiens is fine. A light dusting
(and I do mean light) will maintain an even soil moisture around the seed.
You should just be able to see the seed after coating with fine vermiculite.
Growing light levels are not critical for germination but for growing on.
So, back the germination flats away from the light source to avoid cooking,
use bottom heat and only water with warm water. (Remember - bottom heat is
best)
Once the seedlings have emerged, then increase the light levels to crop
height to avoid stretching.
>But the violas which require light for germination are a different story.
As has been previously mentioned, viola's germinate better in dark
conditions. Mind you, I've done it both ways but darker/covered with 1/4
inch vermiculite or 1/16" of soil does a better job. Covering with plastic
never worked for me (mind you there's lots of gardening advice that has
never worked for me);-)
They do germinate easily again if soil moisture and heat is consistent.
I've never pre-chilled (V. cornuta)them or done anything else like that. I
suspect with only a few seeds, (particularly of species) I'd germinate them
cool and covered - ie a soil temp of 50F rather than the more normal 70F
temp for annuals.
The species Viola do seem to germinate better at 40-50F rather than the
higher 70F soil temps.
Remember - all germination temperatures are soil temperatures - not air
temperatures. Air temps are consistently 10-15 degrees *warmer* than soil
temps. When we would start germinating impatiens for example, we'd crank
the entire greenhouse temperature up to 85F (we germinated a LOT of
impatiens) to make it easier to get the seedling count (95% germination)we
wanted/needed.
Doug
Doug Green,
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