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OUTDOOR GERMINATION

Robert Nold, Lakewood CO Z6 N+RockyM wrote:
>
> In a message dated 97-01-28 09:25:07 EST, you write:
>
> >
> >        I have always found the "thou shalt not let them freeze" rule quite
> >confusing and because of that like others have ignored it with quite
> >satisfactory results.  Although I must admit that the intensity and
> >credentials of the "thou shalt notters" caused me to be fretful about the
> >whole thing.
>
> Growing bananas from seed, yes, this is true. Growing alpines, no it isn't.
> It can freeze at any time during the alpine growing season, and the plants
> still live on. I can provide statistics on temperatures in a typical alpine
> environment (the one just outside my back door and up a few kilometers), if
> anyone is interested. Plants not adapted to their environment become extinct.
> The seeds are wet when they freeze; I don't let anything freeze until fully
> imbibed, but I don't think this needs to be a hard and fast rule.
> I do not see why it is necessary to make rock gardening so complicated. It
> isn't, and shouldn't be.
> I understand that the other day one of our local gardening columns carried
> the dire warning that all penstemon seed must immediately be soaked in
> hydrogen peroxide (H202) for 24 hours or it won't germinate. Were this true,
> the obvious corollary would be that the genus is only found where it rains
> hydrogen peroxide.
Good point; I'll have to tell all my penstemon seedlings to climb back
into their seed coats. H202  or Ga3 can indeed speed things up by
overcoming inhibitors, but all viable seeds will germinate eventually
without this treatment. Speeding things up may be worth doing at times,
for other things the sow it and wait method works just fine. I think the
freezing warnings were supposed to be directed at placing seeds in
household freezers, where the rapid rate of change can cause rupture of
membranes. This is a problem only when seeds have a high moisture
content. Obviously you can seed bank properly dissicated seed at very
low temps for years.  Freezing outside under normal conditions is no
problem in any event.
Bob Stewart - Arrowhead Alpines
> My own absolutelly *non-expert* advice would be to ignore all advice (even
> this, if you want) and try everything for yourself. You never know what
> wonders you may achieve.
> Bob


-- 
Duncan McAlpine, Federal Way, WA
Why buy plants when you can grow them yourself.....?
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/
http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
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