-- BEGIN included message
- To: s*@eskimo.com
- Subject: Re: outdoor sowing of perennials
- From: L* C* <"l*@vicon.net"@vicon.net>
- Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 06:35:27 -0800
- Old-Date: Sat, 31 Jan 1998 09:34:09 -0500
- References: <Pine.SUN.3.96.980130234707.2785E-100000@kira>
Perhaps you might list some of the woodland seeds that work best with this method since refrigerator and plant light space come at a premium over the next few months. I assume that even those plants that don't require stratification will not be harmed by another six weeks of winter. Loren Russell wrote: > I start about 300-400 4-inch pots of seed outdoors every year. Mostly, > these are wild or garden-collected seed of rock garden and shade-garden > perennials from various horticultural exchanges. > > The seed is usually received in mid-winter [from early December to late > January]. I treat 90% of this seed in the same manner: the seed compost > is commercial peat-perlite [about 1:1], lightened with about 30-50% > additional sand, by volume. Seed is surface-sowed [small seed] or covered > to about 1 seed diameter. Then I cover the soil surface with chicken grit > [crushed quartz or quartzite]. The pots, in flats, are left exposed to > weather on my deck, but covered with scrap aluminum-frame window screens. > These keep out birds, etc, and break the force of raindrops. > > Germination begins within a week or two in mild periods [like now], and > continues through mid-spring. However, very little seed germinates after > May 15, that is after daytime temperatures reach the high 70s or low 80s > for a few days. > > Germination, in some cases [eg, bulbs], would be better if seed was sown > in autumn. But don't have the seeds then.. > > loren russell, Corvallis, oregon
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