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Re: outdoor sowing of perennials

Ginny,

Yes, there are a large number of woodland plants, especially those native
to eastern US, and east Asia [Japan, coastal China] that don't germinate
easily, if at all, if the seed is allowed to dry out. MAny of these are in
the ranunculus and poppy/corydalis alliances. The best way to
handle such seed [eg, wood anemones and hepaticas, eranthus, helleborus,
clrydalis] is either to collect and sow shortly after ripening, to let
the seed drop and harvest self-sown seedlings, or to store in moist peat
or vermiculite in the fridge, and sow in the fall.

Another example are seeds which only germinate after the seed coat is
damaged.  Lupines and other legumes often germinate well only when the
seed coat is abraded [with sandpaper or whetstone] or cut [with a razor
blade or xacto knife.

There are many other oddball examples, but the best advice is to try the
straight-forward outdoor treatment first and research the failures.  You
usually have so many seedlings that you don't miss the ones you didn't
germinate.

Loren

On Sat, 31 Jan 1998, ginny wrote:

> Loren,
> 
> Thanks, that's precisely the info I was looking for.  Makes it sound so
> easy!  Are there any perennials that you don't start this way?  Am waiting
> for seeds from a local seed exchange--upon their arrival, I will try the
> flat trick.
> 
> Ginny
> 
>
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