Re: Rhododendron

Arnhild,

I've not propagated rhodies from seed, but searched around a bit and
found this on Steven Henning's excellent Rhododendron & Azaleas pages
...

http://www.users.fast.net/~shenning/rhody.html

" Gather seed capsules in the fall when they turn brown. Allow them
to dry, remove the seeds and keep them in an envelope. In February,
sow the seeds in a small pot containing 50% milled sphagnum moss and
50% horticultural perlite. Do not cover the seeds with the medium.
The germinating mixture should be sterilized with boiling water and
allowed to cool before sowing. The pot needs to be in a controlled
humid environment. Polyethylene bags are great for maintaining a high
humidity. The pot is placed in a polyethylene bag with stakes to keep
bag away from the germinating seed and placed in a light area with no
direct sunlight. The pot is rotated once or twice a week to
compensate variations in light and temperature."

if you're serious about getting into breeding, I suggest you sign up
for the rhodo email list.  It's on onelist - here's the URL to the
page about it:

http://www.onelist.com/community/rhodo

I've been lurking on it for a month or so and the threads are
generally devoted to species, hybrids and hybridization.  Expect that
there are people on that list who can answer your questions about
this.  Traffic on the list is fairly light - goes in spurts.  But, if
you post your queries there, bet you will get some really specific
answers - much better than I can provide!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article : Where in the World - Plant Provenance
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----------
> From: Arnhild Bleie <abbl@ONLINE.NO>
> Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2000 11:58 PM
>
> Rhododendron is maybe one of my favorite plants that I would like
> a lot more of in my garden,I have a climate suitable for it, and it
would
> be very nice to make my own, even do crossing.
>
> - I have questions about seeds and breeding:
>
> 1. Can I take seeds now from unopened seedpods left on the plants
and sow
> them in a warm room now - how warm is best?
> 2. Do I cover them by sowing?
> 3. Do they germinate without light?
> 4. Are the rules for how plants from seed from crossings
inheritate? And is
> that
> related to leaves and/or flowers - size? shaps? colours?
> 5. Do it excist a list over the best cultivars for breeding?
>
> If it is ok to do now ..? -> I will find seeds now I have some old
> decidious Rhod. (red azaleas) in the garden, and maybe some of the
> evergreens a well.
>
> I know I can make new plants by soft cuttings, but would be
exciting to see
> i I get something new from seeds, should be good cross pollination
by me I
> have several cultivars and bees are in all of them!
>
> Hope someone can help me with this.
>
> Best regards
> Arnhild :)
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