Return to the Perennials & Annuals Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
Posted by KrystalKat SE QLD Aust (My Page) on Mon, Jan 24, 05 at 0:54
| I have some Hippeastrum seed and have followed the floatation method someone mentioned on a post here. The seeds are not doing anything. Is there any special 'tricks' I can do to get them boosted and germinating. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
Kat they have to be fresh seeds, yours would probably
be too stale now MM |
RE: Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
| Does that mean that if a seed falls into a drought period it never germinates? Or does it take many months to germinate? I have a Hippeastrum seed pod ripening at present and I can plant out/float as soon as it's ripe. However, I've noticed that even when I do plant fresh seeds there are alsways a few laggards which decide to sprout months after the rest. (Pacific Coast Iris, Clivia, Iris innominata.) Hence my question above. |
RE: Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
| I have been floating my hippeastrum seeds for about a month, I have about 90% with roots formings (upto an inch now), however I had to transfer them into a deeper bowl (used chopsticks and didnt touch roots). Now a lot of the seeds keep sinking, even the ones I left in the original bowl. Will they still grow under water? I have placed a few on the side of the bowl with roots into the water. Anyone with experience can let me know more? Once they have shoots I plan to transfer them into a polystyrene box with potting mix and seedling mix on top and saturate the soil to start with. Does this sound feasible?! Thanks in advance! |
RE: Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
For Kat, apart from your Hippie seed age (most likely problem) extreme heat just like extreme cold, will be against germination.
Veti, hippiastrum seed is best sown fresh, all species have different germination rates some Iris are very slow, sporadic and unpredictable. Clivea if ripe and fresh can take anything from weeks to months.
Climatic forces like drought can certainly be a factor with any plant that is grown randomly that is just by broadspreading. With some plants with short viability if they miss the right conditions that season, the game is over. Other plants can have any range of triggering mechanisms for germination. That's why we "cultivate" in special conditions when we can, to assure best chances. Your question though would fill a book (and probably has).
Jay, they will survive a while even floating under water but its not necessary to wait for a shoot before planting. Once a root has formed that's pretty much all you need. Transfer gently to a moist mix - I make a little "rill" and use tweezers holding the seed case if it remains or if not any forming shoot - then gently backfill around the root. Leaving TOO long in water can be fatal though as you may get some rot/fungus or the seedlings may be deprived of oxygen and nutrients while being in just water. Just keep lifting them out as they get big enough to handle. |
RE: Hippeastrums from seed.
| | |
Thanks alisonOZ I potted my seedlings out today. A whole boxful! Now I will just keep on checking on my little guys and make sure they make it through the transplant. Although I spent a lot of time looking after them (regular checking, water top ups etc) They were easier than I thought to grow! lets hope they like their new dirt home :)
Thanks for your advice - it was exactly what I needed to know! |
|
|
|
|
