Seedy Subjects! > Grow From Seed
Germination of Moraea huttonii
Redmires:
I've been sent some Moraea huttonii seed with an order and would be grateful for advice on when to sow and how to treat it - a web search produced conflicting suggestions. I adore the winter-flowering Moraea but can't provide appropriate conditions, so even though this species looks much less striking I'm still ridiculously excited to have the chance to try growing a Moraea and don't want to waste the seed by treating inappropriately.
Maggi Young:
The Ontario RG & HPS germination guide https://www.onrockgarden.com/index.php/germination-guide for M. alticola says "Sow @ 20°C. Seed germinates within 3 months"
I don't know about M. huttonii but I know that many Moraea don't like artificial heat and prefer a more "usual" cold, chill regime.
Have you looked a the Pacific Bulb Society site to see if they have any germination info there? https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/MoraeaSpeciesFive
MarcR:
Moraea huttonii needs temperatures of 10-15c to germinate. Germination is slow and uneven; but reliable. You might want to buy a used small refrigerator and set it to 12C. An LED growlight can be placed inside.
Redmires:
That's very helpful Marc. My minuscule budget won't run to a fridge, but I can easily provide that temperature range at the moment - and right through until late spring - although I may have to be a bit careful about ventilation whilst the seeds are indoors. I'll get them sown ASAP and cross my fingers for good results.
MarcR:
I recently bought 2 small refrigerators for $30 (£20) each. They don't need to be budget breakers. When buying used ones, I don't care what they look like because I'm not putting food in them. I wash them down inside first with straight chlorine bleach then after a rinse with straight vinegar. That will kill any lurking nastieys.
I have one set at 40F (4C) and one at 54F (12C). That way I don't need to start seeds in the kitchen fridge.
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