Meconopsis 2024

[Leena]

Wild collected seeds I bought from Holubeck (horridula, integrifolia, prattii and punicea) December are now germinating, and very well, too. The seed pots were outside all winter, under snow and I took them to cold polytunnel two weeks ago where they are now germinating. Even in M.punicea pot there are couple of seedlings coming up. I now hope I can keep all these alive until flowering.



Outside in the garden M.baileyi ('Glacier Blue')



And M.integrifolia, seeds from a kind forumist couple of years ago.

[ashley]

Very exciting Leena
I've never succeeded with punicea.

[Leena]

I've never succeeded with punicea.

I have tried it twice but never got the seeds to germinate, so I'm very excited to get seedlings this time.
Did you have trouble with them later?

[ashley]

No, I never got any germination so either my conditions were wrong or the seed wasn't viable.
However Margaret or others may know if there are any particular challenges in growing the seedlings on.

[arisaema]

I think it's down to them needing a prolonged freeze to germinate, I never had issues in Norway, but they (the exact same Holubec seeds as Leena) haven't germinated here in Denmark... I'll keep my fingers crossed they'll germinate next spring.

[Margaret Thorne]

Mec punicea seed should be sown as fresh as possible to get good germination.

[ashley]

Mec punicea seed should be sown as fresh as possible to get good germination.

And typical Scottish winters are cold & long enough?

[Leena]

I think it's down to them needing a prolonged freeze to germinate, I never had issues in Norway, but they (the exact same Holubec seeds as Leena) haven't germinated here in Denmark... I'll keep my fingers crossed they'll germinate next spring.

I hope yours germinate next year.
Here seeds really had a long and cold period, about four monts below freezing.
I have had also very good germination from Adonis seeds this year, even older seed pots germinate now, and I think also they need below freezing temperatures for longer times to germinate.

[arisaema]

I hope yours germinate next year.

They often did in Norway if sown too late in winter, so I'm hopeful, even if the climate is a bit milder here - x cookei was sown a month earlier and they have germinated from old seeds, if admittedly not very well. It may be that fresh seeds lack deep dormancy?