Care of Seed

[David Shaw]

As part of my collecting for the exchange I have collected some iris seed from the garden. I have noticed that the collected seed have gone from being nice plump seeds to rather dried out material that I do not wish to pass on - so I sowed it myself whilst still fresh.
Any advice on how this seed could have been kept nice and fresh until submission to the exchange and distribution in January?

[David Nicholson]

David, the iris seed I collect, whether for the Seed Ex or for my own use, gets treated in the same way. Dried, after collecting, for a couple of days on a sunny window sill, cleaned, packeted and into a box in the salad compartment of the fridge (under protest from the other user of the fridge!). When I need to use it, or when I receive seed from the Exchange I soak it for a couple of days in water with a drop of washing up liquid and it normally plumps up again. My germination rates have been pretty good so far.

[Lesley Cox]

Iris seed should be quite happy even if apparently dehydrated. The seeds in nature (or my garden, usually) lie on the ground in cracks or under dead leaves or wherever for up to 9 months before they even think about germinating. Then up they come when soaked by rain. Dry them off then pack in small envelopes and into an airtight jar. Then into the fridge if you like but I don't think it's necessary. Iris seeds have a good thick protective coat.