Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Meconopsis => Topic started by: ellen&dan on November 27, 2008, 05:21:47 PM
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Hi there
I am looking for some general help getting Meconopsis to germinate. I have a few different packs of seeds to sow. I have grown M. horridula before quite well.
Thanks Dan
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Hi, I hope the following helps with your meconopsis seed sowing, firstly we usualy sow seed in early January, take care not to sow to much it is best to sow more than one pot sow some more every two weeks. Fill the pots to just below the rim with compost, I have tried everything and just general compost mix with some added grit works well for me. Firm the compost in the pot then take some more compost mix equal parts with sharp grit, sow your seed on top then cover lightly with the compost grit mix, place pots outside in an open frame or safe area in the garden, meconopsis require a period of cold to help germination which occures around Februay March, when we see first seedlings pots are taken inside to prevent seedlings getting deluged by rain. I usually water with a little added fungicide but do not over water seedlings. We sometimes pot the seedlings into a bigger pot without disturbance this gives them some more feeding and they grow bigger which makes it easier to separate and grow on. I always have the second potful as back up and these are potted up just in case, good luck, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Thanks for the advice, we will wait till January to sow.
Thanks Dan
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Useful advice but M. punicea is best sown as soon as it is harvested. It germinates well. The seed must be large, the small stuff that looks like other Mec seed is rubbish. Pick out as soon as they can be handled into covered containers so that the roots can re-establish and then gently wean them to normal conditions
Brian Wilson
Aberdeen (-5 C at present)
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Hi Brian, I do sow some Meconopsis punicea as soon as it is ripe but sow the most in January, i store all my seed in empty margarine tubs in a normal fridge, I find the seed all germinates around the same time. I do agree that several sowings with some very early is probably the best bet, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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On the other side of the world, I sow M. punicea as soon as ripe (generally December/Jan) and the whole lot germinates 8 months later, on the 7th or 8th August (early spring), the same dates for each of the last 3 years, regardless of weather or how cold or wet or dry the winter has been. It's sown into pots, covered with grit and left outside in cool shade.
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It seems from your posts that seed has short viability and I have never been able to get any germination from any seed from seed obtained from a seed exchange.
I have sow old seed a month ago that has been stored at 70F for >4years. These are outside where temperate can go to -25C.
I have two plants now that have survived only 2 years without flowering and this is the longest ever for me.
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Anyone wanting help with meconopsis identification should have a look at James Cobb's site Meconopsis World a visual reference to the genus......... http://www.meconopsisworld.co.uk/MW_About.html .... which contains photos of the species in the wild as a super aid to indentification.
There is also the Meconopis Group, who seem particularly to concentrate on the "big Blues".........
http://www.meconopsis.org/
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If you are wanting a variation on the sowing technique, you might like to try this as it works for me, particularly for the 'big blues'!
I sow later than Ian - late February / early March - into a tub I can put a lid on. Half fill the tub with really anything, and top up with at least 9mm of damp sphagnum moss, chopped to 6mm lengths. Sow the seed onto this, making sure the moss is damp. Pop the lid on and put somewhere to get outside temperatures.
The first time I tried this I oversowed the pot and got a huge germination. I desperation I planted out at the first true leaf stage into a free draining but peaty compost using a squirt from chemistry washbottle to ensure the compost was washed around the roots - and have always got a good production rate, unless the slugs got there first. I think the key is that the sphagnum doesn't hold the the very fine roots so the tiny seedlings transplant OK. The main advantage is that the seedling gets into a proper pot very early - ie early May.
Rob
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I sow in late winter in 11 cm pots. these are immediately put into an unheated greenhouse where it is quite cold at that time. (This is Sweden you know)
It is important to get them out of the greenhouse before it starts to heat up - a few hours of high temperatures can kill the lot.
I try to avoid higher temperatures than 20°C.
I thin them out to perhaps ten per pot and transplant in the summer.
The big blues at least are gross feeders.
Seed from seed exchanges usually works fine.
Sometimes seed germinates the second spring.
Göte
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I did sow rather late this year, in april, but germination has still been good . But as Göte says "This is Sweden..." One thing that I have wondered about is if it´s better to repot species that form a tap root in the second year. Or is that valid only when it comes to M delavayi ? I have repotted M horridula the first year though and that has gone well. My M delavayi has not germinated at all so far though.
Lars