N. viridiflorus seed germination

[Jack Meatcher]

I was lucky enough to obtain 6 seeds of N. viridiflorus in the AGS exchange last December/January. I sowed the seed late December in accordance with the Ian Young philosophy, ie., 5cm down. The pot is terracotta and lives on a bedroom windowcill on the sunny side of the house. I regularly water it with rain water and the very free draining compost does not get waterlogged (Paul Cumbleton philosophy). I'm hoping this regime will reproduce the climate/environment of southern Spain/Morrocco through the Summer.
Am I correct in thinking germination (if any) will take place next Autumn (2013) when temperatures start to drop? Any other suggestions for nurturing these seeds based on your experiences?

Thanks

Jack

[Anthony Darby]

They should do, but germination could be any time after sowing. I sowed seeds from Spain on 8/5/11 and had green shoots visible a month later in early June. That equates to December in Spain, but the seeds didn't know that.

[David Nicholson]

....................That equates to December in Spain, but the seeds didn't know that.

How do you know they didn't ?

[Darren]

My own seedlings from Kurt Vickery seed germinated in autumn as you would expect Jack.

But they then took the following season off and did not produce any leaves. The season after that they grew away normally. This might not happen with yours but don't panic if it does!

[Anthony Darby]

How do you know they didn't ?

You could be right David? I nature they would drop straight from the plant into damp ground, perhaps around about December.  My seedlings are just appearing now, as they did last April. I wonder how fast they will grow here?

[Jack Meatcher]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for taking the trouble to reply to my posting. As a newcomer to alpines (about 4 years), I'm often in the realms of not knowing what is "normal", what can be expected, and what are the likely abberations from the "norms". For example, your posting Darren, showing that the bulbs might take a whole season off is, for me, gold dust. Some alpines are great eroders of self-belief in that they often don't behave as expected and then I think it's me that has done something wrong.
Of course, being AGS Exchange seed, it might have been 12 months old before I received it. So that may have affected its dormancy.
Once again, many thanks for your kindnesses.

Jack Meatcher

[Maggi Young]

As a newcomer to alpines (about 4 years), I'm often in the realms of not knowing what is "normal", what can be expected, and what are the likely abberations from the "norms". For example, your posting Darren, showing that the bulbs might take a whole season off is, for me, gold dust. Some alpines are great eroders of self-belief in that they often don't behave as expected and then I think it's me that has done something wrong.
Jack Meatcher

What you say rings old bells with me, Jack.
I well recall our panic when a seed raised plant that we thought would be evergreen, or at east retain some overwintering buds at the surface, died right back - we thought it was lost and gone forever. 
It was only when we went some months later to clean  out the "empty" pot that we discovered the new young growth just about to emerge in the spring!
Thank goodness we had not flung the pot on the compost heap at the time of dieback! 

There is so much information that is NOT readily available - thank goodness for places like this to exchange experiences!

(Our happily reviving plant, by the way, was Eriophyton wallichii - it was a really silver, furry form, a thing of great beauty which we went on to grow and enjoy for many years  )

Getting back to bulb seeds in general - we do find that they tend to germinate best at the time when adult plants are getting into growth.

[Jack Meatcher]

Dear Maggi,

Thank you for that extra posting - particularly the last line about germination timing in general.  It does seem that anyone growing alpines needs two gardens - one for obviously living/thriving plants and one for all the pots where we're hoping something will germinate/appear next year.

Interestingly, I had some SRGC exchange seed this year and I already have three pots of tulipa seedlings which emerged over a month ago. The only problem is that one of them (T. bukseana, ex Iran) doesn't seem to exist in my tulip book or on the internet. Still, it will be fun to see what the flowers look like.

Thanks again for your input.

Jack Meatcher

[ashley]

Tulipa buhseana ?

[arillady]

Jack I have so many pots that I never throw out. I noticed germination on an aril iris cross from 2004 today - hence the never throw out rule. It is autumn here and aril irises are coming into growth as are the seeds germinating too.

[Jack Meatcher]

Ashley from Cork,

Many thanks for the pointer on T. buhseana - not bukseana. I appreciate your response very much.

Best regards

Jack Meatcher