Sowing Iris orchioides

[JPB]

Last december I've sown this species (wild collected Central Asia - Kurt Vickery) and it has been outside since including a long period off frost. There is no germination yet. I read somewhere here that the seeds need to be treated to help them out of their "coats". Is this necessary for this species? Will it happen naturally f.i. next year of later when the coating gets permeable?

Thaks, Hans

[David Nicholson]

Wim, I am no great expert but before sowing I soak all my Iris species seed in water with a little washing up detergent added for about one week, changing the water each day. This is supposed to help to disperse the germination inhibitor that nature adds to the seed coat. I would not throw your seed out as it may well germinate next year.

[Rodger Whitlock]

Dykes, the great iris specialist, somewhere mentions that he had one pot of iris seed that took 19 years to germinate.

[WimB]

Wim, I am no great expert but before sowing ...

David, I realise all these Dutch first names can be confusing, but Hans is not me... 

[daveyp1970]

Hans i had the same seed from Kurt and no germination here yet either maybe next spring.

[David Nicholson]

Wim, I am no great expert but before sowing ...

David, I realise all these Dutch first names can be confusing, but Hans is not me... 

Are yes, the old eyes are going! I did mean Hans, sorry to you both.

[WimB]

Wim, I am no great expert but before sowing ...

David, I realise all these Dutch first names can be confusing, but Hans is not me... 

Are yes, the old eyes are going! I did mean Hans, sorry to you both.

That's okay, David. I'm not sure if something like that has to do with old age (and btw, you're not that old, live starts at 50 they say so you're only 17  ).
Anyhow, you should see me trying to remember names of people, even those of persons I've just spoken to... I always have trouble remembering names (and I'm only 29)

[Rafa]

I have had very good results with Vickery's seeds last year. Most of species germinated at high percentage after 3 months, one month outdoors reciving frost, and the rest in the greenhouse in absolute darkness. I think most important is to sow fresh seeds, old seeds could explain Dykes comment...

[PeterT]

I understand Kew now treat all juno seed with smoke as a matter of course. the waterd seed pots are coverd with a cardboard box with a small hole in the side. a bee smoker is used ( normally with eucalyptus leaves) to fill the box with smoke and the hole taped up. The box is left in place for a couple of hours. I have yet to try this but it is supposed to yield good results

[Lesley Cox]

Maybe I can adapt Roger's fish smoker. If junos, why not oncos, as well as all protaceae and the Australian members of the pea family though many of those, especially Acacia germinate at the drop of a hat anyway. And why not try ANYTHING difficult to germinate? Astragalus coccineus for instance?

[Rodger Whitlock]

I understand Kew now treat all juno seed with smoke as a matter of course. the waterd seed pots are coverd with a cardboard box with a small hole in the side. a bee smoker is used ( normally with eucalyptus leaves) to fill the box with smoke and the hole taped up. The box is left in place for a couple of hours. I have yet to try this but it is supposed to yield good results

One nursery propagator here always had great success with seeds of Romneya coulteri, causing dismay among all the other nurseries laboriously trying to propagate it by root cuttings. She would sow the seed in a shallow flat, then put (iirc) torn up newspaper on top, and set that alight. Same thing: compounds in smoke (possibly ethylene) help germination of Romneya.

Clean straw is another fuel I've seen mentioned in The Literature.

No bee or fish smoker required.

[JPB]

Dykes, the great iris specialist, somewhere mentions that he had one pot of iris seed that took 19 years to germinate.

Including four years needed to get flowering plants, I invite you to watch this forum in the year 2033 for some great photos of this Iris

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. The seeds are in pots now and harvesting them for a "treatment" is not an option.

I know that ripe fruit produces ethylene. If I put a few apples in a bag together with the pots, the seeds (covered by coarse grit so the ethylene will permeate I suppose) may have a chance to germinate?

Hans

[Maggi Young]

I suspect one banana produces more ethylene than a few apples 

[JPB]

 

[Lesley Cox]

Hans, don't be too bothered about your seed yet. It would have been reasonably fresh from that source and it is quite likely I think that you will have some germination in your current spring. I find juno seed, even of rarer species takes a matter of months rather than years and if it is from my own plants, it is usually just a couple of months with high percentage germination.