Iris species

[Susan Band]

Maggie, they are deeper than they look, they have 2 in. of perlitie in them (I bought the containers, I don't eat that many takeaways). There are no holes in them and a little water in the bottom of them, I also mist them. They are in the spare room so unless I have visitor there is no heating on, I think I will buy a lamp for them to prevent them getting drawn. Time will tell if I am sucessful, I will leave them in the boxes until the last spring frosts have passed, by then they should have 1 or 2 true leaves, then prick them out into Polystyrene fish boxes and leave them there for 2-3 years until they are saleable size. Previously I have always had sucess pricking them out at this stage, it was getting them through the winter/spring after they had germinated that was the problem.
I have also used these containers with compost and the lids on for Primulas and mecs to get them started, they are so subseptible to drying out as they germinate.
By the way I have a nice nivalid primula (grown for seed this year by this meathod) sending up a pale lemon flower, if it developes good enough for a photo I will post it for ID

[Maggi Young]

I bought the containers, I don't eat that many takeaways

That's cos you live too far from the Takeaway shop!   We buy these containers to send bulbs by post, very useful, sturdy and not too expensive... well, cheaper than the Takeaway, that's for sure!

[Paul T]

Maggi,

Yes, but not as tasty!! 

[Lesley Cox]

But better for you health m' lad!

Susan, were these Trillium seeds from your own garden or bought in from somewhere? I ask because I'm having NO JOY AT ALL, in getting Trillium seeds to germinate, from other sources, even if very fresh.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

This year we obviously had the right conditions for Trillium germination.  I have had some germination each year, but this year I had a whole heap sown in 2003 and 2004 all germinate about a month to 6 weeks ago.  The 2003 in particular I left there with a vague hope of one day getting a couple germinate, but I'm getting what must be pretty much full germination.  Also at the same time were seed sown in the last couple of years as well.  A whole heap of these have been from the wonderful people here in the SRGC.   I don't know what particular difference this year was to the last few years, except that we had a lot of rain in June, then very little since.  In June they were touting that it was going to be well above average for rainfall this spring etc, then someone obviously turned the tap off. <sigh>  The other possibility is that I moved a shadehouse to the area where I have my sown seed.  It might have kept them moister over late summer, but I have always kept them damp during summer anyway.  They are still in exactly the same place, they just have an "official" shadehouse over them instead of a sheet of shade cloth suspended on poles over the top of them.  Personally I don't think that is the difference, but I thought it worth mentioning for fullness of conditions.

[Susan Band]

Lesley, They were from my own seed, I soaked  them in peroxide first as detailed in the Trillium book by Fred Case.
Some were mistakenly allowed to dry but they still germinated. If you are sowing them outside you have to watch they don't get frosted once they start to germinate, they can sit partially germinated for weeks/months and I find they are very vunerable to frost/drying out at this stage. That is why I am now doing them inside. I leave them in the fridge til Nov (4 months) then bring them into the house. They took another couple of months until they germinated after which I pricked them out as they had started to get mould, as I said the ones pricked out into perlite grew best. A good website to check out is www.trilliumresearch.org. I would also give them a bit of protection for the first year till the tubers are big enough to withstand frosts.
I don't get any seed from elsewhere so can't tell if it would work for other peoples seed.

[mark smyth]

These methods are almost the same as me germinating seeds in kitchen paper towel in a plastic bag

[Lesley Cox]

Well, I don't seem to be doing anything radically wrong. I'll keep them cool and damp and go on waiting. I hope they germinate before I die

[Rafa]

Well, sorry for the delay in replay the Forced Germination method that you could find in the article of Elm Jensen in the Aril Society International 2005 Yearbook.

I will try to resume the steps:

1.   Hydratation: Put the seeds 4 or 5 days in water with systemic fungicide.
2.   Cut the aril (if it's an arilated species), the skin and a little layer to discover the embryo
3.   Put the seeds in humid perlite or vermiculate in little plastic bags.
4.   After 2 or 3 weeks I put the seeds directly in pots with systemic fungicide, outdoors in a frost free place.

My recomendation:

1.    Use perlite because you can see better the seeds in a white background.
2.    Use rigid recipient as the embrios are very delicate and it could be broken in a plastic bag.
3.    Put the seeds in pots as soon as possible (2 weeks in many species).

The seed have to be cutted like in the picture.

I had succeded in all my experiments even with other Iridaceas like Tigridias and Neomaricas. I have seen that this technique is also possible in Arum species and others. Is almost impossible to be unsuccessful with this method, because the seeds hasn’t other way than germinate or die

[Maggi Young]

Clear and helpful advice, Rafa, many thanks.

[Linda_Foulis]

Thank you for that method Rafa.  On a recent visit to a friend's garden I was sent home with several different iris seed pods, mostly tall bearded types I think?  I've had them soaking  a couple of days and am now undergoing the tedious job of exposing the embryo.  Hmm, this is no different than how I treat clivia seed, except that clivia are bigger and easier to handle.  So far so good.  I've never had a whole lot of luck with iris seed so maybe this will work for me as well.

Maggi and Luc if you'd like some fresh iris seeds to try with, I have loads.  However it's all from tall bearded types that I grow.  Pictures below.

[tonyg]

Very clear and helpful Rafa - Thanks.  I will try the hydration method on Crocus michelsonii.  It has a reputation for being difficult to germinate.  Perhaps no coincidence that it has a thick wrinkly seed coat like the iris seeds you show.  Most crocus have a smooth seed coat and germinate quite easily.

[Lesley Cox]

As do most irises. It's the oncos and junos that give problems.

I'm going to try this with my recalcitrant trillium seed. Four years now and not a sausage up - let alone a trillium! The seeds still seem hard and viable so worth a try.

[Diane Whitehead]

I just mailed the SRGC seed exchange some iris seeds I collected in the Siskiyous,
so thought I would show the flowers they came from.  I didn't get back to collect
the seeds until a year and a half from when I photographed them, and by
then it was so late in the season that I had to put on my reading glasses,
search among the stones and moss, and collect the seeds with tweezers.

The yellow ones are pure innominata, from near Agness in southern Oregon.

The shades of purple ones are from Del Norte county in northern California.
There is disagreement as to whether they are a species (Iris thompsoni),
a southern version of I. innominata, or a stabilized natural hybrid between
innominata from mountains and douglasiana from the seashore, which can
be called I. X thompsoni.

[Paul T]

Gotta love the good old Pacific Coast Iris (I think they're designated PCN or something aren't they?) and the species they are derived from.  Such a wonderful show for so little work.  I just love them!!  Nice to see the wild forms Diane.