Seedy Subjects! > Seeds Wanted

Ranzania, Schizocodon, Shortia

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Olga Bondareva:
I would be grateful if somebody helps me with this seeds and comments on their germination.

Maggi Young:
Olga, I believe Gerben will be a good man to help with this, if he is nearby? In Gothenburg they grow many such species, all very well!  Gerben?

jomowi:
Hi Olga

I grow Shortias from seed. They are best sown when just ripe, collect seed as soon as the pods split,, old seed may well be dead.  I sow them on sterile peat covered with a thin layer of 2 mm flint grit.  Spray them with sterile rain water and cover with Cling film and wait.  Very fresh seed germinates in about 3 weeks (summer and early autumn) old seed may take very much longer if it grows at all.  The seedlings are very tiny, but very dilute feed applied with a dropper will help their growth.  Keep the cling film on until they have a true leaf before beginning limited ventilation.  Watch out for damping off, it can happen sometimes, and for the appearance of liverworts and moss; not usually a problem but remove any you see.  Growth can be maintained during the first winter by using artificial light as for Gesneriads.  The main problem then is to  carefully wean them off the lights.  I keep mine in the house so I also have to wean them from the higher temperatures as well.  They can be pricked out into 2 cm cells when large enough using a peat-rich acid compost mixed with a little sterile soil, Perlite and some slow release fertiliser.  When this is done it is important to keep the humidity high with a transparent cover for several weeks before weaning them to shade fram/outside conditions.  They do not like hot sun, a dry atmosphere or water shortage, particularly when tiny.

Brian Wilson Aberdeen

Diane Whitehead:
The only source I have seen for Schizocodon and Shortia seed is the seed catalogue put out by Göteborg Botanic Garden.  The catalogue comes out in January.  Does this mean they are selling seeds from last summer which are likely to be dead?  or do they store them so that they maintain viability?

Maggi Young:
Diane, believe me, if ANYWHERE is liable to be storing seed correctly, then it is Göteborg Botanic Garden !
Those guys are GOOD! I would consider anyone who has access to their seed bank to be extremely fortunate. Cannot speak highly enough of the place or the people.

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