Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: ellen&dan on October 14, 2008, 02:13:13 PM

Title: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: ellen&dan on October 14, 2008, 02:13:13 PM

Hi there
 We have had lots of Arisaema flowering this year but only a few have set seed. Quite a few have started to set seed and then aborted. Has anyone got tips.
Thanks Dan and Ellen

Title: Re: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: Maggi Young on October 14, 2008, 03:12:38 PM

Hi, I can only think that the weather has been too changeable to encourage good seed set, or perhaps there were not enough pollinating insects about at the right time.... I know here there has been a shortage of hoverflies and bees at various times this season.... (and as for butterflies, there have been VERY few of those, though they're not exactly Arisaema pollinators !!)..... We seem o have good seed heads around the garden..... LoOKS okay so far, anyhow.  Just hope for a better year in 2009, I guess!  :-X

Title: Re: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: Slug Killer on October 14, 2008, 04:44:46 PM

Hi

I'll second Maggi and go with the lack of pollination. Some that I left to their own devices produced some seed, while the ones I pollinated myself with a fine artist brush all did OK.

Did you have plenty of male plants? I was unable to pollinate some of my Arisaema due to the fact I only had females.

Dave

Title: Re: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: Slug Killer on October 14, 2008, 04:53:37 PM

This link of an earlier discussion may be of interest to you.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1681.0

Dave

Title: Re: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: David Shaw on October 14, 2008, 05:46:25 PM

We have had selective seed set on our Arisaema this year. Plenty of seed from A. griffithii, an early flowering species, a few A. flavum and jaquemontii and now lots of A. ciliatum and consanguinium ripening on the ground. We grow quite a number of Arisaema but these are the only ones to have set seed this year.

Title: Re: Help with Arisaema seeds
Post by: ellen&dan on October 16, 2008, 05:40:58 PM

Thanks everyone for your help. We have had male and female plants, must just be a bad year for them.
Thanks Dan nad Ellen