Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Seedy Subjects! => Grow From Seed => Topic started by: JPB on January 26, 2011, 01:08:53 PM

Title: Sowing now or later?
Post by: JPB on January 26, 2011, 01:08:53 PM: I have received many seeds a few days ago and I'like advise as to sow them now, later this spring or next autumn.

Narcissus (spring and autumn-flowering)
Calochortus
Tulipa (from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan))
Fritillaria (Eurasia and N-America)
Iris (f.i. orchioides, xiphioides..)
Lilium (washingtonianum, pardalinum)

Any advise is greatly appreciated!

Hans
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Onion on January 26, 2011, 09:37:35 PM: Only experience with Tulips. Store them dry and cold in the fridge till autumn. Then sow them mid September.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: David Nicholson on January 26, 2011, 09:40:17 PM: Best advice anyone could give you is look in Ian's Bulb Log (it's all indexed) it's likely to be all there.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Ian Y on January 27, 2011, 10:05:06 AM: Hans my advice is:-

Narcissus (spring and autumn-flowering) Sow now
Calochortus Sow now
Tulipa (from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan)) Save and sow in August/September
Fritillaria (Eurasia and N-America) Save and sow in August/September
Iris (f.i. orchioides, xiphioides..) Sow now
Lilium (washingtonianum, pardalinum) Sow now

I have heard reports that some people have had successful germination sowing the N-American frits now but my experience so far is that it is best to wait.

David you are correct I have written abut this a number of times through the (now into) 9 years of bulb logs.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Darren on January 27, 2011, 10:53:05 AM: I actually had almost exactly the same question and intended to look at the bulb log today to find the answer - this has saved me the effort so thanks Ian!

My surplus seed from the SRGC exchange turned up yesterday. Oh dear, I don't remember asking for that much...
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: JPB on January 27, 2011, 10:57:15 AM: Thanks Ian!!!!

I did search your bulb-log but had not yet found it nearly as clear as in your reply!

Now I have a lot of sowing to do! :) :) :)

Cheers, Hans
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: art600 on January 27, 2011, 11:54:48 AM: What about Erythronium please
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Maggi Young on January 27, 2011, 12:02:37 PM: For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now. :)

Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: tonyg on January 27, 2011, 12:06:27 PM: Quote from: Maggi Young on January 27, 2011, 12:02:37 PM
For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now. :)

Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.
And by the time the last one germinates the first one will have wormed its way through the hole at the bottom of the pot :)
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Maggi Young on January 27, 2011, 12:47:28 PM: Quote from: tonyg on January 27, 2011, 12:06:27 PM
Quote from: Maggi Young on January 27, 2011, 12:02:37 PM
For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now. :)

Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.
And by the time the last one germinates the first one will have wormed its way through the hole at the bottom of the pot :)
Yup! that's right! :D
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: JPB on February 02, 2011, 02:48:58 PM: Now I've sown the Narcissus species listed below, but I wonder at which temperature I should keep them. Do the species from the section Pseudonarcissus still need a cold treatment? I guess it is important to make all of them germinate as quickly as possible, so they will be large enough when they go in summer rest?

Thanks again! Hans

Narcissus asturiensis
Narcissus bulbocodium nivalis
Narcissus bulbocodium
Narcissus cantabricus
Narcissus cavanillesii
Narcissus confusus
Narcissus deficiens
Narcissus elegans fallax
Narcissus humilis mauretanicus
Narcissus jonquila
Narcissus obesus
Narcissus obsoletus (=elegans)
Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. eugenia
Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseud.
Narcissus rupicola
Narcissus serotinus
Narcissus triandrus ssp. pallidulus
Narcissus viridiflorus
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: David Nicholson on February 02, 2011, 04:13:14 PM: Hans, others may disagree but I would leave them outside to all that the weather can throw at them.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: ArnoldT on February 02, 2011, 05:23:30 PM: All my Narcissus seeds are potted and exposed to the temps in the cold house. It is kept at min. of 45 F. Many have germinated.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: JPB on February 04, 2011, 08:29:39 AM: Thanks, I'll put them in my frost-free greenhouse and see what happens :)
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Maggi Young on February 04, 2011, 12:54:29 PM: Hans, they really do not need to be frost free at this stage
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Arda Takan on February 14, 2011, 12:05:45 PM: I recieved some Frit. persice seeds today. So should I keep them and sow in next autumn?
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Maggi Young on February 14, 2011, 01:30:35 PM: Quote from: Arda Takan on February 14, 2011, 12:05:45 PM
I recieved some Frit. persica seeds today. So should I keep them and sow in next autumn?
We would wait until autumn, Arda.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Arda Takan on February 14, 2011, 05:58:14 PM: Thanks for answer Maggi
But a friend of mine said if I sow right now they might germinate in spring (according to his experience) so I decided to sow some of the seeds. I'll buy a bulb in summer from him if I fail.
Title: Re: Sowing now or later?
Post by: Maggi Young on February 14, 2011, 06:41:43 PM: Good luck Arda... we find if we sow at this time they will wait much longer to germinate.