Dietes

Linda Foulis plantlady@beautifulblooms.ab.ca
Wed, 19 Oct 2005 18:07:07 PDT
Alberto,
What is your reasoning for leaving the seed uncovered for 2 weeks?  Do you
apply this method to only hard coated seed or all of your seed sown?  I'm
curious.  Depending on the seed I usually leave mine uncovered as well, I'm
not sure why I do this though or where I learned this method.  I think it's
more that I can't stand the suspense of what is going on under the seed mix.
I cover with vermiculite once the seed starts to sprout.  Of course this
does not apply to seed requiring darkness.

Thank you for the heads up on Albuca seed.  Where would you suggest getting
this seed from?  They are one of my favorite bulbs and I'm now looking to
expand my collection of 1, a. spiralis which came from seed purchased from
Chilterns.  Out of the whole package I only got one germinated, which I
still have.  Last summer I had 6 blooms from the one bulb, I was very
excited to say the least.

Thank you
Linda Foulis

-----Original Message-----
From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Alberto Castillo
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 6:09 PM
To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [pbs] Dietes


Dear Mary Sue and Jamie:
                                    With many kinds of plants seed freshness
is of paramount importance. Just to give an example, Albuca seed obtained
from PBS germinates in a 100%. From other sources germination may be 0-1%.
Dietes seed shows the same problem. When scattered about the parent plants
tiny plants come up everywhere. And it seems the embryo dies off rapidly.
This is also typical of many species of year round rainfall regions of South
America.
                                     As for my methods of germination I have
mentioned them on a number of occasions. I use a very gritty mix and do not
cover the seed for two weeks, watering abundantly during this period. Once
the two weeks are over I cover the seed with grit (coarse perlite or coarse
pumice would be equivalent) and germination takes place rapidly from then
on. Of course, if the seed is dead nothign could be done

Best
Alberto

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