Starting winter growing seed/Veltheimia seed
Mary Sue Ittner (Mon, 09 Feb 2004 08:06:27 PST)

Dear All,

I looked through all my records of starting Veltheimia seed and saw my best
results came from starting seed in early October when it would have been
very warm here. The next time I have a chance at V. bracteata (bi-color)
seed I'll try bottom heat since I have no survivors from my other attempts
at that seed. Over the years I've been collecting hints for particular
kinds of seed so will add this suggestion about Veltheimia.

There are so many factors to consider in starting seed. Some seed is
notoriously short lived and needs to be started right away and other seed
needs a curing so to speak before it will come up. Vic Girrard in a talk on
growing bulbs from seed offered a helpful rule that often works. If a bulb
comes from an area with winter rainfall start the seed in fall and if from
summer rainfall start in spring. This is why Alberto suggested we add
information to the BX offerings so people would know when to start their
seeds.

Rachel Saunders has said many times that a number of the South Africa
species (especially Irids) from the winter rainfall Cape area need a change
from day and night temperatures to germinate properly. They are best
started in the fall when days are still warm and nights cool. Bottom heat
for those might make the temperatures in the soil too uniform. Veltheimia
bracteata is not a winter rainfall Cape species however. In my experience
you can keep those first seedlings of this species growing for a year or
more before they go dormant which may give you more flexibility in timing.
Some seedlings go dormant when the weather gets warmer (again a lot of the
South African irids) so starting them in early fall (instead of winter) if
you live in a climate with hot summers gives your seedlings more time to
grow and form a larger bulb or a corm before they go dormant which gives
them a better chance of surviving that first dormancy. If you live in a
climate with cool summers you may get by with starting seeds later. I know
someone who has success with some of the seeds I've been talking about with
a late winter sowing, but his summers aren't hot.

Last year I started most of my Calochortus seed in February and I had my
best survival rate yet. I used to start seed in fall or even early winter
and most would come up during our wettest coldest time of the year and go
down rather promptly as well.

I wonder how long the seed of Veltheimia bracteata remains viable.

Mary Sue
Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers