Asarum hartwegii Seed
totototo@telus.net (Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:50:56 PST)

On 5 Jan 07, at 14:03, Gerhard Stickroth wrote:

I always soak seed before sowing, for up to two weeks. I've done a
few asarums in my day and never had any particular trouble with them.
On occasion, I have been able to germinate seeds everyone else thinks
are a problem.

Some general tips on soaking seed:

1. Change the water every few days. When you do, rinse the seeds
under a hard spray of cold tap water; a small, fine sieve is the
right tool. Blot the sieve dry with a paper towel pressed against the
underside; this will make handling the damp seed a little easier.

2. Change the water sooner if it starts to go cloudy.

3. Change the water sooner if it becomes colored. I believe (perhaps
wrongly) that such colors are frequently due to germination
inhibitors in the seedcoats being leached out.

4. Add a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid to the fresh water. More if
the seed seems to be water-repellent.

5. Be extremely careful about labelling. Devise a system that makes
it impossible to lose track of which container contains which seed.

--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island