Colchicum germination
Debbie TT (Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:26:38 PST)
Diane,
Now there's dedication! For me, I usually give up after a few years, mix the
soil into some containers to plant in. That's when they germinate. I have a
container full of Iris that I am trying to remember which batch I tossed
into it. When they flower, hopefully then I can identify them.
Debbie
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Debbie TT
Web page - Rainy Side Gardeners - rainyside.com
Garden blog - Muck About - rainysidegardeners.typepad.com
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From: "Diane Whitehead" <voltaire@islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 2:09 PM
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [pbs] Colchicum germination
I received various Colchicum seeds from the Alpine Garden Society 1999
exchange, and sowed them with a spoonful of soilless mix into small
ziplock bags as soon as they arrived, in February 2000. They have been
kept in an unheated greenhouse that never freezes, and never gets very
hot.
C pusillum germinated in September 2002 - 2 years 7 months
C. 'Lilac Wonder' and C. corsicum germinated in February 2004 - 4 years
Today, 1 seed of C. autumnale MESE 302 (from an AGS expedition to
Greece in 1999) germinated - 8 years 1 month
There are still 12 seeds not yet germinated.
The final species, bornmuelleri, has not germinated yet. Its 7 seeds
are still sound.
When the autumnale finally blooms, it will probably look exactly like
the ones sold in bulb bins every fall. Ah well. It will have a story
to make it special.
Diane Whitehead