Aconitum germination revised: 2019

,

It may become a tradition to publish revised notes on Aconitum germination around Christmas time every year; it only depends if new species will be available for trial-outs! My thanks to those making this study possible. Read HERE the starting notes on Aconitum germination.

Again, Aconitum comprises many species which are (in general) difficulty to germinate if the seeds were stored dry, some even after short periods of dry storing. But some species are more recalcitrant than others, and that’s what this study tries to looks at, including the effect of GA3 on improving the germination.

These are the main germination tables revised, Dec. 2019

The conclusion from last winter sowings is that Aconitum moldavicum and Aconitum hemsleyanum are difficult to germinate species even after a relatively short period of storing the seeds dry. It remains to be seen if some of the seeds will germinate in the second spring after sowing.

Aconitum kusnezoffii seedlings

Aconitum krylowii seedlings

Aconitum kirinense seedlings (2)

Aconitum kusnezoffii seedlings (2)

From the recently sown species there are moist packed seeds to share of Aconitum japonicum

Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix – seeds are starting to germinate! Together with the Aconitum they can be ordered via – Fast shipping option.

Shipping will resume after Dec. 26

Merry Christmas to all!

Homework for today: Rubus chamaemorus germination

,

Recently I exchanged few words about the Rubus chamaemorus (bakeapple) with someone who purchased seeds. While reading again a short but quite explicit article on the subject, I thought it would be good to do a little experiment of my own.
Although it needs a specialized habitat to grow well, R. chamaemorus is a desirable species; unfortunately difficult to germinate due to the very hard endocarp (the ‘seeds’ are actually pyrenes ;).

Today I had to pack seeds again and it was the perfect occasion: I counted two lots of pyrenes for the experiment. I intend to soak one lot as usual in water and for the other one I’ll use the ‘hot water’ treatment to see if it makes it easier to remove the endocarp.

I will update this post along the experiment, but until then anyone interested can do  a bit of homework:

GERMINATION STUDIES OF BAKEAPPLE (CLOUDBERRY) SEEDS – cjps79-010

Other studies also suggests removing of the endocarp to obtain germination but there are contradictory reports about the germination temperature.

 

 

Kernera and a trick for sowing fine seeds

, ,

 

Few species with small size seeds

Talking alpines species which usually have fine seeds, I will show a trick for sowing.
As everyone knows, fine seeds require light for germination and they need to be covered lightly; perlite is a good choice, easy to find at almost any garden centre.
But not only I cover the seeds with perlite, I also lay a fine perlite layer on top of the sowing mix and water it lightly before spreading the seeds; this way the seeds will stick to the perlite and not get drawn deep into the mix ;) You can also use vermiculite in the same way.
I would say this is very important for warm germinators. For cold germinators, which will receive their cold/moist stratification outdoors, the light requirement is often replaced by the cold treatment, so you can use regular sowing mix for covering.

Saxifraga corymbosa seeds sowing

Light sensitive seeds sowing

Especially when placed outdoors for cold/moist stratification it is good to enclose the pots in a plastic bag/Ziploc/plastic box. The small seeds are easily displaced because of the light mix covering and starting spring with the raise in temperatures, they can also dry out very fast; even a short period of dryness can be fatal if it happens at the exact moment of the germination start.

About Kernera saxatilis, or to use the common French name which is very suggestive: Kernéra des rochers.

This lovely rock garden species offered in the seeds-gift is hailing from mountain ranges of Southern and Central Europe. Generally it is overlooked by many and I feel I should promote it more.

You can find a nook for this delicate species in any rockery, big or small, trough, containers or any other planting holders. The small white flowers will appear on an elongated flower stems in the spring, and will be followed by ornamental beads-like fruits.

Kernera saxatilis flowers

Kernera saxatilis garden

Kernera saxatilis fruits

Kernera saxatilis seeds

It gets even better because the leaves rosettes remain evergreen, a most desirable trait in any cold climate – pictured here in November 30th.

Kernera saxatilis leaves rosettes end of November; these are still young plants which will increase in size over the years.

Did I mention that it is very easy to germinate and grow?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pink

,

Frilly pink with the long gone fragrance of June summer days – sounds about right for Wednesday.
Have a great one everyone!

 

 

Colors for a white week: Acinos

, ,

It seems that we will have a white week. But it is so easy to make it flower-colorful!
Since Acinos alpinus seeds were packed for few last orders I thought “A” + purple would be perfect for Monday; plus, we can feel the high altitude summer sun!

Acinos alpinus (syn. Calamintha alpina) – an easy to grow species in a rock garden, edge of a flower border; sun and good drainage.

Acinos alpinus – go wild and combine it with any other color!

 

 

Shipping News!

,

 Starting December 14th, 2019 all imported seeds in EU countries have to be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates. Of course that small companies, Plant Societies and hobbies like growing plants from seeds weren’t taken into consideration. Why would they be?
We will wait and see how things evolve and how all the countries involved will manage to impose the regulation.

Maybe species lists like the AU Bicon will be set in place later or maybe we’ll work with a Small lot of seeds permit; no one can tell more for the time being. We will be ready to work with either one if/when the case.
Providing phytosanitary certificates for a large variety of plant species, with many collected in the wild it is not an option; and they would probably be too expensive in regards with the low cost of the seeds. Until then, we will try to work with the following shipping rates, which will be adjusted as we go…

Current shipping options for EU customers
Sorry but the few non- EU countries are included in the same group

3-6 seeds pck. (Fast shipping rate, only very small size seeds, dry)  –  4.75$
3- 7 pck. any seeds (restrictions apply for very large seeds)  – 6.85$    
For special requests, especially from non-EU countries customers, please use the: Contact form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gentiana for a rainy day

,

What else better for a grey November day than a Gentiana?

The Gentiana and allies category has been updated. Few species are out this year and one notable species has just been added. No gentiana lover would wanGentiana for a rainy dayt to miss Gentiana uniflora, the Far Eastern counterpart of Gentiana verna (in the top featured image).

But all other Gentiana species are worth growing: Gentiana dahurica, G. septemfida collected in the garden or Gentiana asclepiadea, Gentiana lutea and G. punctata collected in the Alps this year, thank you!, not to mention their relative Swertia perennis. There are never enough Gentiana!

Gentiana dahurica

Gentiana septemfida var. lagodechiana

Gentiana lutea

Gentiana asclepiadea

Gentiana punctata

 

Magenta Thursday

For today: magenta with a red eye from Primula pulverulenta hybrid.  It was grown from seeds labeled P. pulverulenta but obviously a hybrid with P. japonica; it is meant to happen when the two are grown together. 

Primula pulverulenta hybrid with Athyrium ‘Ghost’ in the background

There is now a new category including all species from Fam. Primulaceae: Primula & allies
Small groupings of related species will make the search easier and will also speed up the inventory management.

Don’t miss the chance to grow Soldanella hungarica, Primula algida and P. auriculata – all wild collected seeds!
Androsace albana it is also not an easy to find species elsewhere.

Androsace albana

Soldanella hungarica

Primula mistassinica

Primula sieboldii pink

Primula amoena

Trientalis borealis

The heart

, ,

While preparing orders last couple of days, I stumbled upon a perfectly heart shaped seed among Fritillaria atropurpurea stock.
I took it as a sign that I must also sow few seeds and put aside a tiny package for myself, heart included :)

Fritillaria atropurpurea seeds

 

There is one last pck. left for Fritillaria atropurpurea. All other Frits sold out at the moment, thank you – merci

 

Reminder: this is the best time to start sowing species that require cold/moist stratification!!!

Surprise, surprise! Roscoea schneideriana

,

October ended with a nice surprise. Roscoea schneideriana has flowered beautifully this year and in all honesty I didn’t expect any seeds; it was enough to see it thriving in the garden. Then, one day I noticed that one capsule had burst open and the seeds spilled on the ground.

Roscoea schneideriana with split capsule and seeds in late October

It is always very rewarding when a plant started from seeds reaches the point of flowering well and produces seeds! And Roscoea schneideriana is a special one, with characters a bit unique in its genus (to mention just the leaves arrangement, the length of the staminodes and the round anther appendages). It grows wild in Western China (Sichuan and Yunnan), in mixed forests, open limestone slopes, among rocks and ledges of mountains between 2600-3350 m alt. (from The Genus Roscoea, Jill Cowley).

Roscoea schneideriana flowering in early September; notice the round anther appendages, a good ID character for this species

I know that most people in our climate avoid growing hardy gingers, but they are not difficult to start from seeds.
Most species are warm germinators, or will germinate after a short period of cold/moist stratification (1 month). So, you can sow and start them under lights indoors in February/March, or directly outdoors in April/May (depending on the region).
In the first year the seedlings grow for a few months and then become dormant; do not overwater when dormant. They should be grown in the same pot for 2 years at least until the little tubers can be handled more easily.

As you will see, they form fleshy, elongated tubers which need a bit of extra attention for a couple of years (in most cases I overwinter them in pots in the garage). After that you can plant them in the garden (in a part-shaded, well drained location) and you’re done!

Roscoea schneideriana seeds (2)

Roscoea scheideriana seedlings

Roscoea schneideriana tuber

Growing from seeds you always get to play with few seedlings not just one plant, and you can experiment with planting in various locations. I find they are much easier to establish when planting young tubers than fully grown plants. They can get fast to the soil depth of their liking and survive better our harsh winters.

One more thing: don’t wait for them to emerge at spring time. They sit underground chit chatting with the Arisaemas and both forget it is time to show up. And then they all do it in a big hurry!

You can also read about R. auriculata below (the Earth octopus). It also flowered well but no seeds. Maybe next year :)

Beyond flowers II

,

Sanguinaria canadensis, our most beloved spring harbinger must be appreciated beyond its flowers; albeit beautiful, they last only few days. In very dry years, the leaves may go dormant early. However, with enough moisture they remain lovely until late fall!

Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot) pictured a few days ago

Asarum canadense it is also a ‘beyond flowers’ species; the flowers appear at the ground level and are barely noticeable. But the leaves emerge in early spring and throughout the season will keep very good company as a groundcover for other species, plus they remain decorative until late October.

Asarum canadense (wild ginger) leaves spotting the woodland floor in late October

Soon, only the queens of the woodlands (i.e. Hepatica) will be reigning over the forest, together with a few loyal evergreens (Chimaphila, various sedges and Mitchella repens). Their foliage will be replaced by the new leaves only in the spring after the flowering.

Asarum canadense and Hepatica acutiloba foliage in late October

Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix

You can grow these species together, like in their natural habitat (add few Trilliums and Erythronium americanum, Claytonia virginica…) or in various other combinations.

Sanguinaria canadensis spring

Asarum canadense spring

Hepatica acutiloba spring foliage

Appreciate them beyond the flowers, spring, summer and fall!

 

Not one garden without an Arisaema

,

If for some reason there is someone who doesn’t have at least one Arisaema in the garden, then there is Arisaema ciliatum var. liubaense to consider.

Arisaema ciliatum var. liubaense is my longest lived Arisaema in the ground, and I’m in love with it. I was a bit in doubt if liubaense until I had to move it and sow the stoloniferous tubers (one difference from A. ciliatum).

It shows up late, somewhere in mid-June and then, in a blink of an eye, purple flowers will peak curiously at you from underneath the umbrella-like leaf. Commonly they are called Cobra lilies but don’t be afraid they are super friendly.

Arisaema ciliatum var. liubaense 2019

A nice surprise this year, they showed up in pair and now we have babies :)
It is amazing how fast the fruit matured from green to red in about one week.

Arisaema ciliatum var. liubaense fruit

Also to consider: Arisaema amurense, A. flavum and our lovely NA A. triphyllum. All super cold hardy and easy to grow.

Rock polypody

,

Playing with Polypodium virginianum spores? Have a mossy boulder? maybe better to proceed to sowing :)

Polypodium virginianum spores

Notice: Glaucidium seeds

Few writings about Glaucidium palmatum germination that can be found in the related posts or by typing Glaucidium in the Search tab.

This is only a notice that fresh seeds are in stock! 

Glaucidium palmatum seedlings: the seeds will germinate in two successive years no matter the sowing treatment

Seeds from a most generous friend will be forwarded to you now in generous packets :)

Glaucidium palmatum 

Glaucidium palmatum ‘Album’

 

Something to consider

,

A couple of days ago I stumbled upon Hepatica acutiloba happily growing in the rock fissure of a mossy boulder (with Polystichum lonchitis) and it took me a bit by surprise; we don’t often think about H. acutiloba as a species for crevice rock gardening, do we?
It is something good to consider by the look of it.

Hepatica acutiloba

Coincidence, today I packed seeds of H. acutiloba-pastel mix, and there are more available.
Something else good to consider ;)

Friday’s Seeds: Hylomecon seed please stand up

, ,

I meant to write about this a while ago; it was never a good time for it.
The question of how to easily recognize Hylomecon from the Stylophorum species had been long clarified and I see no point to repeat it all.
If you want/need to know how to correctly identify Hylomecon , Stylophorum diphyllum and Stylophorum lasiocarpum, please read this well written post on Garden Myths blog:
https://www.gardenmyths.com/hylomecon-japonica-which-is-the-real-plant/

Now that we know how to distinguish the species, with good close-up pictures of the seeds we can avoid to mistake one for another in the seeds exchanges ;)

If we would have the chance to look at fresh seeds, it wouldn’t be hard to distinguish them because the seeds are equipped with particular elaiosomes, quite beautiful in the case of S. diphyllum. Unfortunately after the seeds dry out, or after they are placed in moist storage, these fatty structures fade rapidly.

Regrettably Hylomecon vernalis (syn. H. japonica) rarely, if ever, sets seeds in cultivation in our region (and elsewhere, I understand).
I suspect there is a self- incompatibility problem, the majority of plants belonging to the same clone, which was vegetatively propagated over a long period of time.

I have watched it closely in my garden in the last two years hoping that maybe the others are just missing the seeds (the capsules are explosive). But no, the capsules form and seem OK, only to disappoint upon opening. You can imagine the excitement when I received H. vernalis seeds in late summer! And moist packed no less! Because of this I postponed washing them out to take proper pictures.

Let’s see a comparison now; all seeds after moist storage since late summer and on 1 mm grid.

Hylomecon vernalis (forest poppy): notice the glabrous capsule, seeds more or less 2 mm in lenght.

 

Stylophorum lasiocarpum (Chinese celandine poppy): notice the hairy capsules and smaller size seeds, always less than 2 mm

Stylophorum diphyllum, the NA woodland poppy: larger, ovoidal capsule and the largest seeds by comparison (most often 2+ mm)