Transplanting/caring for young Hepatica seedlings 

,

We talked about seeds and  Hepatica germination – we need to have patience. Not only the seeds may germinate in the second year after sowing even if they were kept moist, also the seedlings, in most cases, are not very fast to develop.  Some will remain at the cotyledon leaves stage in the first season, others will grow one true leaf. In either case, they can be quite tiny and intimidating.

Let’s see about transplanting.

When to transplant?
One feature of Hepatica is that they put up a good growth in the spring through summer (roots, leaves, seeds, future flower buds) and then they take a ‘break’ until next year. For this reason I like to transplant in early spring or if not, in the fall; at least, the young plants will start the next season already well prepared.

What potting mix to use?
There are various recipes recommended by Hepatica growers. Unfortunately, most are not easy to reproduce exactly here. I’ve tried to mix various products available in the last years and some were better than others. What I want in the end is to have an easy to reproduce recipe using soil brands anyone can buy (in Canada).

I came up with this mix, which I think is pretty good: mix all ingredients in equal parts (1:1:1)
Perlite
Pro-mix potting soil
All-purpose potting mix:  Fafard brand is a good one. Unfortunately this sector of the landscape industry is non-regulated and most brands don’t specify the contents of the potting mix, plus, in almost in all cases they contain too much peat.

As a rule, as long as good drainage is ensured all should be well, so other combinations could be tried.

 Pots

Taller pots are preferable. You can basically use any type/size of pot proportionally sized in regards to the seedlings size and transplant 1-2 seedling/pot.
To avoid handling many individual small pots one can also use a rectangular planter instead. Another option is a compact-tray with a good height.

Hepatica americana container seedlings

Hepatica americana seedlings

Transplanting
Remove the seedlings from the sowing pot and carefully separate them. As seen in the pictures, Hepatica seedlings have a fine root system.
Transfer the seedlings in a new pot, add mix and take care to press only around the roots. The watering will settle down the mix well (add more mix if necessary).

Clockwise: Hepatica acutiloba pastel mix – seedlings removed from the pot; Hepatica japonica transplanted, flowering seedling, H. acutiloba pastel mix seedlings showing the roots; compact-tray with H. nobilis and H. acutiloba seedlings

Location: same like for adult plants, keep the pots/trays in a location with plenty of sun in the spring and shade starting summer. If necessary cover them with a plastic mesh. Water when necessarily (deep watering and let dry between) if the pots are not exposed to rain; a light fertilizer during the spring growth is beneficial.

Planting in the ground:
Usually in the third year the seedlings  can be planted in the ground.
To continue growing in pots transplant again to a larger size pot/container. Hepatica species are fitted for container growing if you have a small garden, or unsuitable soil conditions. You can easily provide sun in the spring and shade starting summer by moving the container in different spots.

Most often also the first flowers will appear in the third year to reward your efforts!

Various forms of Hepatica japonica 3 years-old plants

*I referred in general to Hepatica because in the end there is no difference between various species when it comes to germinating the seeds and transplanting (H. americana, H. acutiloba, H. nobilis, H. japonica and H. henryi).

Slugs and Roscoea

,

What do they have in common? Nothing, only that both deterred me from finishing the article on transplanting Hepatica seedlings.

But I don’t want to waste the occasion on showing something about Roscoea scillifolia fo. atropurpurea while I still can. As soon as possible it will be planted in the garden; just couldn’t figure out a proper space for it last year.

Shown here – the way the rhizomes like to bury deep into the pot (the same happens in the ground) and the distinctive ‘whiskers’ around the apical buds of R. scillifolia fo. atropurpurea (a good ID character ;).

Roscoea scillifolia fo. atropurpurea rhizomes; notice how they went deep into the tall pot during growth. The pot was kept in the garage over the winter (no watering).

If you grew Roscoea from seeds and/or have 3-4 years old rhizomes, they can be planted in the ground in late spring. Please read again: Contractile roots- a journey to the centre of the earth where I mentioned why and when this is best done (in a cold climate).

*Keep in mind that most Roscoea are showing up late in the season and more than this, R. scillifolia fo. atropurpurea has small flowers, so it needs a proper location in order to enjoy it.

Roscoea scillifolia fo. atropurpurea flowering in the summer

** The slugs are active now and careful watching for damage signs can help in early detection to avoid further damage to the seedlings and plants. It takes time but worth doing it.

FAQ – Hot water treatment

,

We discussed last year about the hot water treatment, a very easy to apply germination method which can successfully replace the use of scarification for the Fabaceae species. However, it is hard to say if it would be effective for all species and if all species will germinate at room temperature afterwards.

In addition, I will provide answers to few common questions and plates with seeds images for all species/genera I personally tried/try with this method.

How much the seeds should/will swell after a hot water treatment?
It depends on the species, the size and shapes of the seeds varies greatly, but usually the seeds can increase in size 2-3 times than the original size. Sometimes you may notice a ‘dramatic’ change in the seeds aspect/size (ex. Lupinus breweri).

Is it possible that no seeds will swell after 1 treatment?
Yes, it can happen, repeat again (for ex. Senna hebecarpa, Oxytropis, Trifolium seeds are slow to react).

How much time should the seeds remain in water?
Usually the next day you will see if the seeds have swollen (and how many), but to be sure you can keep them in the water for 2-3 more days (change the water daily).
In extreme case, seeds may even start to germinate in water after a while! (Hedysarum, Thermopsis).

Will all the seeds swell at once?
No, in the majority of cases after the first treatment only a few seeds will swell. Sow the swollen seeds after each treatment and repeat for the others (2-3+ times).

How soon will the seeds germinate?
It varies greatly with the species, some will start to germinate in few days, others will take a longer time (for ex. various Baptisia were slow to germinate).

Fabaceae – Hot water treatment 2019; notice the increase in size and the differences between species; all were germinated at room temp. afterwards

Current trials:

Fabaceae – Hot water treatment 2020; seeds aspect after 2 treatments. For each species notice seeds still of normal size and also swollen seeds.

 

 

Pricking-transplanting seedlings

I recently got a question about pricking seedlings. It referred particularly to Aquilegia flabellata and Capnoides sempervirens started in early February, which are now starting to look a bit unhappy. Liz (not real name) did a very good job! and notice the coir fiber pot used for Capnoides (it can be planted as a whole in the ground).

This is a good occasion to talk about if, when and how to prick out seedlings in general.

So, you got your seedlings growing. What next?
Most will need to be pricked out. Common saying is that this should be done after the true leaves are formed. Usually we are doing it much later.

It all depends on what species were sown, the size of the seedlings, the pot used and germination percentage.
For species with very good germination rate, the sowing pot will soon get insufficient to sustain a good growing for all seedlings.
From my warm sowings of this year: Thymus zygioides, Paronychia cephalotes, Acinos alpinus…..they are all pricked out as of last week.

How to proceed? I will exemplify with pictures of Anthemis carpatica seedlings of last year.
First, let the mix to dry out; if the mix is too wet most fine roots will break when you try to separate them. The more roots you preserve, the better.
Gently squeeze the pot on all sides; the content should easily slide out (if too wet, wait a few more days).
Place the pot content on a tray, plastic sheet…then separate the seedlings. Ideally, the roots should easily come loose when trying to separate the seedlings.

It is quite amazing how many seedlings will come out from a 6 x 8 cm pot! Lower right corner – Silene suecica before pricking out last week.

Since we are not talking nursery production :) it is best to not prick out individual seedlings no matter how cute they are!
Especially for species with fine seedlings, discard the very week or the ones with broken roots and transplant only the best looking ones. I usually make bunches of 2-3+ seedlings and transplant them together in a pot with fresh potting mix. By transplanting in bunches you obtain a nice clump-like looking plant faster. Large seedlings are best potted only 1-2/pot (Centaurea, Eryngium, Helleborus species….).

Various pricked out seedlings; choose the size of the pot accordingly with your needs: Oxyria dygina, Centaurea orientalis and Acinos alpinus

Water thoroughly.
Wait 1-2 days before placing the pots again under the lights (if outdoors – keep them out of direct sun for few days).

*Various Fabaceae do not react kindly at transplanting and it is best to do it fast before the roots grow too long, or sow only a few seeds/pot.  A good option is to plant the whole pot in the garden as soon as the weather allows; or sow these species in the ground in the fall.
The same applies for the true alpine species, some of which will form very long rootlets although the aerial growth remains small.

It is good to learn from mistakes, so I will show a Lupinus breweri seedling of last year: I waited too long for transplanting, that’s for sure! The plant survived but later slowly disappeared. Most Lupinus species are prone to do this and are best sown directly in the garden or pricked out very, very young.
The same goes for Astragalus, Oxytropis and other ‘legumes’.

 

What happens if you don’t transplant the seedlings?
In some cases, the young plants will stop growing because of lack of nutrients and space. Especially in small pots all potting mix is ‘consumed’ by the roots which will became entangled at the bottom. In most extreme case the seedlings may perish or get sick.

We can learn again from my mistake. Last year I failed to prick out all seedlings (again). In the plate below, I show 3 species I transplanted only in October. Notice the root system of Anemone caroliniana after growing in a small pot from May to October!. Being too late for the roots to have time to re-establish, I transplanted the Anemone and Clematis in larger pots without separating the seedlings.

!Various species seedlings do not need to be pricked out and react badly if you try to do so.
I already mentioned this for Arisaema species, Roscoea, most Liliums, Fritillaria spp., Podophyllum, most Iris; in general any rhizomatous/bulbous/tuberous species (Allium, Calochortus, Crocus, Gladiolus,….). They are all best grown in the same pot for 2+ years.

If you realize the sowing pot is too small to ensure good growth, the best option is to transplant the whole content in a larger pot. This can be done at any time during the growing season (Lilium philadelphicum 2 years old seedlings transplanted as a whole in a larger pot shown above).

Another option is to wait until the seedlings go dormant and repot the little bulbs/tubers in new pots, keeping the same depth where you found them. Problem is that in many cases they are tiny, and most likely some will be lost in the process (I’ve been there).

Good luck and keep growing!

 

 

Sowing advice for springtime

,

With the first snowdrops in bloom spring is undeniably in the air. It is an exciting time with renewed hope and we all think about new plants to add in the garden.
Some people plan well ahead about what to grow from seeds, but others maybe purchase seeds and plants on the impulse of the moment. Then, there are always seeds arriving late from seeds exchanges.

Because all the latest orders had in common a combination of species, warm and cold germinators, I feel obliged to repeat how to proceed at this time in order to obtain the best results with minimum effort. Good timing for sowing is important!
If you don’t need advice, jump to the end of the post to see a few ‘green things’ from the garden :) (2020) All grown from seeds, except the snowdrops.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere
Species that are indicated to germinate at warm (15-20C) can be sown right away if you use indoor lighting for growing seedlings or later (April/early May) if you intend to keep the pots outdoor.

*Species indicated to have double dormancy that require first a slightly warm cycle, followed by a cold one in order to germinate (Hydrophyllum, Euonymus, Actaea…) – can be sowed later, in the summer. Most Peonies are also in this category; sowing in late June to August gives them more than enough time to develop the roots until late fall. Same goes for two stage warm germinating Lilium species (L. michiganense, L. monadelphum…).

Most Fabaceae can be treated with the ‘hot water treatment’ and considered warm germinators. Last year tests gave excellent results (Hedysarum, Oxytropis, Astragalus, Baptisia, Thermopsis, Lupinus*).

Species that can be sowed ‘in situ’ & indicated warm germinators (Papaver, Erinus, various Campanula, Capnoides, Arisaema tryphyllum, some Viola spp.…) – wait until April/early May and cast the seeds in place, incorporating lightly (most such seeds are fine and need light to germinate), keep the area moist and if there are too many critters around consider placing a mesh on top of the sowing location.

Species indicated as: sow in the fall or with cold/moist stratification – I advise you to keep the seeds packets in the fridge until fall, and then proceed with sowing at the right time (in pots or ‘in situ’).

You can of course try to provide cold/moist stratification in the fridge, but don’t expect the same good results; it doesn’t work very well for all species. Also, you may end up with seeds germinating in June/July and with young seedlings by late fall – too young to withstanding the winter cold.

 Moist packed seeds: are only sold spring – summer to late fall. The exception are the two years germinators  like Caulophyllum and Medeola; when stock supply and temperatures allow sometimes seeds are offered in late spring. Sow them outdoors.

Cypripedium and other orchids and mycorrhizals: if not using ‘in vitro’ equipment, as discussed already, there is a slight chance that by incorporating the seeds in the garden, usually in late fall, close to where other orchids thrive, to be successful. Note the ‘slight chance’.

Those in the Southern Hemisphere: reverse the timings, sow the cold germinators, keep the warm ones in the fridge.

snowdrops

Draba lasiocarpa (warm germinator)

Erinus alpinus (warm)

Papaver atlanticum ‘Flore-Pleno’ (direct sowing)

Polygala vulgaris (cold)

Potentilla porphyrantha (warm)

Helleborus foetidus (moist, warm/cold)

Mitella diphylla (cold)

Aquilegia ecalcarata: use it or lose it syndrome

,

Many articles have been published regarding the relationship between the intra/interspecific variation of floral organs and the primary pollinators, and not only for Aquilegia.
So, it seems a bit superfluous to repeat that the length of the nectary spurs in Aquilegia species is an adaptation that has evolved to match the feeding structures of their pollinators (bees, hummingbirds,…and not only). The spurs development is achieved purely through cell-shape anisotropy.

In the case of Aquilegia ecalcarata, the spurless columbine, according to various sources the main pollinators are syrphid flies (with short feeding structures). Not having spurs, doesn’t make it a ‘false’ aquilegia; it is just a classic example of “use it or lose it” evolutionary syndrome :+)

A few studies using ancestral character reconstruction of pollination  syndromes have shown  that  the  ancestor  of  the  genus was pollinated  by  bees/bumblebees (see notes).* Aquilegia ecalcarata it is the only species that has lost its spurs.


Aquilegia ecalcarata Maximowicz, was reconsidered for a while under the name/genus of Semiaquilegia ecalcarata (Maximowicz) Sprague & Hutchinson; S. ecalcarata f. semicalcarata Schipczinski; S. simulatrix J. R. Drummond & Hutchinson.

Things have changed and, the genus Semiaquilegia Makino, is now recognized as a sister genus to Aquilegia (based on petal evolution and geographical affinities). It includes tuberous , herbaceous plants which differ from the genus Aquilegia L.

To set the record straight, we should use only the name Aquilegia ecalcarata. In keeping with my good sowing tradition for Aquilegia, I just treated a few seeds with GA3 500 ppm solution.** Sowing will follow tomorrow (cold/moist stratification for 1-2 months works very well, I just want to start them early).

* Extended phylogeny of Aquilegia: the bio-geographical and ecological patterns of two simultaneous but contrasting radiations:
http://www.plant-animal.es/pdfs/Bastida.et.al.2010.Pl.Syst.Evol.pdf

**For those in need, a reminder that they can read about GA3 preparation and utilisation on the Germination page: here

Friday’s more new seedlings

Today, few species from the sunny, wind swept rocky hills of Dobrogea region (Romania). There are no plans to collect there again soon, so I suggest to take advantage while possible.

From the ‘to try again’ list: Paronychia cephalotes. Interesting, showy and not often cultivated, the seedlings are not difficult to grow; I even enjoy it in the rockery for a while. Sadly it never went any further. I suspect the limestone based substrate had something to do with it.

Paronychia cephalotes germinated seeds

From the ‘sow while still available’ list, from the same habitat with Paronychia: Minuartia glomerata and Thymus zygioides (and few others not yet germinating).

Minuartia glomerata germinated seeds

Thymus zygioides germinated seeds

I also recommend Hedysarum grandiflorum.  My young plants were looking good when last I saw them in late November. The seeds were germinated using the ‘hot water method’  – again, a very useful method for germinating any species within the Fabaceae family.

Paronychia cephalotes

Thymus zygioides

Hedysarum grandiflorum

 

 

New & again

,

Some of the newly sown seeds are starting to germinate!
Warm germinators sown in February and grown under lights indoors, can be acclimatized outdoors in April/early May and in many cases planted in the ground by June. At least that’s my method, and I recommend it to those from a cold climate. The young seedlings are establishing fast in the ground and by late fall have developed a good root system to withstand the winter. An examples of last year with: Cerastium alpinum var. lanatum and Minuartia verna. By late summer Minuartia was also flowering.

Also from the screes and rock ledges of Carpathian Mts., the newly sowed Acinos alpinus is starting to germinate. I suspect it will be an easy to grow species at the edge of the rockery.

Acinos alpinus germinated seeds

Besides sowing new species, I also re-sow species with which I wasn’t successful, yet (from various reasons). Anthemis carpatica ssp. pyrethriformis, it is one of these species and I will persevere. It may be that I still have to found a proper location for it in the garden/rockery. In the featured picture, seen last year in July.

Anthemis carpatica ssp. pyrethriformis newly germinated seeds

More to follow….

There are many other warm germinating species in the Shop that can keep you company :) or maybe you got seeds from seeds exchanges or other sources. This is the right time to sow, if using indoor lights.

*For those who don’t use indoor lights and can only sow outdoors: keep the seeds in the fridge and start in late April/ early May (depending on the weather).

Acinos alpinus

Cerastium alpinum ssp. lanatum1

Acinos alpinus and various

 

Fridays Frits

,

Do you wonder about your Fritillaria seeds/seedlings/young bulbs? Wonder no more.

With many thanks to a very impatient grower, we can have a look at Fritillaria recurva little bulbs. Also, at my germinating seeds of Fritillaria atropurpurea.

The one-year old bulbs were found at the bottom of the pot. Fritillaria seeds are adapted to wind dispersal (like many Liliaceae actually) and should be sown superficial; then, the growing seedlings will adjust the bulbs to their desired, proper depth.

Fritillaria recurva: seeds to one-year old bulbs

My stratified seeds of Fritillaria atropupurea on Jan. 1st are starting to germinate (1,5 months of cold/moist stratification). And, by the look of the embryos, Fritillaria affinis will follow shortly.

As I already mentioned,  I’m not much of a Frits grower. I’ve grown a couple of species (non-flowering yet) and only this season I have sown more. By the way it goes, it is best to grow the bulbs in the same pot for two years; if necessary transplant the whole content of the sowing pot in a bigger one, keeping the bulbs at the same depth.

Fritillaria atropurpurea germinating seeds after 1,5 months cold/moist stratification (fridge)

If you have pictures related with the Frits species seeds purchased, please don’t hesitate to share!

 

Ephedra distachya revisited

, ,

By tradition in February I start the so called ‘warm sowings’: species that will germinate at room temperature. The seedlings are grown under lights indoors and by April/early May can already be acclimatize outdoors; in most cases, they are planted in the ground shortly after.

It is also a time when warm germinating species are re-tested for germination. Most species keep good germination rates for +/- 5 years (kept dry/cold) but there is no data available for all.

So, I considered necessary to re-test Ephedra distachya. It seems that the seeds are in good standing, starting to germinate in water in a few days. For those interested – the seeds are back in stock! If you want to grow something beautifully ‘different’, this species is for you.

Watch its journey from seeds to young plants in the plate below. This Ephedra likes hot summers, and it was no surprise that after a slow start in May/June (rainy & cold in 2019), has put up a nice growth from August till late fall.

Ephedra distachya 2019 journey from seeds to young plants in the ground; a reminder that it is a dioecious species – keep and grow a few seedlings for assurance of female/male plants ratio

The ‘warm games’ are declared open at BotanyCa; stay tuned for more seeds/seedlings happenings!

Spetlem: Lewisia rediviva

,

The bitteroot seeds I sown a month ago have sprouted. I looked at the little seedlings and thought about their story; the story of spetlem, from a time when the species wasn’t even yet described!

Lewisia rediviva seedlings; seeds sown January 4th, kept at room temp. for +/- 10 days, then in the garage (+/- 5C). I was planning to put the sowings outdoors but there was no snow for a while…The germination pattern can vary depending on the collection site (origin for these seeds: Butte Co., California)

An excerpt from an article recounting the discovery of the species during the Lewis and Clark expedition, available here: http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/311.
“An old Flathead Indian woman sat weeping on the bank of the In-schu-te-schu, or Red Willow River, in the shadow of the Chi-quil-quil-kane, or Red Mountains, singing a death song for her starving children. The rising sun heard her plaint, and sent a red spirit-bird to comfort her. The bird promised that from each of her falling tears a new flower would grow, tinted with the rose of his feathers and the white of her hair, and springing from a root as bitter as her sorrow but as nourishing as her love. The prophecy came true, and her people called the plant spetlem -“bitter”.”

Lewisia rediviva in flower; with many thanks to the provider of the picture.

How the bitteroot came to be collected during the Lewis and Clark expedition(1804/06), how it was named and by whom, and more importantly how profound this little species was intertwined with Indigenous Peoples  lives – I hope you will read about it all in the article provided. It is a great story, especially for a cold, snowy day!

Advice for growing it, and more beautiful pictures, in this thread from SRGC forum: http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=15817.0

 

Tuesday exotica

, ,

Let’s indulge in few ‘exotic’ late June flowers today. Roscoea species, regardless if they come with small or larger flowers, always bring a ‘tropical’ look to our cold climate gardens.

They are not difficult to grow from seeds, only require patience and I’m happy that more local customers have taken advantage of the seeds offered. Mature plants can be quite expensive when available and I consider that younger tubers will adapt better when planted in the ground.
I gave advice about planting them in this post: Contractile roots – a journey to the center of the earth?.

The tiny R. tibetica fo. atropurpurea fits better in a rockery nook or a container planting. The plant shown below close to Hepatica acutiloba is the result of a ‘location’ experiment; the Hepatica leaf is good for size scale!.

Clockwise: Roscoea scillifolia fo. atropurpurea (small but striking dark purple flowers), striped Roscoea cautleyoides form, Roscoea cautleyoides ‘Kew Beauty’ (flowers of a delicious creamy color) and the tiny Roscoea tibetica fo. atropurpurea ex. B-15 (seeds offered some years)

Here’s a better look at R. tibetica fo. atropurpurea: