Glaucidium palmatum – experimenting on germination 2

Glaucidium palmatum germination wrapping-up and latest seeds (jump to the end of article)

One of the orders this week asking for Glaucidium seeds, reminded me that I haven’t posted my latest adventures regarding Glaucidium germination. I’ll do it now as a final revision for the Germination page.

Having a bit too many older seeds left (2 & 3 years old), last winter I decided to see how they would germinate using GA3. Two and 3 years old seeds are not considered really ‘old’ for most species, but it was good to clarify the matter.
I wrapped all seeds in moist paper towels imbibed with GA3 solution 1000 ppm and left them like that for 1 day (inside a Ziploc bag). After that, I transferred the seeds into other moist paper towels (water), inside a Ziploc bag and kept them on the kitchen countertop. There were too many seeds and I considered this to be the easiest one in order to see what happens.

After about a week, some seeds were starting to germinate (featured image, Feb. 6). Great, I said, I’ll have a pot with seedlings, which is fine. But things were starting to accelerate and by Feb. 13, ALL the seeds were germinating, with the roots growing at the speed of light!

What to do? How to throw them away?! I learned my lesson about keeping too many seedlings of the same species….Still, I potted them up crowding 10+ seeds/pot. They grew for a while like it’s their habit only with cotyledon leaves, and then somewhere in late March/April they started to become dormant (again their habit).  At this point the pots will not look very nice but we have to let them enter dormancy in a ‘normal’ way.

Sometimes, after a short dormancy, a few seedlings will start to grow the true leaf; it didn’t happen this time probably due to the lack of soil in pots. ‘Empty’ looking pots were kept relatively moist (but not wet) and in late spring they were put outdoors in a shaded location. At some point in late June, I had a look to see what’s happening – all was well: seedlings in happy dormancy.

In early fall I assumed responsibility for the crowded seedlings, removed all from pots and replanted some in a large rectangle container, and some in other pots. Next spring the seedlings will start growing true leaves and they really need more space.

It is always a wonder how during only a few months of active growth the cotyledon leaves can support the growth of such large rootlets!

Some seedlings were shared bareroot with a friend in the fall, and more will follow next year. I do not plan opening a nursery ;)

So, this is method 1 of germinating Glaucidium palmatum using GA3; easily done. Do not start the seeds too early in the winter like I did.

Method 2:

GA3 is not absolutely necessary – I posted on another occasion the picture below with the note “a picture is worth a thousand words”. You just need more time for all seeds to germinate.

The image is self-explanatory: for seeds sown regularly in pots in late fall/winter – some will germinate in the first spring (after cold/moist stratification); the rest of the seeds will germinate only after a warm cycle/followed by cold  – ie. the second spring.

For this reason, you can observe seedlings with cotyledon leaves only and seedlings with the true leaf in the same pot. Do not prick out the germinated seeds in the first year!

In all cases, the seedlings can be repotted easily when dormant in bigger pots. In the 3th year they should be planted in the ground. All rhizomatous species grow much better when they have more space to grow their root system.

The only phase when Glaucidium young seedlings can be lost is during dormancy if they receive too much water (from rains or overwatering).
To avoid this, keep the pots in a box with a lid, close to the house under eavestrough, in a shaded cold frame, or use any other method that would prevent the pots from drying too much (and encourage you to overwater) or to be rained on a lot.

This concludes once and for all experimenting with Glaucidium seeds from various sources. My first experiments were done in 2014!  Nothing else remains to be said.

With or without GA3, Glaucidium seeds are not more difficult to germinate than other rhizomatous species; sometimes they require 2 years for complete germination = patience. You don’t even need super fresh seeds as according with a germination myth about Glaucidium.

Latest seeds:

Two easy to grow perennials: Polemonium caeruleum and Polemonium yezoense ex. ‘Purple Rain Strain’

Two a bit more challenging shrubs, best to be sown asap: Rosa rubrifolia (syn. R. glauca) and Sorbus scopulina var. cascadensis