Tropicals & Tender Perennials: kahli from seed, 0 by wallaby1

wallaby1 wrote:
Caleb I bought some Alpinia zerumbet variegata from tradewindsfruit, I think there were about 6 seed and 2 grew. I sowed them in a free draining leafy compost mix with gritty river soil and some moss peat.

I also have 1 plant grown from seed of Hedychium, it was a mixture so I don't know the variety. I think there were 10 seeds, the first lot I got none grew, from T&M. They replaced them, this has to be in a time limit from sowing and you have to keep the whole packet including inner, and they are not happy to be told their seed doesn't grow! It did look old compared to the second lot, they were a nice, fresh purple. Still only got one, I think freshness is important, as I have grown other members of the ginger family from bought seed with no result, then bought the plant and got my own seed, gemination 100%. That was Roscoea auriculata, which is grown outside and frosted.

I grew mine in the same mix, in a heated propogator with a lid to keep moist, it is self regulating at 68-72F but when the sun shines through the window it gets warmer. It says in my RHS book to sow at 70-75F as soon as ripe, if you got yours fresh you should get good results. Here's my plant, taken in December in its 3rd year, it now has 3 new shoots (inside in the kitchen even with our cold weather), the 1st new shoot is as tall as the others, I expect it to flower this year. I sowed the seed 21st May 03, can't remember how long it took to germinate but possibly at least a month. I kept it in the propogator until it has got a bit of size on it, when the leaves started to hit the lid I took it out.