Propagation: Germination of Aquilegia Seeds, 1 by

wrote:
Carolyn22
Hi, I store my seeds in prescription plastic bottles, then all are placed in a plastic shoe box in the fridge. Those that are hard to germinate that have double dormancy, I store in my freezer if I run out of room in the fridge.

The seeds that I buy from wherever, I keep in its original package, then place in a ziplock baggie to keep moisture out.

To collect seeds from your plants, wait until they are ripe. You can tell by the stem the seed head is attached to. It will turn lifeless and hard since plants shut off nutrients to seed stems to save energy for the rest of the plant. It also enables the seeds to dry and fall so they can germinate.

Best time to collect seeds is early afternoon on a sunny day to prevent moisture. Spread out the seeds on a kitchen paper napkin placed in a container. Move the seeds around each day so each side will have a chance to cure. Allow at least 2 weeks for them to cure and dry before storing.

The Deno method works great but you need to know if a variety needs stratification, or not. Those that do, need to go in the fridge for at least 1 week. Some have double dormancy and need cold, warmth, cold, then warmth again. Such is the case of some Penstemons and Clematis. They sprout erratically. Aquilegias, in variety, can also be difficult to germinate. They too need stratification.

Be aware that seeds from hybrids do not come true from seeds. They have the genes from their parents. To me, that is fine since I have most variety of plants that will grow in my zone and dry climate. I collected the dust-like seeds from Delosperma cooperi (Iceplant) last year. Since I have 4 varieties that bloom all summer, it will be interesting to see what I will get. The seedlings are adorable, see photo. These were directly surface sown in fine seeding mix. Germinated in less than 2 weeks without stratification.