Streptocarpus seedling progress

Hi folks,

I thought I'd start a new thread for updates on the strep seedlings (with a better thread title!) This is a continuation of this thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/551970/ I hope you'll post your progress, frustrations, non-progress etc here.

Just to recap:

I tried crossing a big strep with floofy purple petals from Parks Seed's Royal series strain with a small narrow-leaved strep with simple white flowers. The white one was the mother.

The white strep often selfed itself, so I was quite rude when pollinating. I literally ripped the petals and the anthers (with pollen) off the flowers first, and then pollinated it. I still wasn't sure if I had managed to keep all the white pollen off the white stigmas, but I guess we shall see.

I harvested the seed around November 30 and let them dry in a paper envelope. I broke open the pods on December 2, 2005, and sowed them on December 5 using my usual method (http://www.flickr.com/groups/gesneriads/discuss/22059/). I didn't watch for germination, so I don't know exactly how long it took.

I am now treating this batch like royalty, and following the sage advice of expert hybridizers that it truly pays to disturb the seedlings every two weeks (by potting up, or repotting into the same pot, or at least jiggling the root zone).

Nannavarro posted a pic of her seedlings in the old thread. Sowed in the afternoon of December 14, germination noticed in the morning of December 26.

This image here is either the father or an uncle :^) I finally found a pic.


This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 10:53 PM

This is the seed pod and the seeds taken on Dec 2, 2005. I think I actually harvested them 2-3 days earlier and let them dry in a paper envelope.

And here is a picture of the seedlings on January 1, 2006. I sowed them on December 5, so this is already about 4 weeks.

After I took the last photo, I gave them a bit of seaweed fertilizer and squished the pot a couple of times. I also started opening up the bag gradually, so it is now sitting in an open ziploc bag - this gives it some extra humidity while the roots develop, but acclimatizes it to the regular room air as well.

This photo is about 2 weeks after the last.

Here's another view. It looks like I should repot, doesn't it?

looks pretty excirting to me...congrtats..

Here's my babies, planted on 12/28, 17 days.
teenie, but not dead!

And another

Here's the container I used

Oh so cute. How do you know how much to water them ?

I haven't watered them since I put them on the soil. Until today, then I took my garden spray bottle with the finest micro mist and gave just a few mists. Then put the lid back on. If it gets too foggy, I take the lid and turn it a bit so it is only about 90% covered.

I started a seed planting tutorial photo thingie today, I'll post it a bit later. Kind of like the strep propagation photos I took.

Great thanks ! Did you water them when you first set them or just moist soil ?

Just moist soil. a very light soil blend, so that if you make a fist, it wont hold together in a ball, just crumbles.

somethinkg like 20% peat, 40/40 of perlite and soilless mix. But I always eye-ball it.

Ten days since my last photo. The leaves are overflowing the pot, so I potted them up.

Another view.

separating the seedlings - make sure the soil is moist! Then loosen the roots and gently pull the plants apart by holding the leaves - don't pull apart by the roots or by the stem.

potted up....The mix is heavier than I want but I realized too late. I put 3 light duty slow release fertilizer pellets about 3/4 deep in each pot - a tip from another grower.

Those look great!
I'm paying close attention so I can learn. I have a few strep seeds I'd love to see do good.

MsC

Amazing Fun ! great job Keyring ! Thanks for sharing :))

Key, did you mean something like osmocote? those itty bitty round pellet balls?
I'll post a photo of mine too, they have some 'true' looking leaves now.

yes, I use 13-13-13 nutricote for other plants so that's what I used. Supposedly Osmocote has a tendency to dump the fertilizer in one massive dose if the temperature is too hot, which can happen in my apartment in the summer. I hear Nutricote is safer.

good to know! I don't know if I have seen nutricote around here. But I'll look.

Here's the babies 11 days since I posted last. They are like the little engine that could!

Here's another

A little closer.

And the last one.

call me crazy but I love germination pics. lol.

the good news is they are alive and well, and seem happy. I think they've been down about a month, if memory serves me - they were sown on the 18 of Dec.

Duh! I just had to look at my own photos above to see the label. Planted on the 28th of Dec. So yea, just about one month.
I feel a birthday party coming on!!!

I have a pod of Saintpaulia (Noid) that just went dry. It is very much like a Petunia in shape and seed size. I don't want more of this plant, but the seedlng experience would be welcome. Do AV seeds need light or darkness; heat or room temp?

Thanks from someone who no longer has the time to research for himself!
Kenton

Well I fear I may have killed my seeds :(
I am sorry but nothing to report from me other then nothing is in the little container I potted them into :(

Kenton, sow on top of soil (spread them out!), don't cover seeds, keep warm, bright and humid. More detail of how I do it here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/gesneriads/discuss/22059/

Lorry - better luck next time! Seeds are so plentiful, it's worth trying again when you feel like it. If your conditions are humid enough, you might be able to just scatter seeds and find that some grow.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 10:54 PM

What do you think I'll get from this pod on my new Stardust Chirita? This was the bloom I showed the other day. Bloom fell off, (ok, i knocked it off by accident, but it came off very easily so I think it was done) and left behind this cool pod!

I'm not too sad about it, 'cause look at those other buds! OH yea, and my Bristols Hug Me strep has one too! AND I have an av loaded with pods too!

that pod will either shrivel up or it will develop into a ripe pod - time will tell ;-)

okie dokie, 9 days since the last photo. Here's a comparison.

Holy growth spurt, Batman!

isn't it?

I wasn't going to take a pic for another week, but I saw how much they've grown....

it is amazing - I am shocked with Hector - each day brings a new change!

you guys have me so excited about my streps...i am going to keep consistant records on the leaves i am putting down....hard to imagine in 2 weeks though..but we'll see...thanks so much for your expertise.

I just peeked at my seeds today again, they are going fast, but not as dramatically as yours Ky