seed update

I've been really really busy lately, so I'm not sowing much - but I still managed to sow a handful of different seeds in the last month. Some are new, while others I'm just testing old seed for viability.

I usually sow in a mix that is equal parts perlite, vermiculite and ProMix, but this time I only had Fafard's peat mix (similar to ProMix but lots more chopped bark etc). These are streptocarpus seedlings - sown about 2 weeks ago. I wasn't expecting this good of a germination rate, so they are a little more densely sown than I like.

The seeds are of varying age (from 2 weeks old to 3-4 years old) so I expect the older ones to take longer to sprout - possibly months. To keep them as isolated as possible (to prevent mold etc. from spreading), I've put them in freezer-grade baggies. This way, they can stay sealed like this for months without drying out. I'm also trying out different seed mixes - some are sown on a layer of vermiculite, and others on long fibre sphag. (Peat mixes do tend to start turning green after a while......)

These baggies sit on the edge of the shelves, or wedged in between pots, or clipped to the sides of shelves - whereever I can find a bit of space.

so I started this thread because some people have been asking about how to sow seeds, but there are old threads on the topic. There's one on strep seeds that I can remember: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/568313/ - and I'm fairly sure there are some other threads on the topic too.

Great growing Keyring. They all look so cute when they are so tiny. Thanks for sharing.

Jesse

I'd sowed half my packet of strep seeds from you earlier (maybe a year ago now), they came up but then I lost them... I sowed the other half last month, and just the other day I think I found several teeny seedlings. I've been keeping the remainder of the seeds in your packets in the fridge, and it looks like that worked for these, so I think I'll try the other ones too! Thanks!

Wow! Alot of us newbie really enjoy these topics. Is it hard to harvest strep seeds?

This thread is just way too much fun!!! I have some streps on order, but it never occurred to me that i could grow from seed....great going, Keyring and for the sharing, we thank you!!

achoo - streps are easy to pollinate (big flowers, easy to see) and the seeds are easy to harvest - the pods are long and visible, and when they are ready they will twist and turn brown and start to split.

look at all the babies! The strep seeds you sent me in the middle of Sept. are growing fast and need repotting but the end of the leaves are curling up any idea why Key?

I ordered some seeds from the Aggs over a month ago.Do you know how long it takes to get seeds from them? I would like to grow more gessie plants.

The is a plant from a package of mixed gessie seeds planted Jan.17 It grew so fast but I dn't know what it is.

These little guys came from the same package of mixed gessie seed.There just starting to come up.

Ok ... Please .... Where does one buy Strep & Gessie Seeds?????!!! I love trying things from seed and you say Strep's are easy to propagate from seed? Oh, I would really like to try this! I must find out where I can buy these seeds! Hope someone knows of a source that sells seeds!


Lin

Hi Lin,I have some seeds from my strep Daniel I can send you.I test germinated them and all came up but I don't know if they will come true..Keyring will they??

The seeds from Daniel will not be true, but chances are at least some of the seedlings will be very like Daniel. They should be labeled "Daniel x self". You might get some different flowers or leaves, which would reflect Daniel's parentage - could be interesting.

Seed sources include Jan ;) me :P and the Gesneriad Society (membership required), chiltern's seeds, brazilplants, the Gesneriad Hybridizing Society (membership required), and some others which should be in the sticky.

I'm browsing on my phone right now, so I'll come back later for a better look at the pictures :)

""I'm browsing on my phone right now""
How cool is that! Modern tec. is amazing.I've seen the phones on tv. I hope you know what thoughs plants are Key, or maybe I will have to wait till they bloom.

Psst.... Keyring... Sinn.Sp.AC1503 has flower buds.I'm so excited.LOL.

Hey, Ki.... Do you think the variegation on my 'Iced Amethyst Showoff' would come true from seed? I've be pinching the spent blooms off, figuring that I'd be better off propagating from leaf, but... now I'm curious! (Oh, and sad to say I lost many of the little babies I'd started from a leaf of that one... the container got missed when watering, and it just got too dry before I noticed it... but I'll try again, because it sure is a purty one!)

okay, at a computer. The browsing on the phone thing is addictive......

So any way, I haven't ordered from the Gesneriad Society in a couple of years, but I believe it takes time. I think they've "speeded up" a bit, but when I ordered, the seeds arrived after I'd quit thinking about them.

On your giant, I have no idea!

On the strep leaves curling, I don't know the answer to this one either! I just went back to look at my old photos and mine did the same thing. In fact, there was some variety in the leaves I got out of that batch. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/sets/72057594048086790/ Some were definitely wavier, limpier, narrower etc. For myself, I would have assumed lack of water because I always underwater everything, but I don't know what could be causing yours. Might just be the way they are.

And please do post when your AC1503 blooms. I'm not sure that I kept any of those and I know I haven't seen one bloom yet

critter - I don't know if the seedlings would be variegated. (For the record, the seedlings would not be "true" in the sense that they won't be the exact same cultivar.) Variegated strep parents don't necessarily result in variegated seedlings, but I'm not sure if anyone has tried that particular one to see if any of the seedlings would be variegated. You can read a little here: http://www.gesneriadsociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=152.

OK! Yes, I know the seedlings would be "Iced Amethyst Showoff x self" and not be considered true to the parent, but I didn't know if the variegated leaf trait was likely to be passed along... probably I will stick to propagating that one by leaf!

even leaf prop is tricky with those, aren't they? You have to have a cross section that has variegation in it etc.

I'm not really into the variegation so I haven't tried to prop any. Actually, I don't even grow any. lol.

I'll have to check my few survivors to see if any of the variegated babies made it... I split the leaf down the middle to make a strip that I planted on edge, with the split midrib just under the surface... I know at least some of the little babies that formed were variegated, but as I said, I lost a bunch of them when the container got drier than I realized.

if you try them from seed, it sounds like you have to be really really patient because even if the first few leaves are green, the next leaf might be variegated.....

The moment someone comes out with a white variegated strep with white flowers, I'll be hooked!
This reminds me that I have some seeds from the GHA in the fridge that are from variegated moms. I should sow them....

Btw, I know you know that you can't grow a clone from seed. I just wanted to say it so no one else is confused.

thanks for the info .i wish they would hurry up and send the seeds.I guess I do have a unknown gessie.It sure is a giant. i will post a picture when the Sinn.blooms.:)

Here are some strep seedlings from 'Iced Canadian Sunset' x self. At first they were all green but as you can see, some are starting to show variegation. Talk about slow! I sowed these seeds on 9/9/06. They germinated fairly fast but just decided to sit there and take their sweet time growing. I lifted them a couple of times with a toothpick and reseated them as recommended by Dale Martens. May have to shake them up a bit more now. If I can grow these out to blooming plants, I will be thrilled to see what has resulted. The medium I used was long fibered sphagnum moss (thought to have anti-fungal properties) chopped in a food processor. I covered the container with plastic wrap and rubber banded. I have tried growing streps from seed before but lost my whole batch in a matter of hours to 'damp off' fungus. That is a killer. You can have perfectly healthy seedlings and a couple of hours later find them all dead.

Gave these seedlings some dilute fertilizer today. I can hardly wait for them to get going. Maybe now that it's spring, they'll get in gear.

Keyring - Will you grow all of yours out to bloom?

I am still learning to start babies from leaves....'me thinks' it will be a while before I am attempt what you are doing....but i love watching you growing from seed.
gail

Streptocarpus 'Iced Canadian Sunset' from which seed was sown. This variety has large blossoms (grandiflora). Should be so interesting to see what the seedlings will produce as far as blossom color.

oh no, I am in love for sure with this one, snowrose!!! I am impressed that you could grow this from seed....how long from germination until a full grown plant like this???

bettygail - We all started at the beginning and we are all still learning. That's the fun of it all. Trial and error. Success and yes, a few failures along the way. Maybe more than a few. With your enthusiasm, you should do very well.

Bettygail - we got our posts crossed a bit. I didn't grow the variegated strep blooming plant shown 'Iced Canadian Sunset' from seed. That is the plant from which the seed was harvested and sown. The 'mama' in other words of the seedlings.

Cute little strep babies -- how exciting! Now I'm wondering if we'd get some interesting offspring from crossing our respective "Iced" plants... I may hit you up for some pollen one day! LOL

That would be a fun and interesting project to see what would result from that cross, Critter! When the madam decides to bloom again, I will let you know and will harvest some pollen.

I don't have blooms on mine right now either... I think it's getting ready to put up some additional foliage. I wonder if you could freeze pollen the way daylily fanciers do?

Critter - read this on pollen storage.

http://gesneriadsociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=161&sid=66f2c28ba087db7010c80e7f2551668c


Also, another good read on variegated strep seedlings.

http://gesneriadsociety.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=152&sid=66f2c28ba087db7010c80e7f2551668c

I think John B's propped up strep leaves look so funny! I've had GREEN ones needing help like that though - so I'm not laughing *at* them, just laughing.

Snow - have you tried watering with chamomile tea or a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide to prevent damping off? I used to do that. These days I just try to sterilize first, and then keep the bags sealed away. I don't lift with a toothpick but instead squeeze the pots. Doesn't get much lazier than this...... :P

"Will you grow all of yours out to bloom?" You mean the Strep seedlings above? If they all make it, I probably will not. These are from a pod on Strep johannis - we're not sure if they are selfings or a hybrid - although reportedly there were no other streps in bloom in the area......

I certainly won't be growing out all the seedlings I have, as I just found that the Titanotrichum propagules have "germinated". Because of my past failures with these propagules, I sowed a couple of hundred.....

I have some other gessie seeds that may be crosses or may be selfings, so I will probably try to grow out ten or so of each. I'm hoping for one intergeneric, but it seems so unlikely.......

Perhaps when blooming season is here, we can start some pollen-swap threads - one for streps, one for AVs, and one for other...?

Keyring - Strep leaves on 'crutches' is rather funny. What we'll do for love.

Have never tried the chamomile tea but have heard of it's use for plant related fungus prevention and treatment. I like those natural remedies. Supposed to be good to drink as well for it's calming qualities.

The pollen swap sounds like a good idea.

"Perhaps when blooming season is here, we can start some pollen-swap threads - one for streps, one for AVs, and one for other...?"

For the 'other', how about episcia? What else would be good?

I'm now thinking one thread for discussing how to pollinate, and one thread for "pollen wanted" or "have pollen". If there is enough interest, the have thread could be broken up.

I might be interested in sinningia and aeschynanthus. I might have kohleria - not sure what else I will be blooming this year. Space issues are getting even worse :( I want to sow cactus seeds this year.

I would imagine there might be interest in chiritas too?

Keyring - Yes, to all of the above. Worth a try.

Episcia hybridizing has been my bugaboo. Very challenging. I finally have been able to acquire good information on pollinating them, technique, timing, etc. So now, we'll see if I can put that info to good use and get some viable berries. I would be so happy if I could accomplish this.

You mentioned cactus seed. I tried that a long time ago from seed off the seed rack (Burpees, maybe?) I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to grow them. Of course, as they were mixed seed, who knew what the varieties were. Fun nontheless.

well I started a thread. I'm supposed to be working, but decided I wanted to scour my hard drive for photos of pollen instead. (I don't have that many.) http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/706461/

Anyway, we'll see what happens.

Cactus seed supposedly should germinate like gessie seed, and then you can grow them wet for 18 months. Even lithops. This means I could seal them up in a plastic box for a year and a half and they'd be fine :P Cactus!

(This is a stapelia seedling.)

This message was edited Mar 27, 2007 10:48 PM

Ok y'all ... I don't plan on EVER becoming very good at these Gessie plants so I wouldn't be "Pollen Swapping", but I sure want to know how in the world do you swap pollen??? Does one send the entire plant to the other person or what? Curious Minds Want To Know! Not that I will remember it an hour from now, but I just have to ask! :)


Lin

I wish I had something to participate with in this. All I have blooming right now is a NOID AV. AVs are all I have. I do want to get some streps in the near future.

Lin you are too funny twice over. You "plan" your plant activities, do you? And swapping pollen your way? roflmao! No, you just snip/pick/rip some pollen off and mail it.

and achoo - I think it takes a while to get into thinking about crossing some plants. My first hybrid was between two noids - see, I said I'm new to this. I'm now thinking about what I want to cross with what, and realizing that I really can't grow all the plants I'd want pollen from.... But of all the plant families, gessies are pretty good for getting into hybridizing because most of them bloom so fast from seed. Imagine hybridizing fruit trees or something - wait a decade to test the fruit?

Anyway, I should add some more to that thread and I hope others will help too. I'm not expecting it to be a hopping swap - just something to try here.