Germination of Aquilegia Seeds

I just brought in my last flat that was outside getting its little seed butts cold and frozen so now the waiting begins to see what comes up

this flat has all the bonnets different colors that I could find

hoping they all come up

Carolyn22
Yes, I have used the baggie method, often called Deno. I use it for 99% of my seed sowing. I don't use filters because they are too stiff. Instead, I use kitchen paper towels because they are softer and hold moisture better. I get a higher germination count with this method, rather than sow straight into sowing mix.

Here is how I do it:

Cut a kitchen paper towel in half, wet and squeeze out excess. Fold the towel in 1/2 and place seeds in a corner. Fold one end over the seeds, then fold again. You will have a square. Place this in a ziplock baggie, zip it but leave room for you to blow it up like a balloon, then quickly close it. The air will stay if the track are lined up correctly on the bag. This allows the seeds to "breathe", rather than have the plastic laying on the package. Place the baggie in the fridge for stratification for 2 weeks. After that time, place it in room temperature. Should begin to sprout within 2 weeks, with stragglers taking longer.

When you see a radical (root) develop, the seed has germinated and ready to grow. Pick the seed up with a tweezer, holding the seed by the seed coat. Make a hole in the sowing mix with a pencil and gently guide the seed into it. Make sure that when you plant the sprouted seeds that the roots are placed downwards in the soil. Place the seed just under the level with the surface so it receives some light. Do not cover with soil.

Caption:
Aquilegia chrysanthea seeds sprouting by the Deno method prior to placing in sowing mix. Those that haven't sprouted have swelled and are ready to sprout. These were placed in paper towel on 2/17. Photo taken 3/20.

This variety is native to the canyons of the southwest and easiest to grow and maintain.




This message was edited Mar 25, 2009 1:24 AM

Carolyn22
I forgot to mention that seeds don't have to be fresh to germinate. I have germinated seeds that were 5 years old. It is when seeds are harvested, and how they are stored that is more important than the age.

The 2 secret ingrediences for germinating all Aquilegias seeds are cold (refrigeration) and moisture for at least 2 weeks, followed by room temperature.



This message was edited Mar 25, 2009 1:21 AM

Here is the photo of the A. chrysanthea blooming on the north side of my garage. It is not a hybrid so comes true from seed. Self-sows freely. If deadheading, will bloom all summer.

Blomma -

they are beautiful. I just love the butter color.

I am finally starting to get germination, but I will have to try your method too regarding the papertowels. I did get a very low germination rate with the paper towels. I had assumed it was the age.

You mentioned that it is not the age of the seed, but how it is stored. How should it be stored? Perhaps in the fridge? I would like to start storing my aquilegia so that it enables their germination.

Thanks

for some reason I first two flats did really well and the last one has yet to spout anything
and I am an old hand at doing seeds lol but they are just being mean to me it now has been almost three weeks and not a one has come up oh well I will be patient and if nothing in another 2 weeks they will visit outside again for more cold and at that point it will be good to just leave them out since they are perennials
this is a picture of the second flat that I just transplanted into pots last week they are doing great

they are so beautiful! The green looks like spring!

see again I was being impatient after my posting I had to go and check and one lone baby is up yes now they will mostly be up by the weekend since that is what happened with the other two

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.

those look so cool I have some maybe I will try to grow them
this morning as I cleaned out flowerbeds I found all kings of seeds from last year so I collected them and now have to decide where I want them since I will just directly sow them outside

I have to many inside right now no more space lol so now perennials will just have to do the natural thing

Woodside seeds produce mostly variegated seedlings, though some are not. I imagine they were a hybrid from some sport a long time ago, but have been bred for so long that they come back pretty true from seed. The variegation does vary from plant to plant. Some have a slight mottling, while others have vivid stripes... some are just a very yellow-green... all interesting.

usually plants go that yellow when they get to much sun
I keep mine in a north facing window they get sun early morning and late evening but bright light all day and are growing like crazy

Believe me, my plants don't have a chance to get too much sun. Between the mountains & the trees, I'm lucky to get a full day's sun. The color of the leaves in the picture is normal for this variety, but I agree, it looks abnormal when you first see it.

Thanks everyone for the input.

Loving the pictures too......

it's a very pretty color!

Here is another favorite, grown from seeds I traded with a gentleman from New Zealand.

wow that is a big one very lovely bloom now I want one to

Lovely colour combo!

it's gorgeous! and it's huge too!

like I said I want one please

I've grown a couple with blooms that huge... I think they're McCanna's Giant, but my columbines tend to lose their labels between sowing and planting out.

WZ, how likely is it that adjacent columbines will cross? Is it even worth saving seeds from one or the other separately, or should I just save a "mix" from my garden? I've got them interplanted with irises, so different varieties are at most 3 or 4 feet from one another.

the budweiser collection I sowed these in the second flat had a pack of the mixed colors

Beautiful collection! You should get some lovely colors from that flat, Scicciarella. As for the size of the columbine blooms, the McKana's are always amazing, but I think we get particularly big blooms here due to our climate. You can see from this picture how big the blooms are on my pink McKana.

Critter, I wish I knew the answer to your cross pollination question. I suppose it depends on what or how many are pollinating your plants, as well as how many blooms per plant they have to hop to and from. I know that the pink McKana has produced many volunteer seedlings and they seem to be much like the mother plant. It is some 6 ft from the nearest other columbine variety, but it also has many blooms to offer a bee.

Oh, another stunner! I do like those huge blooms, especially as the columbines and irises are along the back of my perennial area.

It probably won't hurt to try to collect some separate colors this year... even if there's been some crossing, there's a better chance of getting the color you *really* want that way than if I just do a mix again. I did a mix last year just because I couldn't remember which was which after they were done blooming. This year, I intend to get them labeled, even if it's just an indication of color & form.

My seedings stay pretty true to the parents too and I have alot of bees. I think that's a great idea for an experiment Critter.

Thanks for that feedback, Dahlia... sounds like it might be worthwhile to separate colors for the seeds I share next year.

I planted Aquigelia seeds back in February. The McKana Giants came up just a couple of weeks after planting, and the Green Apples seeds have sent up a few starts, but I have several others that have not even tried coming up yet.

I am still hoping for the best...maybe even sit them outside for a day or so to chill them, then bring them back inside the greenhouse and see what happens. I am fearful they may have rotted by now.

I winter sow mine and seldom see any sprouts this soon, although last year's plants are starting to put up a few new little leaves.

I also sowed a flat of mixed colors mckana and the other flat of the bonnets from white to sky blue,red, pink, in half and the mix barlows in the other half so I think I am pretty well covered for now hahhahahah at my last house my garden brought a little much attention it was nice to win awards and such and pics of the property ap peared in the local calender and such but what was a pain was people just stopping and taking pictures in the front was not so bad but when the would knock at the door and asked to see the back yard lol some people do have a lot of nerve even more than me hahahhahah

blomma,

For some reason I thought ice plants would be hard to get started but they popped right up for me too. We are getting 6 inches of snow this weekend so the last of my stratification ones that didn't sprout is gonig back outside. The one thing I do like about baggies is that you can keep the plants in them for quite a bit and they have yet to wilt or mold. Will be busy as a jaybird this weekend!

We are suppose to get snow this weekend. Would it be okay to put the aquigelia that has not germinated outside to take in some cold and then bring them back inside?

The Woodside mix I have that is coming up is variegated! I am thrilled and also surprised. I would have thought the cotyledons to be a solid green with the variegation starting on the next true set of leaves.

No snow here and I am delighted by that. It's been raining most of the day and tomorrow is supposed to reach 60. I know for this time of year, we could get dumped on at any time, but I would be quite happy to not see snow again.

^_^

happy to never see snow again is my idea of the perfect winter lol that white stuff is so yukky,

I have a bunch that are coming up in the yard. I have only noticed sprouts in one of my wintersown containers.

after checking today my last tray of columbines are starting to come up, they just wanted to be difficult lol since the first two sprouted with problems I had to put the last one outside for a few weeks maybe the seeds didnt cool for long enough before I planted them or something no matter they are coming up now and that is all that counts.

mona

startingtoluvz4 Delosperma (iceplants) are real easy to germinate at room temp and surface sown. Dustlike seeds that need light---don't cover. I just sowed them in a flat with fine seeding mix. They do not need stratification.

Here is a link to a great germination data base;

http://tomclothier.hort.net/

Here is a 6-pack that I potted up. Once they sprouted, they grow pretty quick for the size of the seed. Photo taken 3/30/09. D. cooperi, open pollinated. These were the largest. I have more not quite large enough yet to pot up. Sowed 3/4 and up 3/12.



This message was edited Mar 31, 2009 12:26 PM

these are the ones that are just coming up in different colors

This spring has really sucked rotten eggs for Iowa!!!

It's currently snowing - oh joy! My hubby JUST put up my Weatherguard tent greenhouse
http://www.dgiworldwide.com/lawngreenhouse.html
in time for the 50+ mph winds to blow it all away along with the 300 pots of trees.
Luckily the trees didn't have too much damage since they are this point just a stick
but it's getting to be quite the maze in my greenhouse!

Have I mentioned it's snowing outside right now and will be doing so again on Sunday?
They are calling for 4-6 inches. I think Pecsontony Pete went to Hawaii this year!

A very frustrated Mindy

Mindy -

When do you typically see Spring in Iowa? I know you are north of us......

Wishing it was better for you.

the weather has been a mess for about four years now starting with el ninio
it seems that is has not settled down at all, lol global warming you have fooled me looks more like the next ice age