How long do brug seeds stay viable? I received some last year and forgot about them. I just found them and am wondering if they are still viable. Thanks in advance for enlightening me! ~Becky~
This message was edited Feb 23, 2008 2:01 PM
Brug seed question ...
They should still be ok. Did you get them fresh?
Through a mailorder? Those might be pretty dry, if so soak them 24-72 hrs.
I even soak fresh seeds 24-48 hours. Helps to germinate faster.
Gloria
Thanks Gloria! They were fresh when sent from a member here on this forum. The seeds are large. And after looking up the cultivars, I want to definitely grow them. :-)
You're welcome.
Much luck in growing them.
I'm new to brug's seed sowing as well. I've received a dozen of seeds from fellow DGer back in Dec. 2007. On Feb. 4th I sew those, along with some fresh seeds of my own. My fresh seeds germinated uniformly. The seeds I received as gift didn't show sign of germination!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Since the seeds I received are named cultivars cross. Mine are partially NOID crossed.
Kim
Below pic. shows my germinated seedling to the right. And to the left is the six-pack with no sign of germination of mentioned cultivars crossed seeds. :((
That's really interesting, Kim. I guess the fresher the seeds, the more likely they are to germinate.
Becky,
I have high hope that those are slower to germinate. So I continue to give them equal TLC (tender loving care) hoping they will sprout eventually. :-)
Kim
OK, Kim,
Tell me exactly how you started your seeds. There are many different ways... I have tried a few. Do you peel? Do you soak? Do you just cover and hope?
Seeds from Dec 2007 are Fresh! This is only Feb 2008. Watch you don't give them too much TLC, as I sometimes do, over water them and over protect them.
Do you soak them? I always peel the cork off mine.
Gloria
I too have brug seeds I want to start, I got them via mail order last summer. When I soak them should I remove the corks? Is that the same as peeling? Oh, and should I put anything in the water to assist germination such as hydrogen peroxide?
Please help this brug newbie!
Thanks,
Steven
I soaked mine in water 24 hours before I planted them barely cover with Jiffy seed-starting mix. I saturated the medium before planting. And only mist the medium with a hand mist to keep it moist (thus never over watering them) Keep them with the humidify-dome as seen, few inches from the florescent light. That's.
Other use peroxide (a few drops -- to kill off any bacterias?) I didn't. And it did just fine. Some even use boiling water, but let it cool down to room temp. before soak them. Extra steps to ensure no bugs present to spoil your seeds. That is what I've learned.
Happy gardening.
Kim
p.s. Use gloves to protect your hands. Seed starting mix is high on antifungal material which can cause irritation to your skin.
Oh, is that why my skin is falling off??????????? lol
I planted some moonvine after soaking the seeds overnight in water with peroxide and a drop of superthrive, planted the next day and have large seedlings the day after. I am amazed at that.
I did peel the cork off the last ones I planted and they came up faster than the ones I did not peel. I lost 2 when the cork took the head off. (the stem looked wonderful and is still green after about 10 days. Oh well.
Soaking as we speak...write...read...
Have fun Marie. :-)
Kim
Thanks Kim, I'll get them soaking right away! I'll add a few drops of peroxide to the water. I read before it delivers more oxygen to the seeds/seedlings or something like that and causes faster growth. I wasn't sure if it was good for brugs or not though.
Steven
Best of lucks Steven, do keep us posted how it turns out.
Kim
Thanks for all the info and tips on germinating the seeds! I have some I need to go ahead and try. I just hope the older ones are still good. If they are, they will make some nice brugs!!!
My seeds are soaking right now! YAY! Now, I have one more question.....Sinkers vs. Floaters? Does it mean anything? 2 of my seeds sunk to the bottom of the glass and 2 are floating.
I'm planning on useing a couple different methods after the soaking is done...the instructions the seeds came with said to use the damp coffee filter method, so I think I'll pot up 1 sinker and 1 floater when they're done soaking and the remaining 2 seeds I'll put in the damp coffee filter and see what happens.
Steven
Sinkers are usually the viable ones, but I'd plant the other two. It won't hurt. There as many ways to start seeds as there are Brug enthusiasts. LOL. Use what works best for you. I've used the seed starter cells that Parks sells with great sucess, but they are expensive and take up a lot of room. I like the community pot idea.
The sinkers = viable only apply to certain seeds. Not so with brug's seeds for I've found out that what made its boiyant in the water is the cork covering the seeds. I tested out my hopythesis, I planted both "floaters" and "sinkers" and marked them both, they both happily came up for me. :-)
Kim
Thanks Bettydee and Kim! By the end of the 24 hour soak all four had sunk, so maybe that means something? But I planted 2 in the pot a 2 in the damp coffee filter, I checked on the ones in the filter this morning and noticed one of them had plumed up quite nicely! YAY! So it must be alive!
I've wanted a brug for the longest time so I'm really hoping they sprout this time!
Steven
Give them plenty of light! That is so very important.. You will get more success if they have plenty of light.
I just press them in the soil but don't cover..
Humidity is important, but I've had results covered or uncovered.. especially if I do the paper towel or coffee filter method to sprout em.. Be ready for a great germination rate that way!
Good Luck and I wanna see bloom Pics this fall everyone!
Thanks ZZ! The ones I put in the pot I covered just a tiny bit and I put an upside down baggie overtop for humidity. I've probably said this a 100 times but I'm so excited cause this is goning to be my first brug! YAY!
Thanks for all your help everyone!
Steven
ps: as soon as I get sprouting or a root or anything I'll post pics ASAP!
Nice going Steven, we'll be on the look out for news.
Kim
I love baby pics!!
This is the "ICU" last year
Great idea, Joyce, thanks for sharing that with us. I've been saving up those small cups and containers. I'm about to put them to good use, lol.
Kim
WOW, I love your ICU Joyce! Do you keep all those seedlings? Or just the strongest ones?
I have the feeling that after I get one brug I'll probably want to get more...the ones I'm starting are pink. I also really like the lavender ones and the orange as well.
Steven
Yup.. every one! It is impossible NOT to grow them all when they come up! That's why sometimes I wish for rotten germination rate when I go overboard..
That pic is from last year.. my brugs are all big kids now.. the little kids are ready for 4" pots already! I'm in trouble again.. tooo many seedlings!
Congratulations on everyone's babies. I am having such fun. Will post pictures this weekend.
ZZ, I do love your ICU.
So how long do they take to bloom? And at what leaft stage should I pot them up to the next size? I keep thinking of new questions, I'm determined to succeed this year! If I fail with them it's the seeds fault.
Steven
Steven, I saw in another thread that you are not going to poke around. I have not been that good.
ZZ, have yours from last years ICU bloomed yet?
Kim, peeled and potted your seeds today. Now the waiting.
hehe, Joyce mentioned she doesn't cover her seeds...just presses them into the soil, so I went and tried to take a little soil off the top and then it's 'oh no, I took too much off', and then I cover them again...So one seed is partialy exposed. I think the best thing for me to do is just NOT TOUCH THEM!
Steven
I'm so happy to see everyone is having so much fun with the seeds, and seedlings. :-)
I just love it, Chrissy. That is it. I turned up to garden all year round! Only if our weather is like yours, where we don't worry about moving our Angels in and out. :-)
Kim
Yes mine shiver a bit actually it is only 58F at the moment ha ha ha last day of summer here (what Summer?) ...but apart from a bit of frost burn they do ok outside in the Winter in fact they flower all but two months here ...lots more flushes in the warmer months but the flowers last for over a week when the weather is cooler.You Angel lovers work wonders over there, your little seedlings look so good mine are shivering right now but I know as soon as we get a break from the cold rain mine will look a bit more eager to grow a little higher :) I almost feel like bringing inside out of the cold ha ha ha ...what cold you say ...well for an Australian sheila it's cold!. The larger plants are loving it though and I have three more fancy plants Y ing up today ...I wonder if I will get flowers before winter.Well Kim look what's happened! It is all happening ...turned a dream into a reality ...next on the list ...our little babiezzz grow up ...I have to wait until next Spring /Summer season now but for you it's just around the corner ...I am eager to follow your (and the others) progress as we watch and wait to greet our Angel faces ....can't wait ...can't wait ;)
Happy Angel dreaming everyone and Kim once again ...
Whoo Hoo!
chrissy
Yeah Marie, most of them have bloomed..
Here is a pretty lil single pink that bloomed in 7 months!
Here is a single white that bloomed it's head off
Here is a pretty single Apricot
Here is a pretty nice Double White
Joyce, I must visit Ca. one of these days. Your weather must be nice and warm during the days and cool in the evenings? I spent a little time in the SW, and I noticed the mountainous region's temp. is considerably different than the SE where I'm, the temp was hot and dried there, but once one gets into the shade it was nice and cool out West. I wish those double blooms will do well here for me. Should DD turn out well here. I'm going to load my gh up with double and tripple next growing season.
Kim