Date: Thu, 4 Feb 1999 09:08:58 -0800 (PST) From: Chris Teichreb <cjteichr@sfu.ca> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg321$foo@default> Subject: Re: S.Oreophila seeds
Hi Mike,
> Hi All!
> I've decided to de-lurk to ask for the sage wisdom of the group. I
> have a few S. Oreophila seeds given to me by the good folks at Peter
> D'amato's California Carnivores last September. They have been sitting in
> the fridge in a waterproof plastic bag since then. I would like to try to
> get them started soon. What advice can anyone give me on the best way to get
> a good germination rate.
If they're fresh, just sow them without any stratification. If
they're from over a year ago, they may need stratification for good
germination. To do this, place the seeds on a moist paper towel in a
ziploc bag in the fridge for about 4 weeks before sowing. I always get
near 100% germination doing this.
> What is the best medium?
Live sphagnum moss.
> More or less water in
> infancy?
Same as adults. I like to fill up their container and let it drop
over a period of about a week before refilling. Seems to work for me.
> Any preferred ways to start them, or just stick 'em in the peat?
Just sow them on top of the sphagnum. Live sphagnum is great
because it seems to ward off fungal attacks, which Sarr seed seems prone
to when place on a peat mixture, even in good light.
> They will be growing in San Francisco, so the threat of frost is pretty nil.
> Any advice is much appreciated, and hopefully will help bring more of these
> wonderful plants into the world.
S.oreophila is pretty cold hardy compared to others as it
regularly sees snow in its mountain habitat. If you sow indoors, make
sure to have good lighting, Sarrs are light pigs and can't seem to get
enough. I place all my seedlings about 1 inch under twin fluorescent
bulbs. They really do start to grow like weeds in live sphagnum. Make
sure to thin them out by summer, as if they're cramped, they tend to grow
slower. Good luck!
> _Mike Napolitano
>
>
Happy growing,
Chris
**********************************
Chris Teichreb
Department of Biological Sciences
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C.
cjteichr@sfu.ca
**********************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:31:54 PST