Tag: stratification

Posted on

01/31/2024 red seed processing

A single scarlet legume seed sits in a clear glass beaker of just-boiled water.
Paula picked up this coral-bean from the Texas coast somewhere. Nokes’ guide to native plant growing says hot water allowed to cool can break the thick seed coat. I also scratched at it somewhat ineffectually with a razor and barely made any noticeable damage to the hard shell.
Ten smooth seeds lay on a folded envelope along with scattered bits of twig and dried bright red-orange berry flesh.
The fruits of American Bittersweet have been sitting drying in this envelope for several months and slid right out of the dried fleshy bits. Nokes says they succumb easily to damping off, in addition to needing cold stratification, so we’ll just put them outside in a pot.
Posted on

05/15/2023 a third yucca in green bed!

I found a third Arkansas yucca in the green bed of the rainbow garden! I’m so excited that the stratification followed by lots of rain has worked. Or at least putting them out has worked. I don’t seem to have a lot of control over the rain??

Posted on

03/29/2023 baby yucca????

Paula and I were out planting some seeds and she noticed this baby spike in a tray of yucca seeds that have been out all winter!!
The Baptisia sp seeds before we planted them. I nicked each seed surface then soaked in room temperature water overnight. We put some on either side of the patio plus some in a pot for more controlled monitoring as that seems to help with germination sometimes.
Paula also noticed the persimmon seed at the seedling base. I appear to have planted several.
Posted on

05/01/2022 ashy sunflower from moldy humid container, attempt 2

The ashy sunflower humid tupperware had those two new seedlings. Last time I transferred out into soil, they shriveled within a few days.
So, this time I’m making them a little greenhouse to get adjusted.
This pot actually has two: one seedling and one I found sprouted with a root but the cotelydons (seed leaves) weren’t out yet from the seed husk.
The upside down lunch meat container doesn’t quite seal over them, so I put damp paper towels as a sort of barrier. We’ll see if it works!
Accidentally knocked off some flowers of showy evening primrose by the sidewalk when going back and forth to get pots and soil.
Posted on

05/01/2022 winecup sprouts

The winecup sprouts are now in assorted soils. A few in a big pot, lots in sprouting pots. The rightmost pot is one of the purple and pink perennial pots.
Lots of winecup seeds and sprouts to hopefully become ground cover where the soaker hose is!
While I had the potting soil out, I also repotted the Missouri fluttermill primrose seedlings. There are three total – one kept wilting, so I figured they needed more soil to have a stable moisture level.
Posted on

Water, water everywhere

The Chef helped me connect and lay out the second soaker hose where I will attempt to plant some winecup seeds soon.
The winecup seeds in question, a few days ago, in stratification in the fridge. They’re ready to get started.
Imagine my surprise to look up from my garden spreadsheet and find a Gray Catbird on the closer birdbath! I saw one last year in the yard in spring migration too.
SPLASH
The lone rain barrel out in the yard is an overflow for another one, and I have placed it next to a new plant (the beautyberry) so I can hopefully water it someday.
Posted on

Moving things around and catching up

Moving some things out of plant window to outside, I found two ashy sunflower seedlings in the experimental warm humid container! I have planted them in potting soil now. I will keep them inside for now as I imagine they will need a careful hardening off.
Posted on

The finished projects from yesterday plus seeds today

Four t posts. Wires go east to west on both, holding in the blackberry canes so we can walk through and harvest. There was one new sprout in the middle that grew up and we moved it into a line with another.
Close up so you can see aluminum wire.
We finished the compost pile area yesterday but I forgot to take a picture. Wes did a lovely job leveling it all and put rebar through several holes to keep it in place.
I connected an old hose from one of the rain barrels to make sure the pile stays suitably damp for decomposition.
See that big seedling on the lower right edge? I don’t recognize it, so there is a possibility it’s the native bush honeysuckle Lonicera albiflora which is what I planted in this pot and left out all winter.
A pale but bright turquoise fungus growing on the showy milkweed seeds. The seeds felt plump though so maybe some will grow.
Strophostyles helvula bean seeds. One has fungus but also a little root!!
All the seeds we planted out of fridge stratification today. There’s still a few more left for late April that needed more time.
A little mystery seedling in the old Maximilian sunflower area.
Paula and I pulled and dug a lot of Maximilian sunflower shoots out of there. Hopefully we can find them new homes!