When sowing hippeastrum seeds they have to be very fresh seeds. Cheers Angela Sunny Albany Western Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: Hans-Werner Hammen <haweha@hotmail.com> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 3:22 AM Subject: Re: [pbs] Hippeastrum seeds > Hello Darren: > > the total depth of these 50 cm x 18 cm boxes is 15 cm and the height of the > seed beds is then 12 to 14 cm. > > However; > > The dimensions are not critical and do not decide on fortune as regards to > raising seedling of hippeastrums or other amaryllogene plants with these > papery foiled seeds. > > A lower drainage layer of some cm of seramis, perlite, expanded clay bullets > (regardless whether these are totally porous (Seramis) or not, or charcoal > grains is sufficient, let's say 5 cm. But 10 cm is good, too. > > Care should be taken (it should be controlled) that the drainage bullets do > not clog the drainage holes on the ground of the sowing box. I drill > numerous additional drainage holes of 0.5 cm diameter to ensuire good air > supply from belw. That is soo important - particularly when I rinse so > thoroughly with approx. 1 total seed bed volume of water(!) > > The drainage layer is then covered carefully - without mixing - with the > substrate, that is coco peat, the height not being critical, too; something > like 9 cm. > > If you change the proportion of substrate to drainage layer towards the > latter, then my previously recommended very thorough waterings might be less > critical for seedlings of those amaryllids (or any other seedlings) which > are supposed to be very sensible and likely to rot. On the other hand you > will have to water more often. > > If you sow seeds from a vigorous hippeastrum cultivar you will better use a > full height of 10 cm of coco. But if you sow thse far smaller seeds of a > more tiny cultivar for example from crossing H.cybister "Chico" with another > smaller growing hybrid like "Pink Floyd" then you reduce the coco layer to > 7 cm considering the far lower water uptake of these more delicate > seedlings. > And if you sow Cyrtanthus Mackenii (I did this summer) - then only 5 cm coco > is sufficient. > The loss of sed bed hjeight is compensated by a thicker drainage layer. > > The question when the seedlings are to be transplanted can not be answered > schematically either: This is in your decision and depends on the > observation - "WHEN do the seedlings obviously become too crowded". If you > have had a good germination rate and furthermore experience a rapid growth > of vigourous seedlings you will have to transplant earlier. The minimum time > I keep these seedlings together is 5 months. The maximum timespan I let the > seedlings together was 10 months in single cases, but I do not recommend > that. The meanwhile rich network of stronger roots from the individual > plants is not easily separatable any more and serious damage to the basal > plates is very probable to happen when using force. > > Hans-Werner > > >From: "Darren Sage" <darrensage100@hotmail.com> > >Subject: Re: [pbs] Hippeastrum seeds > >Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 22:56:11 +0000 > > > >How deep are those trays illusstrated? How long do the seedlings stay in > >them? > > > > >From: "Hans-Werner Hammen" <haweha@hotmail.com> > > >Subject: Re: [pbs] Hippeastrum seeds > > >Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:22:18 +0000 > > > > > >I sow into freshly recontituted coco peat substrate, and I put every > > >single seed, one beside another with blunt tweezers into slits formed > >with a ruler. > > >This is the most accurate and yes, rather rapid method. > > >http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/… > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >
