Alstroemeria from seed

Roy M. Sachs rmsachs@ucdavis.edu
Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:23:56 PDT
>I am growing some ex alstroemeria ligtu hybrid from seed, and would like
>advice on at what stage I should prick out, in view of the high losses
>from trying to divide the brittle roots of adult hybrid plants. At
>present I have ~12 seedlings in a 2 1/2" pot varying from just emerging
>to 2" tall with 3 leaves. They are outside but protected from rain, so
>are not too soft.
>
>Brian Whyer, Buckinghamshire, England, zone ~8
>Where recent night time frosts have hit tricyrtis growth, and my first
>Beschornia septentrionalis flower spike.

I've pulled ligtu seedlings at the 2 or 3 leaf stage and I've also 
let them go until they were dormant and had formed a small rhizome. 
The latter transplanted well, about the same as the large clumps I 
always dig when I'm dividing well-established ligtu.

Some seedlings when they're divided in the green growing stage are 
easily broken right below the first leaves...when that has happened 
I've usually lost the seedling so that was another inducement to wait 
until the seedlings had gone dormant (I have some now in a tray that 
are a few weeks away from becoming dormant).

Roy Sachs


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