Sorry to pick up on this one so late. How deep are those trays illusstrated? How long do the seedlings stay in them? Kind Regards Darren >From: "Hans-Werner Hammen" <haweha@hotmail.com> >Reply-To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> >To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >Subject: Re: [pbs] Hippeastrum seeds >Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:22:18 +0000 > >I found many articles in the web which pretend that floating is THE common >and practical method for sowing the papery-foiled seeds of amaryllid's >plants. >It seems that this numerously glorified method is becoming the amaryllid's >cultivation myth of the new century. > >I disagree and oppose against this method, which involves a >tedious/laborious/cumbersome procedure in the very moment when the >seedlings >have to be transplanted into a solid medium. >I tried floatin' - once; (regardless to being already against my >conviction, >I ADMIT). >The germination rate was good, but not better than in FRESHLY prepared coco >peat substrate prepared from coco bricks. And the transplantation was >terrible, exactly as I had expected. No, never again. > >No one who has to sow hundreds or even thousands of hippeastrum (gardener's >amaryllis) seeds per anno can honestly recommend this method nor can he >practice it- he will get crazy. >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/… >http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/… >http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/… > >Now, as the kids have already fallen into the sink I recommend a very >carefull transplantation of the floating kids - pardon: Seedlings - into >freshly prepared coco peat substrate without any further additives. The box >should preferably have numerous drainage holes and further include a THICK >drainage layer of expanded clay bullets or something similar. When the >seedlings are all into then the substrate should be thoroughly but >carefully >be watered with a fine hotspur. At least the surface of the substrate >should >completely dry out between the subsequent waterings, and watering - with >lukewarm water and diluted fertilizer every time - should be very thorough >again. I recommend a volume which is roughly equivalent to the total >substrate volume including the drainage layer (!) > >Hans-Werner > > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
