Dear Mary Sue and Jamie:
With many kinds of plants seed freshness
is of paramount importance. Just to give an example, Albuca seed obtained
from PBS germinates in a 100%. From other sources germination may be 0-1%.
Dietes seed shows the same problem. When scattered about the parent plants
tiny plants come up everywhere. And it seems the embryo dies off rapidly.
This is also typical of many species of year round rainfall regions of South
America.
As for my methods of germination I have
mentioned them on a number of occasions. I use a very gritty mix and do not
cover the seed for two weeks, watering abundantly during this period. Once
the two weeks are over I cover the seed with grit (coarse perlite or coarse
pumice would be equivalent) and germination takes place rapidly from then
on. Of course, if the seed is dead nothign could be done
Best
Alberto
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