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costakel

germination?

costakel
11 years ago

I have recently purchase seeds online for Pride of Barbados,Red Porterweed, and Blue Porterweed (all favorites frm my old house in Costa Rica- real butterfly attractors!!), but I don't see any of my Pride of Barbados germinated yet, nor can I find information on the average time for my Porterweed seeds to germinate. They are both in good potting mix, kept moist by a spray bottle misted throughout the day lightly and are under plant lights. Any help? The Pride of Barbados has been here three weeks with no sign of germination...

Comments (8)

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    Misting often isn't enough as it only moistens the soil surface and the soil below can be totally try. Check down knuckle deep and try bottom watering for a few minutes so all the soil can be moist - not wet - just litely damp.

    Porterweed seeds are noted for a low germination rate under the best circumstances which is why it is normally grown from cuttings. It needs pre-soaking and really warm soil to germinate (80-85 degrees) and can still take 3-6 weeks or longer. The blues are easier than any of the reds for some reason.

    Never tried Pride but as a tropical I suspect it too requires pre-soaking and high soil heat to germinate. I did find some good info on it but on a site we can't link to from here. So Google "how to germinate Pride of barbados seeds" and click on the first link that comes up - called some guys garden. :)

    Hope this helps.

    Dave

  • kayjones
    11 years ago

    Someone from 'the other site' wrote:

    I put the seeds in a wet coffee filter and put the filter in the ziploc bag for a few days until they started to shoot out roots. I saw about 70-80% growing roots and I just put those in the potting soil.

  • costakel
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    the soil is definitely moist enough, i gave a good soaking the first time and now just mist three-five times a day. i did presoak the POB seeds, and all of them are directly under the plant lights, nice and warm soil temps. I'm just so confused since my POB in Costa Rica shot up like weeds once I planted them. My porterweed was from a cutting down there, but no one up here has any I am assuming since I have never sen it around. I just really wanted to get the plants going in containers I could move outdoors for the summer and then bring back in for winter months. I was sent a great deal of seed for the porterweed, and I still have another 7 POB seeds, so maybe I should just give them all a go and see what happens. If nothing, I'm only out about 10 bucks! Wish me luck!

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    11 years ago

    Pride of Barbados
    Caesalpinia pulcherrima

    Soak for 24 hours in warm (hand hot) water, then prick any unswollen seed and return to soak. Sow 1/4" deep at 75F-80F, in well-drained mix. May take from 2 weeks to several months to germinate.

  • wally_1936
    11 years ago

    I planted my pride-of-Barbados in my clay soil over a month ago with day time temps form 50-70's, nite time from 30's to the 50's, I am just seeing the sprout coming up still in the seed shell. Being as it is a hard shell a file or sandpaper might speed up the sprouting process.

  • flora_uk
    11 years ago

    Are you saying you have only misted for the last three weeks and not thoroughly watered at all since the first time? Misting, even three times a day, is still not going to ensure your pots are moist enough deep down. It is more likely to encourage the common curses of fungus gnats and damping off.

  • digdirt2
    11 years ago

    That's how I understood it too Flora. Look how deep that soil is in the cups too.

    Dave

  • costakel
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    i gave a thorough watering once a week. I misted throughout the other days to keep the surface from becoming parched. Must have been doing it all wrong cuz I finally dug up the POB and the seeds were like pus! What do you recommend I do for my next batch? I'm brand new at this- in Costa Rica I could throw anything in the ground and it would be up in a week! I've only got 7 seeds left, I hope they aren't all duds :( or that I don't royally screw them up again!