Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
plantwhisper

recalcitrant seed and simulated hog guts

plantwhisper
10 years ago

Hi,
I'm a pretty good horticulturist, but seeds are a specialty unto themselves. I'm starting some red variety strawberry guava (P. Cattleianum) from seed. Since I'm old, I don't want this to take 5 months. Therefore, I must simulate having the seeds pass through a mammal. I thought a practical way of doing this would be to put them on low on a heating pad, well insulated with towels, in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel. It looked like the temp was going to hover around the desired 100F, but sometime after I quit checking, the temp shot up to 130F or so and I wonder if I killed the embryos. Planted, anyway. Have a new batch. I have a big pile of newly mown grass and I wonder if sticking them in there in a plastic bag would maintain a more even temperature. I'm ready to strap these babies to my body with duct tape if I have to. I wonder if first I should treat with hydrogen peroxide, or a plant hormone like P Cholorophenoxyacetic acid, or just go postal and try H2SO4? Thanks - Plant

0