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galtonialover

Galtonia - Summer Hyacinth

GaltoniaLover
10 years ago

Hello, I harvested all of my Galtonia seeds this past season. I dried all of the seeds and they have been in my refrigerator for two weeks. I am going to propagate my seeds in my indoor grow room over this fall/winter. Please help! Does anyone know if the seeds have had a long enough vernalization period? Also, does anyone know how long a Galtonia Bulb needs to be vernalized before I can start to grow the bulb in my indoor grow room? Many thanks for all/any ideas and help!

Comments (3)

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    10 years ago

    Dry storage in the fridge is only storage, for the chill to be helpful for those seeds that require stratifying, it must be moist chill.

    Galtonia candicans , sow 68F, no moist chill/stratify usually necessary but germination slow.

    Galtonia viridiflora , sow 68F, if no germination in 3 - 4 weeks, move to 35-40F (moist cold) for 2 - 4 weeks, bring back to warm for germination.

  • GaltoniaLover
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you SO much morz8! Typically, in the past, I have simply put my Galtonia candicans seeds in a sealed envelope and over wintered in a dry, cool place. Very early spring I sprinkle the seeds in my garden and within 3-4 weeks they begin to produce what looks like âÂÂgrassâ shoots⦠the shoots grow between 4 ��" 6 inches by the end of the summer. Late fall I then dig up the soil and have dozens and dozens of âÂÂminiâ Galtonia bulbs. The next year I plant those âÂÂminiâ bulbs and they mature and the foliage does very well however, they do not flower. The third year, I re-plant the then medium sized bulbs and they flower nicely and the bulbs double in size. My goal is to spend this fall/winter speeding up the first year process by growing the seeds inside so that by late winter I have âÂÂminiâ bulbs. I am trying to shave a year off the three year flowering process by tricking the seeds into becoming ready to grow ASAP through this fall/winter. Are you certain that, after spending a few weeks in the cold fridge, that the seeds wonâÂÂt be âÂÂtrickedâ into thinking itâÂÂs early spring once planted?

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    10 years ago

    Dry in the fridge is only storage. It does nothing to improve germination. If the seeds need a cold period to break dormancy, it must be moist to be helpful. You can sow immediately after harvesting or now, and chances are you will have germination, fresh galtonia seeds are not particularly dependent on a long cold moist period. If you have g. viridiflora, you may increase the percentage of germination if you provide brief moist chill of 2-4 weeks.

    Your sign in shows Washington - Washington State? West side? If so, you don't have to lift these every year, they are perfectly hardy in the ground in Western Washington. My own is g. viridiflora, grown from seed, and the clump has been in place, not even divided, for at least a decade.