6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
It sound like you have some seed. But do not count on them producing plants like the Parent ... for that reason the plants resulting from these seed will indeen be interisting.... to germinate do not cover the seed soil temp 78-80F & takes about 21 days to germinate.... best of luck.
Thanks so much. I figured that they wouldn't be true to the parent I was just wondering if they were actually seeds. I guess it's time to get out the seed mat. Should I over sow these? What is the germination rate usually like? There must be 10's of thousands of seeds. I had about a dozen pods that were full.
Karyn
Donna, you don't say what climate zone you are in, or which crape myrtle...there are some newer varieties that are more tolerant of cold, but depending on variety, crape myrtles can be grown from USDA hardiness zones 6 to 10. In zone 6, even the most cold-hardy varieties will probably be killed to the ground each winter and will be useful only as a shrubby, flowering perennial. I have to add too, that I have 'Zuni' in my own Z8 coastal garden in my hottest possible position with my light colored house to reflect heat - in 10 years time it's an interesting small tree with bronzy foliage and great peeling bark but it's never ever bloomed. Not enough summer heat.
Very fresh seed that hasn't been stored or dried will often germinate, very lightly covered as some light may be beneficial to germination, 70-75F, without the cold period preceding sowing.
If the seed has dried, as George notes in the other crape post: stratify 4 weeks at 40F, lightly cover the seed, soil temp 70-75F & takes 15-20 days to germinate & 15 weeks to reach large enough to set out - so you'll have to calculte your own average last frost date and count backwards.
Depending on what kind of setup you have for growing seedlings, crepe myrtle seeds can be started in mid to late winter in order to get decent-sized plants by the time they're set out when warm weather arrives in spring. If you have adequate light, the young plants will remain healthy until they're transitioned into the garden.
There are crepe myrtles (especially some dwarf varieties) that will be hardy into USDA zone 5 as returning perennials, blooming nicely if (as the previous poster noted) they have adequate summer heat, and if there's full sun. I grow several varieties of crepes here on the northern fringe of zone 6 and some types will flower heavily for months. In a mild winter most to all of the wood of the hardier types will survive, meaning earlier blooming.
Your chances of getting a tree form crepe in eastern Canada are not good, but depending on where you're located and whether a sheltered spot is available, you can still have flowering crepes as perennials/shrubs.
The plant most commonly referred to as "string of beads" is Senecio Rowleyanus, but two other species are sometimes known by this common name vis: S.Radicans and S.Herreianus.
Unfortunately I do not know much regarding raising these from seed, as they are usually propagated by rooting part of a stem. Perhaps knowing the scientific name, others would be better placed to answer the question posed by cliviajohn.
Thanks for the info ensatagirl, just checked out the site -it's cool! I think that you're right about T&M prices, I've alwase thought of them as a bit of a "dog and pony show" anyway!
For anybody interested in looking at the Hardy Plants site, I've put in a link.
Here is a link that might be useful: Hardy plant website
You would probably have better results sowing in pots - pots deep enough to leave the seedlings intact in their seed pot until they die back their first fall, then take out the small corms, store to plant in Spring in a Z6
Sow covered by 1/4" @70-75F for germination in 20 - 40 days
The seeds are viable for a long time - years even.
Seeds are like dust and may be difficult for some to handle. Sow on surface @ 71º in light , germination in approx 15-30 days , grow on @ 60ºF in cooler conditions than needed for germination.
Here is a link that might be useful:
The trays I use have six-pack inserts. I always plant one variety in each six pack. The top comes off and the six-pack goes under the lights when they germinate. If some are slower to start than other's then they stay covered until they germinate.
My set up consist of a metal multi shelved bakerÂs rack purchased at LoweÂs, just the right size for heat mats with thermostats , 1020 trays with covers, and 2, 2 bulb shop light fixtures hanging for each self (above). I use the bottom and topmost shelves for storage and the middle racks for seed starting (arrange to your liking). I purchased full spectrum daylight bulbs instead of plant grow lights and hang them about 3" inches above the seedlings for 12-14 hours per day. I also use a small circulating fan to provide air movement for about 1 hour per day when the seedlings are up
I generally use "community cell packs" for starting seed, picking them out at the 2nd set of true leaves. The plastic trays that hold (6 pack) peat pots are the right size for community pots so save those. IÂm also trialing paper pots (PotMaker) made from black & white newspaper; they last about 5-6 weeks and are a good way to "bury bad news" Â just plant all in the garden! You can also make them using grocery store cans of various sizes and freezer paper tape to hold it together.
Happy Seed Starting!
Tommie
Persons, here on this forum if I recall correctly, have dismissed the hydrogen peroxide suggestion.
I have used bleach as a disinfectant to attempt to reduce damping off. With seed I am unsure if it helped.
But all chemical additives mentioned will lower the surface tension and might affect the physical chemistry of absorption. Physical chemistry, or at least that is what we called it a half century ago, is rarely discussed by plant enthusiasts.
I have found many California native seeds to have an impervious seed coat that response well to rolling between two sheets of course sandpaper, about 40 grit. Dendromecon harfordii needs smoke treatment, now available in paper disc from a south African company available here. Al
A cat or squirrel stew help. The seed to be stores at 40F (inside or outside) for 2-4 months. Then lightly cover the seed soil temp 65-70F & takes 120+ days to germinate.
Note the plants from seed are slow to flower & will differ from parents.
I winter sowed magnolia seeds last year in a plastic clamshell container, the kind you get in the produce dept of a grocery store. It's covered so critters can't get to the seeds but it's vented so you get air circulation. They are also very easy to grow from cuttings.
Karyn
I don't harest my dats until the pods crack and open. Then, I dry the seeds for several days indoors in a bowl. Many times, seeds are not ready until the pods crack and ma nature lets them loose. I'm not sure that's a hard-line rule for datura.
I try to allow them to split on the plant but will cut the largest ones and allow them to dry inside if we're expecting a hard freeze. The pods will survive just fine and continue to ripen through a few light frosts, even if the foliage has been killed back.
Karyn