Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Germination testing before ordering. 12.16.14

Okra seed packets showing water damage.  12.16.14

Okra Cajun Jewel at one day of germination.  12.16.14

Okra Lee at one day of germination.  12.16.14
 I think it's a good idea to check last year's seeds for germination, before ordering others of the same variety this year.  Not that I heeded my own advice.

Still, I wanted to see if some of the varieties I had but didn't try last year, had potential for this year.

Last spring I spilled water on the envelope holding the seed packets.   I let it dry at ambient room conditions.   Some of the packets are water stained.  I thought that might doom the seeds.

Sunday pm, I placed 10 seeds each of these 3 varieties in small jars, with shallow water.  Monday morning I transferred the seeds to damp paper towels, and placed them in zip-lock bags on seed starting warmer mat.

Now, tuesday am, here is the early result.

Cajun Jewel:  9/10 germination.
Lee:  2/10 germination.
Clemson Spineless.  1/10 germination.

I think it's still very early.  Very surprised at those Cajun Jewel.

I also placed Roma beans, packed for 2012, on damp paper towel, in ziplock, without presoak.  So far, there is 1/10 germination.  I think it's very early.


Okra Clemson Spineless at 1 day of germination.  12.16.14
Roma beans at 1 day of germination.  no presoak.  12.16.14

2 comments:

  1. How do you like your Roma ll bush?
    I've been growing the pole type for about 8 yrs and the first time I grew it I was shock that its about 10 ft tall and the bamboo pole that it was climbing arch over:-) being too heavy with the vine and beans. I hope the bush form give you as much beans as I have. Besides the gopher damage taking half of the numbers of plants it gave me more then I can eat and friends asking for it every yr. http://i1288.photobucket.com/albums/b499/lancegreen1/DSCF7876_zps157e4367.jpg
    The rounded cream color with brown swirls is the pole romano. The purple one is the Scarlett runners and the others are store bough seeds which I completely forgot to log in the variety names. One of them is the purple romano which doesn't yield well and when you cook it the bean color change back to green.
    Romano pole is my favorite and the seeds that I got is from a compost bin from another community garden. Often in life the best things are FREE!

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  2. The Roma II bush are good beans, very tasty. They seem to bear sooner, but not as much or as long. Their production is good enough for us. I have grown them in container and in ground. The container ones grew faster and gave more in smaller place, probably due to warmer roots. Your bean seeds are very beautiful - as nice as a flower.

    Getting the seeds from the compost bin is like something I would do. I have a number of plants and trees that started in a similar way. I take a lot of pride in those.

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