Thursday, August 13, 2015

Even More on the Topic of Daylilies. 8.13.15

3-Year-Old Daylily Seeds.  8.11.15

Old Daylily Seeds Float.  8.11.15

Fresh Daylily Seed Pods.  8.11.15
 I got out my seed filing box - an envelope sized file box - to use for saving new seeds.  Discovered some 3-year-old daylily seeds that I collected in 2012.  Some seeds last a year, some last many years.  I don't know about Hemerocallis.
Fresh Daylily Seeds.  8.11.15

Fresh Daylily Seeds Also Float.  8.11.15
One test of seed viability is if they sink.  These floated.

Maybe if I soak them in water for a couple of days, they will rehydrate and sink.  The peach seeds did that.

I found some daylily pods on the variety, "Happy Returns".  The pods do not change to red, or yellow, or brown.  They are green or slightly brown.  When the top starts to split, the seeds are ready.

These are nice shiny black seeds.  Not as wrinkly as the seeds from 2012.  However, a seed I collected one week ago was also wrinkly.

The new seeds floated too.  Since they were fresh, I placed them on damp paper towel, then into a zipper lock back, and into the refrigerator to stratify.  They will need 4 to 6 weeks to stratify, then I can plant them in seed starting soil.

That will be fall.  That's OK, I can grow them under the seed starting light during their first winter.

3 comments:

  1. I'm going to have to try that. My lilies have "podded". Thanks for the tip.
    I just realized I'm "Darwindude" on blogster. I guess you know I'm Randy (from A/N).

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  2. You got to have a ton of patience for this kind of thing. I will watch a seed germinates if its a veg, the exception will be some kind of exotic tree or flower like pineapple lily.

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  3. These long-term projects are nice to have going while faster or more productive things are giving more immediate reward. I get such pride and comfort in the trees that I planted from seeds almost 20 years ago - I look at that ginkgo and just feel awe. If I moved and left it here, then someone else gets the benefit, no problem. Similar for fig trees, that I grew from cuttings 14 years ago. Producing like crazy, nice robust looking trees, and I think, wow, I grew that from a cutting? So I don't think about the daylilies needing 2 or 3 years to bloom. Just plant them, putter with the seeds and seedlings, then plant in an extra raised bed or containers, and putter and grow them until they bloom.

    I have one bearded iris that bloomed this year, from seeds that I planted maybe 3 years ago. It was white with a yellow beard. Came from Immortality - pure white, and Spiced Custard - yellow and golden brown. Smaller flower, but here the big frilly flowers turn into what looks like wet Kleenex in the spring rain. That was interesting and I'm anxious to see what it does next year. Similar type of project.

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