Seed Starting in Fall. 10.20.15

Seedlings.  10.20.15

 Sometimes after a rough day, I putter around the seedlings and it gives me some peace.  So many people are such anal orifices.   Plants are just plants.

Days are getting shorter.  Nothing I can do outside after or before work.   I can putter with seedlings.

I've never done this before, with daylilies.   I did grow some native plum seedlings over the winter, a few years ago.

When the daylily seeds have stratified for one month in the refrigerator, I place them at room temp in their paper towel / zipper bags.   Check the seeds every couple of days.  Many sprout within one to two weeks.  When I see sprouts, I transfer the sprouted seed to a 6-pack containing seed starting medium.  Some of those have sprouted and grown large enough that I move them up to a starting pot with potting soil.  When in seed starting medium, I water with 1/4 teaspoon of tomato miracle grow per gallon of water.

Seedlings.  10.20.15

Some were too close to the lights, resulting in a few light-burned leaves.  Not enough to set them back significantly.

So far, 3 apricot seeds have germinated.  Of Daylilies, I now have 1 dozen seeedlings from pod parent "Happy Returns", and 6 seedlings from pod parent "Chicago Apache".  There are germinated seeds from "Ice Carnival" and one from "Vigaro-labeled" NOID.  Each pod parent was hybridized with a contrasting variety, diploid to diploid and tetraploid to tetraploid.

There is also a cactus that was rootstock for a pink grafted cactus.  The scion eventually died, and the rootstock grew new branches.  I cut off a branch, to start a new plant.  Tentative ID Hylocereus undatus but I could be wrong.  If correct, that is "Dragon fruit" cactus.

Bearded Iris Fall Bloom. 10.17.15

Bearded Iris "Sunny Disposition"  10.17.15

This bearded iris reblooms fairly reliably each fall.  I don't care for fall blooming iris because the rains have usually started.  Rain on these flowers makes them look like wet nose tissue paper.  This year it's not raining at the moment, so we get a pretty nice flower.

Opuntia. Bumblebee. Peach Seed. 10.14.15

 This is a good start for my opuntia trial.   I have two "Texas Opuntia Cuttings" via Amazon.  I imagine these are just some cactus pads that someone in San Antonio went outside and cut off a larger cactus.    "The Mother plants are direct offspring from some of the San Antonio Missions including the Alamo! A large cactus with flattened, mostly spiny stems that produce deep red, juicy and sweet fruits.".  They are labeled as "Spineless Thornless Prickly Pear, Nopal Verde Opunti" which I can't find anywhere, but suspect they are Opuntia Engelmannii.   The others were posted last week.

If nothing else, they will be interesting in the sunroom for the winter, and require minimal or no watering.

Random pic of one of the largest bumblebees I have seen this year.  Haven't seen any in months.

Sprouting peach seed from last week or so.  Planted in seed starting medium.  This one is from "Oregon Curl Free".

Texas Opuntial Pad Cutting.  110.15.15

Bumblee on Dianthus.  10.15.15

Germinating Peach Seed.  "Oregon Curl Free" Seed Parent.  10.5.15

Fishing. 1960.

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Time flies.  I think these are all about 1960.  In each, I'm the smaller little boy.  My dad made that boat by hand.  Fishing was something we all did back then.  Mississippi river.

Apricots from seeds. 10.6.15

Apricot Seeds.   Stratigied 2 months, then warm 10 days.  10.6.15-

Apricot seed sprouting, before covering with seed starting medium.  10.6.15

Here are some apricots seeds that I stratified 2 months in the fridge.

The peacotum seeds rotted.

I have others, mainly peaches.

I took these apricot seeds out of the fridge, left them on moist paper towel to sprout.  Room temp.  At 10 days, most are splitting and several have a root.

I planted the 3 with the longest roots in dampened peat-moss-based seed starting medium, one inch deep.  They are back in the seed starting rack again.  I left the others to continue sprouting on moist paper towel, in the same zipper plastic bag.

These are a locally grown apricot.  I looks like there will be several trees to play with.  I can use one for scion, grow a couple in containers, and grow a couple in the ground.