Daylily Seeds. Progress Report. 8.16.15

Daylily Seeds, Soaked 48 hours  8.16.15

Many of the daylily seeds sank after soaking 2days.  I did have a drop of antibacterial detergent in the water, to act as surfactant and prevent spoiling.

Now they are stratifying in fridge.  Usual, wet paper towel in zipper plastic food bag.  Most internet sources state they need 4 to 6 weeks of stratification, then back to warm moist setting.

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.

Half barrel / summer vegetable planting. Progress Report. 8.11.15

Egyptian Walking Onions at One Week.  8.11.15

Nasturtiums and Spinach at One Week.  8.11.15

Chinese Pole Beans at One Week.  8.11.15

Considering these were almost zero effort, I'm excited about the early progress.  At about one week. there is germination of some Egyptian Walking Onion divisions, nasturtiums, spinach, a few Swiss chard, some Chinese pole beans.  I scratched some of the areas with no germination and planted seeds of cilantro and red scallions.

I am speculating, the 1/2 barrels are raised so warmer than the ground level plants.  So they may grow faster.

Growing Daylilies from Proliferations. 8.11.15

Daylily Proliferation.  8.11.15

 The daylily labeled as Frans Hals - but not the same as illustrations of that variety - grew small plants on the blooming stem.  These are called proliferations.  Proliferations are like keikeis on orchids.

I waited until the stem started to turn brown, then cut it leaving about 2 inches below the lowest baby plant.  A smaller one was above the water level.

In one week, the proliferation started to grow a root.  I trimmed the stem shorter, also cut off the upper, nonrooted, smaller, proliferation.  Then planted both in fresh moist potting soil.

They will stay in the same window.  East/Northeast exposure.   We will see if they  grow.

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

I'm not that excited to grow this particular daylily, but it's the only one that made a proliferation.  Free plants are free plants.

Summer Planting. Egyptian Walking Onion Recovery. 8.9.15

Egyptian Walking Onion, Recovery.  8.9.15

 I've been watching the Egyptian Walking Onion plants that I recovered, closely.  Today was the first evidence of growth.  So, at least a few will be recovered.  It doesn't take many.  After raising them 15 years, I didn't want to lose them.  I pulled one out 2 days ago to see if it was growing roots.  It was.

Some of the other summer plantings are coming up.  I had given up on the nasturtiums, and planted spinach seeds.  Now a few came up, so it will be a mixed barrel.  Only 5 swiss chard seeds came up.  It doesn't take much. 

First Nasturtium Seedlings.  8.9.15