roridula gorgonias seed

[chloroplast]

I sowed 8 R.gorgonias seed four weeks ago and all but one have germinated! WOO HOO! They haven't produced any true leaves yet....but I can wait patiently.

Pics will follow once they've gotten a bit bigger--my camera can't seem to take good-quality pics of tiny objects.

I'm thrilled!

 

[Rubra]

Sweet! I'll bet you're excited.

I was sent seed of this same plant a while back but even on the second try shipping the seed came crushed.

Peter

 

[chloroplast]

Quote[/b] ]Sweet! I'll bet you're excited.

Yes, I'm very excited. The next tricky part will be keeping the seedlings from damping-off. I've been told they're very prone to rotting at a young age.

 

[LLeopardGGecko]

Congratulations Chloroplast! That's so cool

This is one plant I've never tried growing. You'll have to keep us updated on your seedlings' progress.

 

[jimscott]

Congratulations!

 

[chloroplast]

Quote[/b] ]Congratulations Chloroplast! That's so cool

Quote[/b] ]Congratulations!

Thanks guys! Mitch, this is my first attempt at growing these from seed, so every day is a surprise. I'm checking on them twice daily to make sure things are OK. The seedlings still have their seedcoat stuck on them--I wish it would come off because it's blocking their leaves from photosynthesizing (and their stems are not that green).

I almost feel like trying to take the coats off with a toothpick but I know this would snap the stems or break their roots. Guess I'll just have to let the little guys do it themselves when they're ready!

With any luck, I'll have seed for everyone in 2-3 years!

 

[Rubra]

Yeah, you're right not to try to take the coats off, in my experience it does more harm than good. If it takes too long, you may have to do exactly that or say goodbye to your seedlings. Maybe try to keep the seed coats moist so they crack easily. Hard to do with out raising the humidity...

Peter

 

[chloroplast]

Quote[/b] ]Yeah, you're right not to try to take the coats off, in my experience it does more harm than good. If it takes too long, you may have to do exactly that or say goodbye to your seedlings.

Well, I'm glad to know I've chosen the right course of action (so far). I'm hoping the coats will come off naturally, but usually this happens as the leaves become larger which may not happen if they can't photosynthesize. A vicious circle!

Quote[/b] ]Maybe try to keep the seed coats moist so they crack easily. Hard to do with out raising the humidity...

As you elude, humidity is the issue. More could help keep the seed coats moist, but too much will promote fungal growth (e.g., on the seed coat itself!). I had the seedlings in a humid environment (>80%) prior to germination, but removed them almost immediately after sowing. Humidity is now 50-60%.

You gave me an idea; I'll try wetting the coats with drops of water a few times per day. Perhaps this will help a little. I imagine there's not much else I can do at this point.

 

[chloroplast]

Well, I attempted to remove the seed coat from one seedling, which, despite my carefulness and best intentions, resulted in it being uprooted and having a broken cotyledon. I'm not expecting the best of results. If it survives a couple of weeks, it'll make my day and I'll do the same for the rest (with the hope of not being so brutal next time)!!!

Perhaps I'll try wetting the seed coats before trying to remove them next time.

 

[LLeopardGGecko]

Aw, that's a bummer Chloroplast. I'm sure you'll do better next time though!

 

[chloroplast]

Thanks Mitch.

The good (and surprising) news is that the seedlin's health hasn't visibly deteriorated. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Seandew]

It is natural for the seed coats to remain in contact with the cotyledons after germination. As the seedling grows the seed coats are naturally cast off. I have a number of seedlings kicking along at the moment (and many parent plants grown from seed) and they all began the same way and removed the coats on their own without any help.

 

[chloroplast]

Thank you for the information; it is similar to what a friend/fellow NECPS member told me and is very useful considering this is my first attempt with gorgonias seedlings. I've been told to do the opposite from two other gorgonias growers, which means 50% of those i've asked say "yes" to coat removal and the other 50% say "no."

Given the damage done in trying to remove the coat, I think I'll probably refrain from attempting to remove the coats from the other seedlings. Perhaps it is an option for more nimble souls, but my clumsy hands just don't suffice.

However, through this fiasco, I inadvertently discovered that the seedlings seem to be more resilient to mechanical root/leaf disturbances than I imagined, though the sample size is small (n=1).

Thanks again for the info. Take care,