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Old 08-31-2007, 03:17 PM   #1 (permalink)
estan
Estan
 
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Location: N. E. Ohio
Zone: Zone 6
Name: Stan
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Party Germination after 1 yr or more

I have just been surprised by 4 simultaneous sprouts of unidentified seeds I planted March or April of 2006. They have been inside in winter, on heating pad around 72 F. and outside and now in the Greenhouse in 90 plus degree weather for about 3 months. They were likely dried out several times too. I had given up on them. None have germinated before. ( It may be a form of Bordelon. I collected it in Honduras, Mar.'o6. Tall, slender, sparsely red spotted leaves long and narrow, and more or less horizontal fruit bunches. 2" bananas with 4 to 6 seeds per fr. and large enough to make the fruit lumpy. The fruits were just about out of reach. Does it grow in Central America?)

I have had similar experience with M. balbisiana and M.laterita, also collected same time and place. Although in each case I had (M. bal), 8 sprouts last sept. and one M. laterita in the summer. Now both kinds have been sprouting throughout this summer and 36 balb. seeds held over and planted this spring have had about 6 sprouts.

Also Ensete glauca sprouted one seed each from two mail order source last summer, and now this year, two more seeds from Chilterns have sprouted.

What about putting them in the refrigerator for the drops in temp.? Is that too cold? for sikkim. and itinerans.?

In any case I finally believe some tropical seeds do take over a yr. to sprout.
I always thought it was just the dealers' ploy to keep us from asking for replacements. I won't throw anything away now.

I have photos of the above but don't know how to get them from my CDs to the posts here.

Stan (estan)
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