musa cheesmanii
 

I bought and planted a few seeds from this variety a few weeks ago, they were from RPS so a good source. I've noticed a very strange white substance ousing from the plug from 3 seeds at least. Is this a good sign? Does anyone know what this substance is? Does it mean the seeds are germinating?

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

J it sounds like they roted. The only thing that should come out is the tip of the plant root as it emerges and some times you will see the plug that blocks the seed opening laying there next to it

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

I have heard of this happening with some other seeds, too. It is unidentified in the research that I have read, but happens sometimes. I think Christian has also noted this on some seeds he was germinating. Perhaps someone else can chime in on the subject. I don't think that it is rot.

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

hmmm sorry if i was wrong i had some that did that and after a wail i determined the seeds were not viable any more could it be that the seeds were dessicated and that the white stuff is the endosperm that has turned to powder

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

To ouse out as it's doing, it would need a pressure from inside, if the endosperm had turned to powder, where would that pressure come from?

Keep the theories coming though folks, I need to decide if I have another lot of duds as I'm beginning to think my sikkimensis red tiger are.

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

Oi James,

Be like me, go through them by the kilo's if you have to till you get one. Life's stressed enough as it is! :ha::ha::ha:

Btw, you got my PM?

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

Yes thanks Tog, you're a star:goteam:

Unfortunately, I can't justify spending 100 Euros on thousands of seeds, my wife will look sternly at me and make me feel guilty about putting food on my children's plates or something similar. Actually she probably wouldn't, but I'll feel guilty in some way.

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

Don't worry mate, there are dumb and crazy plucks like me spending like that just to get 1 to germinate out of 100 and then give away the rest(now you are on my list). I normally germinate 30/100. When I get 1 or 2, I am happy. More, I have a headache as to what to do with them. The rest of the seeds are just stored away.

Unless I need a quantity of a particular plant for the landscaping of my nursery, 1 is enough as I have said many times, with the darn condition here, they will grow like a weed after that. I can't sell species here to anybody cos nobody here is interested in them or even the cultivars. An example is we started with just 3 plts of the Pisang Raja Udang aka Cuban Red 2 yrs ago, with much culling we have more than 150 big plants now!

Do you realise that I am the only active guy from this region? Fact is no one from here will give a second look at a 'naner even if it is fruiting...and there are many fruiting by the roadside. Sometimes, me and my business partner, Francis, will just stop the car and cut off fruits from plants by the roadside just for the fun of it. Then we will give them away to friends. Once I was stuck with a heck of a bunch of Pisang Mas which I took off the roadside and had a hard time eating them off. Lucky me I went to the jungles and there were a whole troop of monkeys there. They made my day! :ha:

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

I took this with my digital through a 10x or 15x loupe so its not the best macro setup but here is a pic of the ooze from one of my musa sikkimensis seeds. Sown 12/13/2008.

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

That is an awesome shot! Thank you Michael!!!

Re: musa cheesmanii
 

does it feel firm or slimy to the touch? A sprout or anything similar would feel firm, if it feels slimy or mushy, it's time to throw it away. Also, your nose knows. Smell it...a rotten seed has a really distinctive (not in a good way!!!) smell.