NOTES ON PROPOGATION BY SEED
The advantage of increasing bulbs by seed is that a larger number can be raised. The resulting seedlings will be young and healthy and offer the gardener a range of possibilities from which to choose from. Some individuals will be superior to their parents in beauty and vigour and occasionally they may be very different representing a "break" within the species. This is the age-old process by which better garden forms have emerged and one that hopefully will not be lost from the competent gardener's repertoire. Raising plants from seeds enables the gardener to get to know better his/her subjects' needs and requirements and this experience fosters a higher degree of confidence and eventually mastery over the process of growing them well.
Finally on a personal note, seeds embody the hopes and dreams of our future gardening explorations - little packages that can bring big surprises. With wild provenance seed - they are like exotic postcards from far-off foreign climes that take a little time to arrive, and like a much awaited message are savoured just that much more.
Because the catalogue is primarily a list of bulb seeds the following comments are directed at the growing of these plants. The same general principals can be applied to the perennial listings but in the case of the Tasmanian species one would be best served by consulting the literature, especially that published by the Australian societies specializing in growing native plants, a good place to start is the following website www.farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGA
WHEN TO SOW
With the exception of corydalis and cyclamen, which should be sowed immediately, all bulb seeds should be sown in the autumn, between March and April in the southern hemisphere. The best way to store these seeds whilst awaiting sowing is in paper packets in airtight jars or tins in a cool, dark place where temperature and humidity remain fairly constant.
All non-bulbous seed should be sown immediately but may need a winter to break dormancy and germinate. Stratification can be used with
hellebores, daphnes and primulas but these seedlings will need careful looking after during the hotter summer months.
HOW TO SOW
The simplest method is to sow thinly into 5-inch (13 cm.) pots of well-drained seed raising mix or potting mix to which has been added extra gritty sand or perlite. The pot should be filled to within 1.5 cm of the top and the seed should be sown onto the surface of the media and then covered with a further fine layer, then topped with a thin layer of gravel (5 mm.) or pebble sand. This final layer should leave its surface about 5 mm. from the top of the pot enabling water to accumulate and percolate down through the pot rather than running off and down it's outside edge. This final layer is very important in reducing seed disturbance, preventing the formation of a dried soil crust as well as, mosses or liverworts colonizing its surface. It also provides a physical support for young emerging seedlings and helps maintain even soil moisture and temperature levels. On the completion of sowing each pot should be labeled with the name of the species, the date sown and the source and provenance information - the memory plays tricks!
WHERE TO SITE THE POTS
The newly sown pots should be placed on a cool, flat site preferably on concrete or weed mat where they can receive all day filtered sunlight or about 4 hours full sunlight, similar to the requirements for lilies. The physical barrier beneath the pots prevents the invasion of unwanted visiting roots from nearby trees and shrubs, which will in most cases kill the newly emerging seedlings, especially in the case of eucalypts. Also make sure the pots are secure from pets, wildlife and clumsy feet - a simply wooden frame can provide adequate protection.
SEEDLING EMERGENCE AND GROWTH
Depending on genera and species, seedlings will emerge in the cooler months of late autumn, winter and spring, usually in synch with the adult plants flowering. Protect the tender shoots with a sprinkling of slug pellets around the pots (there are no second chances at this stage) and over the next few months provide a few liquid feeds, initially with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer and then in the latter period with potash-based tomato food.
If seedlings show signs of damage then most likely the culprit is "damping off" cause by a water-born pathogen. Place into the light for a short time and dowse with Fongarid or a similar product. If hand watering (this is generally not required for bulbs) begin to withdraw this as soon as the foliage shows signs of yellowing and dying back.
OLDER SEEDLINGS
In the first year most bulbs will send up one juvenile leaf or cotyledon but in subsequent years growth really gets underway. By the end of their second year most species will need potting on and this can be done best in the summer. The safest method is not to disturb the pot's contents but "knock it out" and plant in one piece into a larger container en bloc, filling in the spaces to settle the contents securely into their new home. If some seedlings are required for swapping or trying in the garden then take a portion of the potting mix from the side. Note the depth to which the bulbs have moved to and replant at that level.
These guidelines are intended for the beginner who wants to get started. Experience and practice are the greatest teachers so the more plants you grow the more questions will emerge that need answers - this process is called learning and no it doesn't stop at school! Of course we all can jump the queue by drawing on the experiences of those who have reached greater proficiency than as and who have been prepared to write about it - God Bless Them. So check out these titles:
Growing bulbs : the complete practical guide / Brian Mathew. Batsford ; London, 1997.
Manual of bulbs : new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary / consulting editor John Bryan. Timber Press ; Portland, 1995
Gardeners guide to growing fritillaria / Michael Jefferson-Brown & Kevin Pratt, Florilegium ; Balmain, 1997.
And if you really are keen check out the following:
Fritillaria Group /M. Charman, 24 Clifton Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2DU or www.fritillaria.co.uk
Crocus Group /Ann Borrill 153 lime Tree Avenue, Wymondham, Norfolk, NR18 0TG or email thecrocusgroup@hotmail.com