Seed Germination

[Halibut]

I need some help in Improving my germination percentage. I averaged 64 and 66 percent in my first two attempts using small pots with seedling mix and then placing them in an aquarium.

With that said some have said that I should be treating the soil with a fungicide, if so which one works best and how should it be applied?

Any help in Improving my ratio would be most appreciated!
Thanks!

Hal

[Charlie]

Hi Hal,

65 percent is pretty good so you must be doing a lot of things right.

There are several ways that hibiscus seed can fail to grow into a seedling plant. Did you notice if the failed 35 percent never showed any sign of germinating or did they sprout and then die when very small?

Too much water will rot the seeds before they germinate. Too little and they don't germinate. If you nick the seeds they will likely get enough water but one problem with nicked seeds is that the sprouting seedling will push through the nicked part of the seed but the developing root gets stuck inside the hard seed coating. Sometimes they will escape on their own but often the root will not be able to get out of the seed and the plant will slowly die over several days. You can help if you use a lot of gentle care in pulling the root free from the seed.

Some seeds are not going to germinate no matter what you do. There's little you can do about that. Fresh seeds are best but seeds stored in an airtight container and placed in cool dark conditions can stay viable for years. If seeds are stored while still moist on the outside of the coating molds can grow that will kill the seeds. You need the seed coating to dry before storing them away. As mentioned, fresh seeds will germinate with the highest rate of success and the roots have no trouble pushing through the soft seed coat.

Finally, fungus or bacteria can attack the newly sprouted seed and kill it quickly. That is the reason some use fungicides to protect the seedling. Death by micro-organism attack is called "damping off" and is very frustrating. Another effective way to avoid this is to use sphagnum moss (not sphagnum peat which is usually called peat moss). Dry finely chopped Sphagnum moss can be sprinkled over the newly planted seeds just deep enough to cover them. Sphagnum moss has properties that discourage fungus growth and the new seedlings will rarely suffer from damping off if this technique is used.

I use an expensive and restricted fungicide to prevent damping off but if you want to use a fungicide go to any good garden center and ask what they have available.

Anyway, to improve your germination success above 65 percent requires that you determine at what stage the failures happen and take appropriate action to prevent problems known to occur at that stage. 65 percent is not bad - anyone who tells you they get 100 percent is telling tales or hasn't done enough seeds to really know how it goes.

Charlie

[ewa]

Now's probably not a good time to sow seeds? me I planted the seeds they collected and germinated but died probably better seeded in the spring! Is it? or you can sow seeds in the spagnum without land? sorry if I write badly but I'm Polish
EWA

[davidwood]

Ewa if you send me an e-mail I have some very good info on growing seeds that may be of a help to you, I found it on the Net but its to big to put on here, its in English but very clear.
My e-mail is   dvd.wood@yahoo.com  

That Tamibon is very nice.

[ewa]

lukasz500@op.pl

[Maureenpm00]

HI - would you be kind enough to send me the info on germinating seeds too? I bought some off of ebay and would like to know how to get the growing.
thanks
Maureenpm00@hotmail.com

[Halibut]

Thanks Charlie for the words of wisdom!

I don't expect to get above 75%, but hoping for 70% - 75%. I will check on available fungicides. Also have you ever used Bleach?

Lastly, once the seeds have germinated, do you maintain the same temperatures/conditions for the seedlings and then how long should I wait before removing them from the aquarium and placing them with the other plants?

Thanks so much!

Hal

[Charlie]

Hey Hal, yes, the same conditions that germinate seeds are also very good for the small seedling plants. The standard "wisdom" is not to transplant them until the first set of true leaves grow in. What appear to be leaves when the seed germinates are technically not leaves and will fall off after awhile. However, I rarely wait long enough for the first true leaves. When the seedlings are about an inch high I transplant them to 4 inch pots and place them in a warm bright area with no direct sun. I almost never lose one doing this. However, to be on the safe side you can wait for the first true leaves and have a bit of extra insurance against losing them. Tiny seedlings can also take direct sun, far more than one might expect. They look so small and delicate but they are born for sun and love it. I still wait for a month or so before giving them a lot of it.

Bleach is not as bad for hibiscus as one would think. When regular household bleach is diluted with water so that the bleach is 10 to 20 percent of the final solution, it can be safely used to drench hibiscus roots. But, I have not tried it on seeds or seedlings so try it at your own risk. I have used household strength hydrogen peroxide without dilution and it is fairly effective at killing surface molds.

Charlie

[Doll]

My CH seedling at 8 days. The other 2 seeds still haven't germinated. I am hoping with the long growing season in Houston that I will get a first bloom by October.

[Doll]

Would soaking the seeds overnight in water before planting speed up the germination process?

[Charlie]

Most people, including me, have found that an overnight soak rots hibiscus seeds. Unless the seeds are very fresh, nicking the outer coating so that some of the white tissue is exposed is what speeds up germination. It takes a steady hand and a sharp blade to nick a hard seed the size of a hibiscus seed but with practice it is easily done.

Charlie

[Doll]

I'm glad I asked before trying that.

A few weeks ago I had a seed pod on my Voodoo Queen that ended up falling off probably due to being exposed to cold temps. It wasn't anywhere close to being mature. I opened it up and to my surprise there were 2 ripe seeds inside. I planted them and one germinated. It is a Voodoo Queen x Voodoo Queen cross.

[Charlie]

Life is full of surprises, some of them pleasant! I look forward to seeing the flower in due course.

Charlie