I am new, what is '20% Germination'?

carly_pussycat

Hello, I just came across this website in a search engine and thought someone here might be able to help...

I recently bought a kit from Waterstones called 'The Mini Bonsai Kit' (as I'm sure many other people have bought on impulse!) which included seeds to grow a Jack Pine (Pinus Banksiana). I followed all the instructions but after a while I realised the seeds weren't going to grow (probably been in the shop too long?! Confused

).

So, to cut a long story short I am now having another go growing Japanese White Pine (Pinus Parviflora) from seed. I have soaked it for 24 hours @ room temperature and it's now sitting in moist vermiculite in my fridge for 60 days, but I was just looking for info on the internet about what will happen while it's in the fridge and it said, "After the required time period (or after 20% germination is noticed), remove the seed and sow." Please, someone enlighten me, what is germination and when will I know that it's at the 20% stage? Exclamation

ThePlantDude · White Belt Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

hey Carly,
Ive germinated many seeds after sowing them first and putting them in the fridge ... for a period of time before then putting them in a warmer environment. What usually happens is that some of the seeds start to germinate in the fridge ... but most will germinate after then being introduced to warmer conditions. So what they are probably getting at is .... 20% of all the seeds you have sown germinating before you take them out of the fridge. Not 20 % of the ONE seed.

Ive sown Pinus before (different species though) and all i did was store the seeds for about a month in the fridge and then sowed them at a temperature of 15 degrees C ... most germinated in about 2 weeks ... all of them within the month.

Hope this helps
Cheerio Shocked

ThePlantDude · White Belt Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

oooo stick this bit on my last page ....

The idea of the fridge is that you are trying to condition the seed to germinate by simulating nature. Naturally what happens is that the seed falls in Autumn and then goes through a cold period of Winter (which you simulate by putting it in the fridge) then it germinates in Spring when the weather is warming up. So putting it in the fridge and then taking it out makes it think that Spring is here and its time to do some growing.
Ive also found that the seeds that germinate prematurely in the fridge usually aren't as strong as those that germinate later.

OK i think I'm done now
Cheerio again
Shocked

carly_pussycat

Thanks for your advice, it's really helpful as I only got minimal advice with my pack of White Pine seeds. Although I have one more question (for the moment!)...

If I leave my 3 seeds in the bag with the moist vermiculite how will I know that they have started germinating? Is germinating another word for sprouting?

Stymie

Carly- Yes. Germination is the process of springing into life.

Dude. You can alter, add to or delete part of your post after posting by clicking on 'Edit' top right hand corner.

carly_pussycat

Thanks! Right, now I just have to be patient. 60 days to go!

Dick

It seems like you might be better off to place the entire seed planting outdoors in late fall and let the the cold of winter do what your refrigerator will do.Then in the spring, you'll have a better chance of sprouting the pine seeds. This just isn't the right time of the year for that.

ThePlantDude · White Belt Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 25

Stymie .... cool OK thanks dude

Carol ... just to reiterate (I'm going to have to stop using big words ... doesn't go with image I'm trying to portray) what Dick said about timing ... its very important to get the timing of germinating seeds right ... not just for getting germination to occur ... but also because the plant once germinated needs to at the right level of development once the season comes to an end. So i would just leave the seeds in the fridge and then sow them in Spring once the temp outside reaches 15 degrees C (or earlier if you have a heated propagator).

LGTilley

Tuppence2

Hello

Just to encourage you. I bought a packet of mixed pine seeds on eBay UK and ended up with around 26 little seedlings.

Good luck with yours. (Another way of looking at 20 per cent, is 20 in a 100.)

Bye,
Penny. Smile