Seeds sprouting here

[maryvonne]

I started Craig's water lilies seeds early Dec and now have lots sprouted and growing well. Thanks Craig. Also found a seed pod on one of my August Koch plants and they are sprouting as well. Pretty exciting.
I also got Victoria seeds from Kit again this year. I'm growing longwood as well as Cruziana this year. It' my first attempt with Cruziana. So far I have 5 longwoods sprouted, but nothing happening with the Cruzianas yet. I understand they can be a bit more difficult to sprout. Any ideas on how to get them to sprout would be appreciated.
I also have lotus seeds to start a bit later. I can't decide the best time to start them but the aquarium is full now anyway. I hope to move seedlings to a larger tank by the end of this month.


Maryvonne

[Sean]

Hi Maryvonne,

With the cruiziana seed you can lift of the operculum with a sharp x-acto knife. That always stimulates germination in my experience.

Here is a link provided by Kit at Victoria Adventure on the process...

http://www.victoria-adventure.org/victoria/nicking.html

Cheers,
Sean

[PondmaninAL]

Maryvonne, if you ever get a chance to go to Cocoa Beach, Florida, make sure get in touch with Kit so you can tour her garden. I got the oppertunity to do it this past Summer. The Victorias were amazing. She had so many other tropicals as well. They claim that hardy water lilies won't grow that far south because it's to hot. If you haven't read up on starting those Cruziannas, it's best to do so.

Happy ponding,
Scott

[maryvonne]

Thanks Guys.
I'm a bit nervous about nicking my seeds but I will do a few and see if that helps.
 I would love to go to Florida and visit Kit and Ben some day. Visiting their garden in person would be a treat. I read all the news on the Victoria site often. There is so much information there for us lily people. Kit does a great job there.
This is my 4th year growing longwood successfully. Just thought I would branch out this year and try Cruziana as well. I'm hoping that because it tolerates cooler conditions it will do well once I get them sprouted. Will keep every one posted on progress.

Maryvonne

[frloplady]

We planted tomato seeds the last 2 days..does that count???    Planted a BUNCH of hybrid jap maple seeds too..I hope they do something

[Craig]

Hi Maryvonne,

Maybe the lily seed will produce some nice plants.  If I recall, it all came from pod parents with heavily mottled pads.

Of the three types of Victoria I grow I have the most trouble getting cruziana to sprout and then survive.  Nothing I have done has jump started a stalled seed, so I stopped nicking them a few years back.  So if you try something that works, Maryvonne, because I am just now getting ready to set-up the cruz and ama seed.

On a side note titled 'Pet Peeve'....while the genus name is given in upper case, species names are never capitalized, so it correctly it is Victoria cruziana, V. amazonica....but because it is a cultivar the name Longwood does rate a capital.

Pet peeve I know, but when I see species names started with an upper letter.....you may as well just drag some big old finger nails across a chalk board.<g>

[maryvonne]

On a side note titled 'Pet Peeve'....while the genus name is given in upper case, species names are never capitalized, so it correctly it is Victoria cruziana, V. amazonica....but because it is a cultivar the name Longwood does rate a capital.

Pet peeve I know, but when I see species names started with an upper letter.....you may as well just drag some big old finger nails across a chalk board.<g>

I did know that Craig. I was being lazy. I should be more careful. Thanks for the reminder.

[maryvonne]

Hi Maryvonne,

Maybe the lily seed will produce some nice plants.  If I recall, it all came from pod parents with heavily mottled pads.

Of the three types of Victoria I grow I have the most trouble getting cruziana to sprout and then survive.  Nothing I have done has jump started a stalled seed, so I stopped nicking them a few years back.  So if you try something that works, Maryvonne, because I am just now getting ready to set-up the cruz and ama seed.

<g>

Craig,
So far a couple of the small plantlets from your generic seeds show nice markings so I'm very excited about that. The species are sprouting like crazy. I'll get photos in the next few days.
As far as the cruziana seeds are concerned, I don't know what I will do with them. I have lots of seeds so I'm thinking I might try nicking a few just for the heck of it. I'm also going to try taking some of them out of the aqaurium, cooling them down for a few weeks and trying again.
Will keep you posted on any sucess.

Maryvonne
Maryvonne

[PondmaninAL]

On a side note titled 'Pet Peeve'....while the genus name is given in upper case, species names are never capitalized, so it correctly it is Victoria cruziana, V. amazonica....but because it is a cultivar the name Longwood does rate a capital.

Pet peeve I know, but when I see species names started with an upper letter.....you may as well just drag some big old finger nails across a chalk board.<g>

Craig, I didn't know that. I have learned something new. I will type it proper for now on.

Happy ponding,
Scott

[Koi Boi]

Hi Maryvonne,

Kit sent V. cruziana from 3 different lots last season.  There were 30 seeds  from each lot and as in seasons past were placed in 88 degree  water along with my Vamazonica seed but not without the ritual lifting of the operculum.  As usual, the V. amazonica germinated in fair numbers but not a single V. cruziana appeared to even grunt.   I set the V. amazonica outdoors at the usual time but a late two week cold snap left me with but one.

[Craig]

I have a trick up my sleeve given to me by someone I believe to know of that which they speak.  But first, I have to figure out how to get smoke into water.  I hear tell of these things called "bongs" and "hookahs" and even looked at them briefly on my last trip to Key West, but my SIL who is in the military discouraged me from getting one as we were staying with them in base housing and he didn't think getting it back on base was the best of ideas.

Can anyone think of another easy way to dissolve smoke in water?

[Koi Boi]

Craig, I made a hookah once in the early 70,s using a 5 gallon water bottle,
1 get a cork for the bottle,
2 get two brass tubes  one long enough to insert through the cork and down into the water reservoir and threaded on one end.  One
     short tube inserted through the cork that does not extend into the water.
3 using brass hardware and fittings a bowl for the burning material can be fashioned and attached to the threaded end of the long tube
4  insert a screen of brass or stainless steel to prevent the tobacco or burning material from drawing down  into the water,
5 fix a flexible tube onto the short brass tube in the cork, add water and presto “home made hookah”   

[Sean]

Hi Craig,

Check this link  http://finebushpeople.co.za/cgi-bin/farmshop.pl?TP=smoke_primer.html&ID=676241091

I have a disk or two for germinating Protea here in the fridge with my leftover Protea seed. If this is what you are looking for I can send you one.

Cheers,
Sean

[Craig]

Hey Sean,

That is along the general idea of what I want to try...but I want real smoke from a tree who's name I can pronounce.<g>
Gonna use some Live Oak, but thanks for the offer.

Five gallons.....you're an animal<g>  There is a stand of bamboo down the road and I think I may remember someone at sometime fashioning a bong out of that.  Sounds easier, if nothing else I'm too lazy to wrestle five gallons of water.<g>