[NAFEX] After 2,000 Years, a Seed From Ancient Judea Sprouts

Lon J. Rombough lonrom at hevanet.com
Mon Jun 13 16:39:10 EDT 2005


There IS scientific literature out there on how to use GA, but you 
would likely have to go to a university library, or at least pay one of 
the online services, as the information about GA and how much to use 
isn't all that common.  Though, FWIW, I've used the commonly sold form 
used to help get tomatoes to set and it worked fine full strength.
One other thing most people overlook when starting seeds is that some 
species have double dormancy and either need two stratifications, or a 
combination of warm and cold stratification.  Holly, for instance, 
won't germinate until it has had a period of warm moist stratification, 
then a cold one, then another warm one, then another cold one.  THEN it 
germinates.
So it doesn't hurt to do some research on the germination requirements 
of the species in question.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at 
http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association 
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Jun 13, 2005, at 1:06 PM, Charles Paradise wrote:

Be warned that gibberellic acid does not come always with easy-to-read 
consumer instructions.   I wasted $40 on a bottle of it 15years ago 
that even after a call to the manufacturer left me confused.  Do not 
assume that just because you place an order for gibberellic that you 
will immediately easily put it to use.

John Harrington of Texas wrote in Pomona a superb article on seed 
germination.  Before resorting to laboratory techniques to achieve 
germination, run a checklist of seed germination basics like:
1]  how many different sources for each species have I tried?
2]  Did I keep the seeds moist/not let them dry out?
3]  Did I try both autumn and spring sowing?
The answer for 1] should be multiple sources, like 5;  2] most fruit + 
nut species get better germination kept moist and never drying 3] both 
autumn and spring sowing have their advantages.  Sometimes one works, 
sometimes the others.

Remember, simple is better.  Work on the basics and save lots of 
different seeds before plunging into special techniques.  Cover your 
bases.   Also remember, though some beginner's luck occurs, seed 
germination is another horticultural propagation technique that gets 
better with practice - and its a technique much under-discussed in 
NAFEX.
Charlie Paradise, Massachusetts

> Where does one get gibberellic acid?
>
>> "She first soaked the seeds in hot water to soften
>> the coat, then in an
>> acid rich in hormones, then in an enzymatic
>> fertilizer made of seaweed
>> and other nutrients."
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 2608 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/private/nafex/attachments/20050613/b0636031/attachment.bin 


More information about the nafex mailing list