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Questions on Growing Seeds

southdakotadaylily

16 years ago

This is the first year for me for growing daylilies from seed.

I have been using the paper towel method (in ziplock bags) to get the seeds to sprout. I have around 2 dozen different crosses. The one cross [Stella D' Oro x little business] produced around 300 seeds. I opened my ziplock bags and I have around 250 seeds all sprouting at once.

My other crosses have one or zero seeds sprout each time I check.

Is this normal to have one cross germinate like crazy and other crosses do very little sprouting?

2) The seeds that sprout I plant in soil in plastic cups.

I have some albino seelings poping through the soil. Some of these pure white stocks are almost 3" high. What do albino seedlings mean?

3) I have the seedlings under florenscent light (one bulb is 3500 Kalvin and the other bulb is 6500 Kalvin), I am trying to replicate both ends of the light spectrum for the seedlings. Is there an optimal number of hours each day the artificial light should be on? How many hours should the seedlings have to rest each 24 hour period?

4) Several of you have recommended watering from below. If the seeds are in soil in plastic cups, how does one water from below?

5) It has been mentioned that only one seedling out of 1,000 is good enough to register. What do you do with the other 999 seedlings that are good enough to register?

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Comments (4)

okbt
16 years ago
1- yes
2- they will die. No Chlorophyll to make food.
3- approx 16 on
4- poke holes in bottoms of cups and put in a tray that holds water
5- Compost them or keep any that you like.
grannybrug
16 years ago
Would you kindly share your paper towel method. I want to give it a try. Thanks, Diana.
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berrytea4me
16 years ago
On what to do with excess dl. I asked a similar question recently.

One person told me about feeding extra dl to the cows (I can't even imagine!)

Some have said they keep relatives & friends stocked who are not so interested in named plants and appreciate a lovely flower even if it is a "look alike" to something that is registered.

Others have suggested to donate them to senior's assisted living or nursing homes and elementary school children.

I'm sure there are other charities and service organizations who would appreciate the gift as an inexpensive means of beautifying their landscapes- especially of a plant that takes little maintenance. I was thinking of childcare/preschool facilities, churches, fire stations, our small post office, the local humane society, the local senior center, some organizations that work with disabled persons.... as a few places that are on really tight budgets and would appreciate the thought.
opnjmprs
16 years ago
I too have found that relatives and friends are usually quite happy to take a few of the nicer looking cast offs. You can also pot them up and sell them for a few dollars each at the local farm market. A lady that lives down the road from me, just leaves her potted cast off daylilies at the base of her driveway with the price written on each pot, and she leaves a jelly jar nearby for people to put the money in. That system has worked pretty well for her over the years.

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