107 replies to this topic

[CβL]

The last time I germinated Acacias, I actually let them sit in water for up to a week (some I left in for maybe a month - until they had started sending out their taproot ), and I repeated the hot water treatment up to 3 times for seeds that didn't swell (but the second and third time, I left a few mills of water in the jar to buffer the heat change a bit) - I think I got close to 100% germination from the seeds that ended up swelling, and only a few floaters that I chucked away.

I think I'll do a fair sanding of the seeds (until the shininess is gone, and I can tell the seedcoat is wearing thin), and then I'll use just water of maybe 60-70 degrees - that shouldn't kill the seeds I think. I think that they might like the heat itself though. Maybe I'll try half with cold water and see how they compare to hot (not that I have enough seeds to make much of a test).

[CβL]

Okay, update:

 

Went today and dug some soil from the Acacias. I didn't really pay attention before, but it seems that all the trees on that part of the hillside are Acacia melanoxylons. I selected a few trees that looked healthy, and dug up some soil. There was that funny onion smell (the rhizobia?), and I saw some little nodules. I got half a bucket worth, and sifted it through a very coarse strainer to get the root chunks out. Then I stirred it a lot, and wet it to get the clay parts to dissolve. I made my soil mixtures more or less as I intended, but included some vermiculite too. I put the mixtures into their little pots. The seed-raising mixture that I included as part of some of the mixes apparently contained a fungicide - I didn't have anything else to substitute it with, so just put it in anyway. I'll just have to make some "soil tea" and innoculate at regular intervals at a later date in case this fungicide is strong enough to wreck the rhizobia.

Then I got the seeds out, and labelled some glass containers with the names. I decided I wouldn't risk scarification, as I'd had only success in the past with hot-water, and I didn't want to try a new technique this time. I've since put the hot water onto the seeds, and am waiting overnight for any swelled seeds to get planted. I might nick the seedcoat of the swelled seeds if it seems easy to do so.

[ferret]

Pretty happy with how this 3.5 year old is going. Really wish I had've germinated more seed at the time! 

Germinated in native potting mix with a bit of propagating sand added, repotted thrice into straight commercial native potting mix. Was getting rather rootbound in its last pot, since repotting it has pumped out a shitload of new phyllodes.

 

Attached Files

•  phleb1.jpg   345.25K   46 downloads

[gerbil]

Really nice ferret, what a beauty. Mine are liking the bagged native mixes too, mixing up some sieved sands, coir and innoculants as well to see what does what. Sun scorched them really bad the other day, no longer blemish free hah :D but tough buggers.

 

Missed your big ones too interbeing and obtuse, looking really nice guys.

 

[kindness]

That is just a fantastic looking plant there ferret. So healthy and happy looking. Awesome work.

[obtuse]

Well done ferret, nice to see how healthy it is, and interesting to hear you have repotted it.

 

Nice to see you online Gerbil.

 

I missed you both when i was in melbourne recently, would have been nice to catch up, but i should have made the effort to contact you.  though you might be at the meet :D

[etherealdrifter]

These three are all the same age ~ 10 months - i will check their actual age from the thread where i posted the original photos..

The smallest had no love, planted in crud/no name brand potting mix - it's growth stalled after about 1 month.

The phleb the second had half sand washed and 50:50 Yates/Searles propagation mix.

The thirdthe phleb has had an all premium searles propagating mix to live in and was sprouted in paper towel a good 2-3 weeks after the other two slow coaches.

i might sing some love songs to the first two the phlebs and re-pot them in a better mix while we still have some warm days.

 phleb family.jpg   106.34K   5 downloads  phleb1.jpg   219.71K   5 downloads  phleb2.jpg   205.34K   7 downloads  phleb3.jpg   153.83K   8 downloads apologies for spelling and my photography. Atleast , there's 3 still going.

[LokStok]

ethy it looks like the soil mix for the first two probably has no root-nodule forming nitrogen bacteria

present (just guessing).

When you repot em it would be worth adding some fresh soil from around the

roots of a big healthy acacia thats in the ground.

A Ph test may also give some answers to why they stalled.

 

*edit-  number 3 looks awesome!

Edited by LokStok, 13 March 2013 - 09:01 PM.