seed germination

[Deborah begley]

Hello all,

The following are a list of Arisaemas that I have germinated so far this
year. I sow on moist kitchen towel and keep in polythene bags at 70F. I
have found that they will germinate both with soaking in water for a few
days and equally as well without soaking.

A. amurense amurense, A. augustatum var. penninsulae variegata, A.
candidissimum (from 2 different sources) A. consanguineum, A. costatum, A.
sp? echinatum, Arisaema dracontium (from 2 different sources), A. flavum,
A. flavum ssp abbreviatum, A. intermedium, A. sp? intermedium, A. sp?
jacquemontii, Arisaema sikokianum (from 2 different sources), A. speciosum
(from 2 different sources), A.sp (Chad 2902), A. sp (Chad 2856), A.
tortuosum, A. triphyllum (from 2 different sources), A. utile, A. sp?
utile. I have just sown my share of seeds from Greg Ruckerts expedition and
have had a few germinations, although it is to early to record these. The
only outright failure I have had so far have been with A. verrucosum, where
all the 24 seeds rotted (hope you had better luck with the ones I sent to
you Bjorn!) . Germination starts by about day 10 and I pot the seedlings
into peat based compost as soon as they have germinated (leaving the
remainder in the moist tissue), the leaves emerge within a week of potting
on. I grow them under lights, enclosed in a polythene bag for a few weeks
before transfering them to an insulated but unheated glasshouse, min temp
0C.  I have also germinated Zantedechia elliotiana using the same methods
with virtually 100% success in 17 days.

I am slowly building up a nice collection of Arisaemas, but so far have not
been brave enough to chance any out in the garden (except for A.
candidissimum, which I have every confidence will have come through our
mild winter). Maybe next year I'll pluck up the courage to plant them
out.....

Best wishes

Deborah (Co. Limerick, Ireland)