As mentioned in the main text, we started a serious program of propagation from seed in 2009 following the assertions that Cardiocrinum grown from seed showed greater vigour than those propagated from offsets. [1] [2]
When a plant has been selected for seed, a wind-break mesh bag[3] is placed over the chosen seed pod and left until the seed begins to drop into the bag.
A 16cm diameter pot was used which was filled with standard, well watered compost and a layer of seed placed on top, covered by a layer of vermiculite or Perlite. However, in 2013 I built a polytunnel for the Cardiocrinum as they were taking up too much room in the greenhouse. This includes a raised bed into which the seed will be planted in subsequent years.
When the seeds begin to germinate, the seedlings are given a liquid feed, as there's little or no food in a Cardiocrinum seed. Pot planted seed are potted up when they have one true leaf. The plants growing in the raised bed will be potted up when they become too crowded.
Care must be taken with plants in pots during the winter to reduce the risk of the bulb rotting. They should be kept in a frost-free area, if possible, and I don't water them from October to the start of April: we've lost many plants to rot due to them being too damp and only one because it was too dry and that was in the summer.
My wife offers the extra seed for sale on eBay when it's freshly collected and by mail order for the rest of the year.
2009
18/11/2009, a pot of seed was made up from the 5 types that had flowered that year.
- C. cordatum
- C. cordatumex BSWJ2812
- C. cordatum glehnii
- C. giganteum
- C. giganteum yunnanense
2010
As none of the seeds planted in 2009 had germinated and no type of Cardiocrinum had flowered from which we hadn't taken seed, no seeds were planted this year.
2011
- C. cordatum (2009) Two seedlings by May.
- C. cordatumex BSWJ2812 (2009) First signs of germination noticed in March, (1 seedling), several more by May.
- C. cordatum glehnii (2009) First signs of germination noticed in March. Many seedlings.
- C. giganteum (2009) First signs of germination noticed in March. Many seedlings.
- C. giganteum yunnanense (2009) First signs of germination noticed in March. 7 seedlings.
By April a large number of the C. giganteum yunnanense seeds had germinated along with asecond C. cordatum BSWJ2812 and one of our own sourced C. cordatum.
None of the C. cordatum seedlings had begun to develop a second leaf but all the C. cordatum and ten of each of the other forms were potted up in mid-May.
4/12/2011 , a pot of seed was made up from the 4 types that had flowered that year, together with two pots of seed supplied by Ian Christie of Christie Apines. One set of these seeds was put in a freezer for a month before sowing.
- C. cathayanum 49s2, seed from 26o1 2 germinated by 26/4/13.
- C. cordatum 47s1, seed from 14p0, ex BSWJ2812 0 germinated by 26/4/13
- C. cordatum 48s1, seed from 16p0, ex BSWJ4841 3 germinated by 26/4/13
- C. cordatum glehnii 50s0, seed from Ian Chistie ~100 germinated by 26/4/13
- C. cordatum glehnii 51s0, stratified seed from Ian Chistie ~20 germinated by 26/4/13*
- C. giganteum yunnanense 46s2, seed from 19o1 ~100 germinated by 26/4/13
* It would appear that stratification retarded germination, (unless I've got the labels the wrong way 'round!).
The potted seedlings were overwintered at a minimum temperature of 3°C.
2012
None of the 2011 seed germinated over winter but each of the 2009 batches of seed showed further germination, particularly the pots of C. cordatum
The potted seedlings overwintered well with few losses and showed rapid growth in early spring.
The one at the right is just 10 months old.
A pot of seed was made up from the 7 types that had flowered this year.
- C. cathayanum, 73s1, Seed from 13p0
- C. cathayanum, 75s2, seed from 43o1
- C. cordatum, 74s2, seed from 21o1
- C. cordatum glehnii, 77s1, seed from 41o0v
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 72s1, seed from 12p0
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 76s3, seed from 35o2
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 78s2, seed from 42o1
Self-seeding
Mr Cox reports that self-seeded Cardiocrinum are rare at Glendoick [1] and we had few until the last two years.
We now have borders carpeted with new seedlings and ones with their first true leaves and will probably have to weed some out in the near future!
This adds to my belief that hard frost is necessary for good germination of Cardiocrinum seeds as the winters of 2009 and 2010 were the hardest we've had for some years. I suspect that the 2011 seeds won't germinate until 2014.
2013
My suspicions were ill-founded! The 2011 seed germinated during the month of April, 2013. These were late probably due to the prolonged winter, (snow lying until April 10th).
There was still more germination of the seeds that had been sown in 2009.
A row of seed was planted in the raised bed from each of the seven types that flowered this year.
- C. cathayanum (hort.), 99s2, Seed from 79o1
- C. cathayanum (hort.), 100s2, seed from 71o1
- C. cordatum, 104s3, seed from 36o2
- C. cordatum glehnii, 97s2, seed from 25o1
- C. giganteum giganteum, 103s2, seed from 45o1
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 101s3, seed from 67o2
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 102s2, seed from 80o1
2014
A row of seed was planted in the raised bed from eight of the types that flowered this year.
- C. cathayanum (hort.), 118s3, Seed from 105o2
- C. cathayanum (hort.), 121s1, seed from 110p0
- C. cordatum, 117s1, seed from 15p0
- C. cordatum, 116s2, seed from 90o1
- C. cordatum glehnii, 113s2, seed from 38o1
- C. cordatum glehnii, 112s1, seed from 59p0
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 114s2, seed from 87o1
- C. giganteum yunnanense, 115s4, seed from 106o3
2015
Some of every type of seed planted in the raised bed in 2013 has germinated.
[2] The Genus Cardiocrinum in Cultivation, Victoria A Matthews, The Plantsman, December 2002, p. 205
[3] This is adapted from the method I use to protect Sorbus berries from birds.
