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Post by raymondo on Aug 2, 2013 16:56:19 GMT -5
What are the seeds like? I've never seen oca seed.
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Post by billw on Aug 2, 2013 18:09:46 GMT -5
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Post by billw on Aug 2, 2013 18:13:23 GMT -5
Ive grown them from seed before, they came from orflo in Belgium they would have come straight from the end of his growing season,i remember it was about this time of year that i grew the seed. Cool! You are uniquely qualified then, since I don't think there are very many people who have grown oca from seed. What was the germination rate like on your last batch? PM me with your address and I'll get some out to you next week. |
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Post by richardw on Aug 3, 2013 0:48:45 GMT -5
It was two years ago that i grew it which i ended up with about six plants,but i cant remember how much seed to sowed though.
PM on its way
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Post by raymondo on Aug 3, 2013 15:07:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the seed photos Bill.
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Post by ianpearson on Aug 4, 2013 9:54:09 GMT -5
Good work Bill. I got about 50 to 60% germination this spring, spread over 4 months. Surface sowing seems to work best, with some warmth.
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Post by billw on Aug 4, 2013 11:58:43 GMT -5
Thanks, Ian. That gives me a better idea how many seeds to send out. Your site and Owen's were indispensable guides this year.
Blew past 500 seeds this morning! 1000, here we come.
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Post by richardw on Aug 4, 2013 14:44:23 GMT -5
Just reading Ian's blog about sowing the Oca seed and in there he says " They had artificial heat to start with, but for the last six weeks have been in an unheated greenhouse, with temperatures oscillating wildly from over 30°C to near freezing."
This is where my green/tunnlhouse comes into its own thanks to the stonewalls inside, the temps stay pretty much the same 24 hours a day,they may change by only a few deg,having steady temperatures must really help the germination of Oca
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Post by billw on Aug 7, 2013 12:29:43 GMT -5
Passed 1000 seeds this morning and, if the pattern holds, I have about 800 more "in the bank". That doesn't include however many that I may be able to get from insect pollination and the plants are now blooming more strongly than ever, so it is not unreasonable to think that I might total 3000 or more before the first frost.
So, don't be shy - if you want to try growing out some oca seed, get in touch. I may not have such good luck in future years.
I'm experimenting with growing out some of the seeds. We probably still have almost four frost-free months, so if I can get them to germinate, I can probably get some small tubers this year. I soaked some in plain water, some in KNO3, and some in GA3, so we'll see if they have much dormancy and if common treatments make a difference.
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Post by billw on Aug 9, 2013 12:55:14 GMT -5
Seeds have shipped to everyone who requested. They are not fully dry, but international shipments were sent without desiccant to, uh, streamline the envelopes. So you should at least open the plastic bags to air when you get them.
Make sure to report in here if you get any to germinate!
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Post by steev on Aug 9, 2013 19:09:04 GMT -5
When dryness is questionable, and as general practice, I prefer to use paper letter envelopes, or coin envelopes. Yeah, yeah; I put far too much stuff in ziplocks, I know.
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Post by billw on Aug 10, 2013 12:20:35 GMT -5
Yeah - just a matter of what I have on hand. I normally dry seeds thoroughly before I store them, so plastic bags work great - particularly since I need to protect them from humidity in this climate. I'm sure they'll be fine - they just shouldn't be kept in those plastic bags long-term without some more drying.
On another note, I have germination! After three days, I can see root tips emerging from a small number of seeds in all three treatment categories, which leads me to conclude that oca has very little seed dormancy.
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Post by billw on Aug 10, 2013 17:25:43 GMT -5
Here's an oca seed at 40 hours:  |
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Post by richardw on Aug 11, 2013 4:52:48 GMT -5
When dryness is questionable, and as general practice, I prefer to use paper letter envelopes, or coin envelopes. Yeah, yeah; I put far too much stuff in ziplocks, I know. I find the worst seed is sunflowers,you think youve got them really dry,when you put them in a ziplock they always seem to root. |
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Post by richardw on Aug 11, 2013 4:53:36 GMT -5
Seeds have shipped to everyone who requested. They are not fully dry, but international shipments were sent without desiccant to, uh, streamline the envelopes. So you should at least open the plastic bags to air when you get them. Make sure to report in here if you get any to germinate! Will do |
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