Does anyone have any experience with germinating Rohdea seeds (Japanese Sacred Lily)? I acquired some fruits from a variegated plant back in January, but they still haven't germinated even though I've nicked the seed coats on some and am providing bottom heat.
The seeds are large (about the size of my pinky nail), translucent, and very hard.
The seeds seem to have a double dormancy. Meaning they require a cold period followed by a warm period followed by another cold period after which they germinate readily.
I received some omoto (rhodea) seeds two years ago and I just planted them outside hoping for the best. They all germinated last spring without doing anything special. David
My Rohdea volunteer seedlings in the garden, but I wanted to germinate some under more controlled conditions. I had about 60% germination of a ripe batch using the following method.
1. Early October (North Alabama) collected seed, divided into two batches: batch A: definitely ripened (pericarp dark red, juicy) batch B: less ripened seeds (pericarps orangish, hard)
2. Stored both batches at 41 F (refrigerator) until 12-08-04
3.12-8-04, Cleaned all seeds removing pericarps, sowed batches separately in 3 X 5 inch e-z- foil muffin containers Used a 50/50 mix of peat and pro-mix HP media - Placed containers at 72 F (laundry room)
4. @ 2-08-05, No germination, moved both trays to cool, non-freezing garage
-within 2 weeks 60% of seeds in ripened batch germinated, now (3-8-05) I have seedling between 1 and 3 inches tall. I am moving the ungerminated batch back into the cold garage to see what happens next
Thank you to everyone for your advice. I'm getting the message, here and elsewhere, that a double stratification is in order. Back to fridge with mine.
