Quote:
Originally Posted by 2nd Foundation
Carolyn,
Very interesting about the Bratka seeds....had they been in those glass jars in the toolshed for a long while? Did you do anything special to get them to germinate?
‘Great Divide’ sounds appealing to me.
Thanks,
Caroline
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I have no idea how long they were in the tool shed before Joe found them after his father died. I never asked him.
It's hard to remember whatI did but knowing that Joe couldn't germinate them I probably did back then what I normally did with almost non-viable seeds, and that was to soak the seeds in 0.2% Sodium nitrate for 24hrs, stirring often to get the seeds to hydate and sink, since older seeds are dehydrated.
And then after sowing to water them when needed with that same sodium nitrate solution.
Nitrate ions are known tohelp with germination but the plant physiologists I contacted had no idea of where or when they acted.
These days I suggest that folks soak seeds, when needed, just in a cup of water to which a few drops of blue stuff ( Miracle Grow or Peters or the like) or if organic, a few drops of undiluted fish or seaweed emulsion, Neptune's Harvest preferred by me, and do as above with the soaking.
I do think that I remember the taste of Red Barn was better than Great Divide, but it's been a long time since I've grown Great Divide.
Many already know Box Car Willie and MuleTeam very well, and Pasture is a rampant red cherry that I've suggested in the past might be even better than kudzu vine for covering outhouses in the south where that vine grows.
There were three varieties I could not wake up and I've always wondered what they might have been.
Carolyn