Violetto artichoke issue

davespitzer · April 18, 2011

Hi- I decided to try artichokes this year and bought a variety called Violetto from a reputable supplier. I planted 36 seeds in soil blocks and got the following: 2 good seedlings, 4 very weak seedlings, and the rest either did not germinate at all or showed only the edges of the cotyledons emerging. When I finally gave up and examined some of the partially emerged seedlings, I found the root tightly curled in a spiral inside the mostly-intact seed coat. It looked like the root had circled the seed the way a root bound plant does in a plastic pot.
The catalog from which I purchased these seeds clearly states that only about 70% of the seeds germinate, and about 20% of those will be off-type. My question for you is, if you have experience with artichokes, is this an unusual problem, or is it typical of artichokes? I have already requested a replacement of a different variety, but am still curious what you think. Thanks, Dave

Marko · April 19, 2011

Artichokes germinate better in cold conditions. I soak the seeds in water overnight, put them in a bag with some moist potting mix and store in refrigerator. In about 10 days they start to germinate. I usually get more than 90% germination.

davespitzer · April 19, 2011

Hi Marko- thanks for the info. I'll use that technique with the replacement seeds the company is sending and post the results. Thanks again! Dave

mjc · April 19, 2011

Yeah, I've had very good results soaking the seeds and very poor without soaking.

davespitzer · April 21, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marko

Artichokes germinate better in cold conditions. I soak the seeds in water overnight, put them in a bag with some moist potting mix and store in refrigerator. In about 10 days they start to germinate. I usually get more than 90% germination.

My replacement seeds should be here today, and I will definitely use your suggestions to germinate them. If the results are as good as you say (I'm sure they will be) I will write to the company I got the seeds from and suggest that they include those ideas in their literature and on their packaging. Again, I really appreciate your input! Dave

davespitzer · April 26, 2011

Well, I gave up too quickly. After the issues I *thought* I was having with the violetto seeds, I recycled the soil blocks and moved on. Sure enough, I've got several little artichokes coming up in squash and other plantings. Still only 11 out of 32 seeds germinated, but that's better than the 6 (2 strong and 4 weak) I thought I had. BTW, Territorial says that there will be a fairly high percentage of off-types, and that small and albino seedlings should be culled. I haven't seen any truly white plants, but I do have two seedlings that are sort of frosted looking, and both have irregularly shaped cotyledons. Anybody want to hazard a guess as to the quality of these seedlings? Dave

April 18, 2011	#1
davespitzer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East of Stockton, California Posts: 97	Violetto artichoke issue Hi- I decided to try artichokes this year and bought a variety called Violetto from a reputable supplier. I planted 36 seeds in soil blocks and got the following: 2 good seedlings, 4 very weak seedlings, and the rest either did not germinate at all or showed only the edges of the cotyledons emerging. When I finally gave up and examined some of the partially emerged seedlings, I found the root tightly curled in a spiral inside the mostly-intact seed coat. It looked like the root had circled the seed the way a root bound plant does in a plastic pot. The catalog from which I purchased these seeds clearly states that only about 70% of the seeds germinate, and about 20% of those will be off-type. My question for you is, if you have experience with artichokes, is this an unusual problem, or is it typical of artichokes? I have already requested a replacement of a different variety, but am still curious what you think. Thanks, Dave

April 19, 2011	#2
Marko Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Slovenia, Europe zone 7b Posts: 300	Artichokes germinate better in cold conditions. I soak the seeds in water overnight, put them in a bag with some moist potting mix and store in refrigerator. In about 10 days they start to germinate. I usually get more than 90% germination.

April 19, 2011	#4
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Yeah, I've had very good results soaking the seeds and very poor without soaking.

April 26, 2011	#6
davespitzer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: East of Stockton, California Posts: 97	Well, I gave up too quickly. After the issues I thought I was having with the violetto seeds, I recycled the soil blocks and moved on. Sure enough, I've got several little artichokes coming up in squash and other plantings. Still only 11 out of 32 seeds germinated, but that's better than the 6 (2 strong and 4 weak) I thought I had. BTW, Territorial says that there will be a fairly high percentage of off-types, and that small and albino seedlings should be culled. I haven't seen any truly white plants, but I do have two seedlings that are sort of frosted looking, and both have irregularly shaped cotyledons. Anybody want to hazard a guess as to the quality of these seedlings? Dave