The message
from sacha contains these words:

in article , Janet Galpin and Oliver
Patterson at wrote on 23/12/02 11:03 pm:


Yes mine arrived too. As to new seeds, apart all my choices to the
RHS, HPS and AGS, I'm going to try growing Romneya Coulterii from seed
for the first time. Although this is known to be difficult to
germinate, I found on Google that it likes germinating in smoke and
gives a tip to burn conifer leaves and then mix the ash with seed
compost. Apparently it will then germinate. We shall see!

As you describe, Ray gathers pine needles and puts them in an old
tin lid,
or something of that sort. Then he sets fire to it, then he plants the
seeds! He also plants the seeds in a foil lined compost tray, puts pine
needles on top, sets fire to them and waters the ashes in. Both methods
work and both are equally hit and miss! It's really not easy to
germinate at
all.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

I'm tempted to try too. Is it just the ash that does it or is actual
heat necessary? I wasn' t sure with Sacha's first method whether the
ashes are added later when cool or whether the seeds are heated by the
process.
Also, Sacha, you say it's not easy to germinate them. Has Ray had *some*
success? How hopeless is it? (The seed isn't cheap!)

Janet G

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. In the first method, he puts the seeds on
the tray and puts the layer (quite thickly) of pine needles on top. They
have to be very dry, of course, so that they burn off very quickly. The heat
is thought to be necessary to encourage germination and the watering in of
the ash in the second method seems to add something to the compost that the
seeds like. Yes, he does have some success but he does repeat that it's not
easy. OTOH, at least *some* of his germinate, unlike my blasted Michauxia
which never showed even one teensy green shoot!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

Thanks for the explanation. I think I get the idea! Sounds worth a go.

Janet G