On Mar 5, 7:00*am, songbird wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

...

ask: *Does a bulb plant like Tulip produce viable seeds?

Inquiring minds...

* yes, they can, it depends upon the genetics
of the plants, some do well if they are cross-bred
but don't self-fertilize well, others do just
fine with self-pollination.

* the seeds that you can see through that are
like superfine tissue paper with no nub (germ)
visible in the flat part are not going to be
viable. *they blow away quite easily if you
breath on them.

* the seeds that have some bulk to them and the
nub in the middle are the best bet.

* to get them to sprout it is often a requirement
for a cold damp period. *some people use a fridge
with damp peat moss, sand and perlite mix. *must
not dry out or they shrivel up and are gone to
nothing quickly. *after sprouting then put them
in a loose soil mix and keep at least moist.
damping off can be a problem, so the right surface
layer of the soil is important. *some people use
grit for this.

* the sprouts will grow and look like a small
chives or blades of grass the first season (about
six weeks). *below ground the sprout is putting a
root downwards to make a tiny bulb. *end of the
first season the bulb is about the size of grain
of rice and looks like a bulb in miniature. *very
cute!

* each year the bulb will get bigger and in some
species will keep dropping down further to reach
the right place for your climate. *a flower
can show up anywhere from three to seven years
later (varies by species and growing conditions).

* from my rather scattered efforts without a
dedicated place to sprout or keep them i'll probably
get 1 of 300 seeds to adulthood. *someone with more
space, better soil and equipment could probably do
quite well and get this to 1 of 20 or better.

* good luck,

* songbird

Wow, thanks, Songbird, for that detailed look at growing bulbs from
seed. Esp thanks for seed ID. And how interesting, visualizing that
tiny bulb getting bigger by the year! Dunno if I have enuff years left
to wait out this process! But should be fascinating if I decide to
embark on the journey.

HB