This is from a while back when this topic was being discussed. A question came up about starting iris seeds and in what order to do "what".... I wanted to share with everyone and in hope that we all have a good harvest!

https://garden.org/thread/view...

My pods are starting to split. I may have made a mistake in preparing the first seeds. The first few pods, more than 1 dozen seeds in each, were emptied into small bowls and I gave them their first "bath" in clean water, drained off that water, then returned them to the bowls with fresh water...but I had skipped the drying them for a week first. I'd forgotten that! But I still don't know why the drying is necessary. They then got the rinsing for five days before packing them for the cold time in the fridge.
These latest pods have been emptied into paper bowls to dry (and I hope the curious cats don't spill them!) I'll give them a week of drying, then the water rinse treatment. Then I plan to put them into marked plastic bags with damp vermiculite - one method I read about. In the past I'd wrapped them in wet paper towels and folded them up in a piece of aluminum foil, then into the fridge's crisper drawer for roughly 6 weeks. Then transplanted into pots. I had fairly good results with that old method, but I want to see if I can get better results with making some changes.

Any comments or advice is welcome.
Here's this morning's efforts.

- it was fertilized by a bee. Magical is a favorite
and a very big pod, so I may try it.

- I bred two very large bloom iris to get a big bloom.

I am curious to see if and why drying the seeds is required too.
I also wonder is the tiny seeds that look like they haven't expanded properly (I call them crumbs) ever germinate. I always plant mine but I never plant them separately so I don't know if they have ever germinated or not.

Robin ~ I have some of those tiny "seeds", if they are seeds. That was from a bee pod. I am going to dry, soak, and refrigerate them as well. I don't know if they are any good, but it won't hurt to process them along with the others. At least I will know for sure, that they will, or won't germinate. Any other tiny pod, I just threw out. I was surprised to see it, as I had not "done" that one...we'll see....the pod was smaller than the others, and now I know why, the seeds are so tiny!

They are all drying in the shed at the moment.

I seldom get any seeds from a bee pod on a TB, the little guys seem to produce seeds fine on bee pods. I just toss the crumbs that look like tiny seeds, I think they are the unfertilized part of the seed. I could be wrong, I was wrong once.

hahaha, tom. wrong only once, huh?

Daphne ~ At least he admitted it!

evelyninthegarden said:This is from a while back when this topic was being discussed. A question came up about starting iris seeds and in what order to do "what".... I wanted to share with everyone and in hope that we all have a good harvest!

https://garden.org/thread/view...

I did try this approach with a bee pod from a TB (my first attempt at starting seeds, so this was a bit of an experiment so that if I do want to give it a go in future, I improve my chances with a cross I actually want). Here's the rough timeline:

- Seeds were harvested 12th Jan 2018 and allowed to dry.
- Soaked in filtered tap water (changing daily) from the 12th to 18th Feb.
- Placed in fridge from the 18th of Feb through 2nd June.
- After 15 weeks with no activity (Paul's post above suggested 6-8 weeks), I gave up and planted them out in a pot in the hope of something happening.
- 6 weeks later, the first seedling emerged (14th July).
- As of yesterday (16th August - still in winter here), there were five seedlings.

Assuming all the seeds were viable, there could be another 20 yet (but I doubt that will happen). Hopefully a few more will come up, though.

Hi, I did follow the same routine and had even a more modest result last year....until this year I decided it was time to prick out my only Iris, just to find that in one corner this winter( about a month ago) a new one had emerged in the same pot! So now I've got two: a year almost ( emerged nov 2017) seedling and this season's ( by mid July). My experience shows that one shoudn't discard pots quickly.( many times expressed in all kinds of forums, but I suspect not listened enough... at least my me) .Unfortunately, then I didn't register how many seeds were sown, so I may still have surprises awaiting. Also, part of those things that one doesn't do right from the go , even being regularly advised...
As things seem to go, this thread will resurrect regularly over a long span of years!
Arturo

Arturo ~ to the Iris Forum

for sharing your experience with us.

@evelyninthegarden Thank you for your welcome! This season's sowings are rather extensive; so if anyone has any experience with any of the following, I promise that I will do my best to follow instructions...in spite of my admitted flaws...
Iris bracteata;Iris missouriensis; Iris macrosiphon; (from Alplains)
Iris forrestii; Iris halophila; Iris zenaidae; Iris chrysographes; Iris bracetata; Iris California hybrids white; Iris sp (Xiphion); Iris Juno ( from de '71 Scotish Rock Garden C. Seedex 2017)
Iris pumila; Iris spuria hybrids; Iris sibirica Hybrids. (from Jelitto Germany). I'm in time to start the stratification of these.
I concentrate in getting seeds, not tubers or bulbs because I want to avoid the possibility of inadvertent introduction of disease ( mainly viral) even with TBI. Unfortunately for these latter I still have to find a source, since seed raised are not true; however it is my chosen way to include new forms.
Thank you to everyone
Arturo

Welcome, Arturo !

This has been a bang-up year here for seeds! Every pod has had 12 to 47 seeds! 7 pods in process. Waiting for the last 4 pods to split. I'm going to have more seeds than I can handle!
I'll list the crosses soon. I may have to offer up a few!

Jan ~ How many pods did you get? (I know you mentioned it before..)but I forgot.

I still don't have an exact count. Evelyn. I found another one whose stalk had fallen back among the leaves. It's either 11 or 12, I think.
I can't wait until the water-soak phase is over! My kitchen window is filled with little jars and pots full of soaking seeds. Fortunately the window is right over the sink, so I'm reminded to empty the seeds into a strainer each day and to rinse and wash the jar before re-filling with fresh water. And checking to see that the labels are intact!
The sight of last year's green seedling crosses in the garden
encourages me to keep on with this year's "babies" !

If I remember right, from someone's past post, you can put the seeds in a nylon knee high stocking. Knot it so the seeds can't fall out Then attach it (with a string) and let them hang in the water in the toilet tank. Make sure it's in the tank. Every time the toilet gets flushed the seeds get rinsed.

barbara, that's clever and funny at the same time.

The Irises that I got to germinate went thru that. They were placed inside the water tank in the back of the toilet. By the proof they were well tied.... I'm trying to germinate far too many different things to remember to change the water and since the toilet is used frequently I know they are being flushed...
Arturo

Arturo

Congratulations Joshua. In my very limited experience, the latest my seeds have ever germinated is September. I think a few more will emerge.