Sometimes when the seed pod is fully developed, but not dry, the stem will break off. I've just stuck them in the ground next to the plant and they have matured and were viable. It just depends on whether or not the seeds have fully developed. I've also had some that the whole pod rotted when I did that. So I guess it's a crap shoot.

I sure wish I could have harvested those pods! Oh well.

I have some seedlings but I have learned that they take up a lot of garden space. Mine are bee pods from little guys and the joy of anticipation makes it all worthwhile. I just need more garden space.

Some people cut the entire stalk and put it in water or just a bucket. The pods will continue to ripen.

found this while weeding this morning. I am glad I did. I don't want seedlings growing in established irises. No telling what the bed would eventually have blooming in it.



This was a pod on SDB Rainbow Rim.

grannysgarden said:I have some seedlings but I have learned that they take up a lot of garden space. Mine are bee pods from little guys and the joy of anticipation makes it all worthwhile. I just need more garden space.

You have so many wonderful SDB's, it will be all the whimsy to see what comes of those seedlings.

I sometimes feel ethically challenged when I find a seedling. I'm always thinking, what if this is that one in a million? Something I could drive myself nuts over, LOL!

...speaking of which, what do y'all do when you find a seedling? I just leave them alone for a couple of years, and let nature take its course- then it usually gets weeded out because its nothing great.

I move it away from named or special irises. Sometimes seedlings that have no great beauty will have great vigor and in three or four years your original iris is gone... overrun by a seedling.

We have separate beds for seedlings. that way we don't have to worry about them in the regular beds until we want to line them out for increase. Barry Blth always cuts off his stalks & sticks them in the garden. that way, the seeds will mature & he can move other plants around.

Gab, here's another forum.

This is a goodie!! Thank you @Phillipb2

So these have been sitting in the fridge just barely over 4 weeks. Is this a sign of anything good or negative? I will try the paper towel route for the next crosses, but wanted to experiment a little with my first pod. Open the pic to see betterms detail of the seeds.

@lynNY

What's the white stuff, Gabe?

Perlite

I have never seen the seeds puff up and crack like that. Of course, mine have always been dried for a couple months before I start them. Keep us posted, it will be interesting to see what happens. I had some seed pods start to rot so I took out the seeds while they were still white. They seemed to shrivel up to very small seeds, so I'm not thinking they will do anything, but we'll have to see.

Same thing happened to my 2 bee pods on SDB 'Lilli White' and I too have dried the seeds and though they don't look viable, I am going to give them a try anyway!

Just potted 18 seeds today. 12 were rooted. I placed them under a milk crate with a heavy sleight stone on top.

I'm small scale, so I may buy a 6×8 greenhouse for the other attemps. It's only $219 and really need it for the security of my other crosses (hopefully) and some bulbed plants this fall/winter. Harbor Freight is just down the road, so no worries about having it shipped.

Last year I sowed some bee pod seeds in a seed tray and just left it outside over winter; now we have about a dozen young irises that I hope will bloom next May. As Neal says, they may well turn out to be horrid, but it's fun waiting to see. I may try stratification this time around - did that with some deliberate daylily crosses and it speeded things up and worked well.

Gabe, think about whether you should get a slightly bigger greenhouse - we bought a smallish one and I've regretted it so many times; there's never enough space! Potting up, cuttings, etc., bench, 'tlc' corner, greenhouse tomatoes, all the things that are either too tender to leave out over winter or that grow better with a bit of extra warmth... Just a thought.

As windy as it is here, I don't think one of those small Green Houses would last long here. I'd be afraid of losing the whole thing along with all that's in it.