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Apr 9, 2015 4:10 PM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
Frogs and Toads Native Plants and Wildflowers Cottage Gardener Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Region: United States of America Xeriscape
Christy, growing mold is a start! Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Not sure if you'll find a market for it, but at least you got something to grow!

Sorry, but I can't help with the question about them sitting on the counter for months. I always let mine dry for a couple of days in cup, and then put them in the fridge until I'm ready to start growing them. I'm sure someone will know.
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Apr 9, 2015 4:11 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
If they're moldy, throw them out and start over. Yes. Wet them in paper towels in an open baggie or with air blown in and sealed into the fridge. Mine have taken up to 6 weeks to sprout.

Also, I started some in January and then a window then hardened off outside in April. I started others in March and put directly into sun after sprouting. All were in seedling medium. The ones set directly out after sprouting all survived and are going great in the nursery bed. All the others died. The larger ones were a previous purchase.

Thumb of 2015-04-09/Zencat/91d354
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Apr 9, 2015 4:12 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I don't know if that means anything but that's just my experience. First time with them for me last year.
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Apr 9, 2015 4:46 PM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
Frogs and Toads Native Plants and Wildflowers Cottage Gardener Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Region: United States of America Xeriscape
If the seeds aren't moldy, I would think they would be okay. If it is just the dirt, that may be okay if the mold is removed. Shrug!
Avatar for christyh
Apr 9, 2015 6:23 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: christy
tn (Zone 7a)
Seeds aren't moldy. Just top of dirt.
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Apr 9, 2015 7:33 PM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Christy - Add a few drops of Hydrogen Peroxide when you water them. That will help control the mold. I store mine in the refrigerator dry until I am ready to plant them. Then I just plant them in a good seed starter medium (potting mix). Water really well, sit on a window sill, and usually within a week or two, they start sprouting. I don't get 100% germination. Usually 80-85% germination. And I have had some seeds sprout several months later. Always a surprise!

Here are my current seedlings that were sowed in February (I think). I can't remember for sure, but it was not too long ago this Winter. They are still on my window sill and need to be transplanted outdoors. Hopefully soon!

Thumb of 2015-04-10/beckygardener/b6e1dd
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Last edited by beckygardener Apr 9, 2015 7:55 PM Icon for preview
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Apr 9, 2015 7:36 PM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
Frogs and Toads Native Plants and Wildflowers Cottage Gardener Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Region: United States of America Xeriscape
Becky, your seedlings are growing so well, even though they are invisible! You forgot to post the picture! Rolling on the floor laughing
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Apr 9, 2015 7:59 PM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Natalie - I caught that after posting it and had to find the photo on my computer. Photo added to my post above which was taken today ... rather tonight. I typically plant 3-4 seeds per cup of a specific cross. I like to keep the siblings together when sowing them and then later split them up when planting outside. I always hold back a few seeds of each cross .... Murphy's Law ... you know!

Any seeds I obtain from others is usually 5-8 seeds per cross, so sowing 4 is a good round number. Then I get 3 to germinate. Always seems to be 1 in each cross that does not germinate. No idea why.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden
Last edited by beckygardener Apr 9, 2015 8:00 PM Icon for preview
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Apr 9, 2015 8:09 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
It's odd what happens, isn't it.
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Apr 9, 2015 8:53 PM CST
Name: Natalie
North Central Idaho (Zone 7a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Dog Lover Daylilies Irises Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Hummingbirder
Frogs and Toads Native Plants and Wildflowers Cottage Gardener Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Region: United States of America Xeriscape
Becky, they look fantastic!! Mine are all in the ground, and waking up after winter. I think the tallest one is only 3 inches! They have a long way to go to catch up to yours. I am always so excited to see what your blooms look like! I should probably start soaking some of my seeds soon.
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Apr 10, 2015 5:20 AM CST
Name: Sue
Ontario, Canada (Zone 4b)
Annuals Native Plants and Wildflowers Keeps Horses Dog Lover Daylilies Region: Canadian
Butterflies Birds Enjoys or suffers cold winters Garden Sages Plant Identifier
Mike, yes I think the ones in vermiculite were a better colour. There'll be a slight difference in nutrients (what few there are) in any of those media, which would show up since I didn't fertilize so as not to influence the experiment.

For those of you with seeds germinating in the fridge, my suspicion is that they are not dormant. The definition of seed dormancy is that the seed doesn't germinate promptly when supplied with appropriate amounts of water, oxygen and the right temperature. Not everyone has dormant daylily seeds for various potential reasons not necessarily totally related to genetics or foliage habit, in which case they don't need to be damp chilled at all or mere storage in the fridge was enough. It's possible that may depend on where one lives (or where the seeds were formed). If the seeds are put in the fridge while still relatively hydrated after harvest, it's theoretically possible that that on its own might be stratifying them. But seed dormancies can also "wear off" over time.

I've had batches that were stored dry over winter and started in spring without any chilling and germination rate was high and quick, i.e. no seed dormancy. Other batches started in fall germinated over several weeks or months and therefore had seed dormancy. When you first start out doing daylily seeds you may not know what percentage of them, if any, typically have seed dormancy until you try starting them normally (i.e. at room temperature and unstratified). The experience may vary also with purchased seeds that came from another area from your own.

Christy, dry seeds don't respond to chilling so yes, they need to be soaked/dampened before going in the fridge, OR have a few drops of water added to their container, OR go in the fridge in damp medium in which case you don't need to add any more water. The latter is probably the safest method. They shouldn't go in the fridge in wet conditions, just damp.

Yes, it probably does matter how long the seeds are on the counter if they're there for weeks or months loose as they may dry out too much or get too hot if in the sun. It takes about three weeks, as far as I recall, to air-dry daylily seeds to dry storage level moisture. They do not need to be stored in a fridge unless you have very warm and humid conditions that would deteriorate the seeds such as in southern areas. Paper bags/envelopes at room temperature work but you can store them in the fridge which would prolong storage life if done correctly. Plastic would be better in the fridge, paper bags/envelopes if storing at room temperature. Otherwise, no, they do not need to be refrigerated immediately, or even at all until stratifying depending on climate. The seeds in my pictures were never refrigerated until I put them in the fridge to stratify.

Having said all the above, if none of Christy's seeds have germinated at all in the amount of time it has taken for the surface of the medium to develop mold (do we know exactly how long since they were sown?), then the problem may not be seed dormancy. Is it possible the medium was too wet?

One thing you could do, if the seeds have been sown a month or more and none have germinated yet, is extricate some of the seeds and put them to soak in a solution of household strength hydrogen peroxide and water, about 1:9 at room temperature, but out of the sun, to test viability. H2O2 also breaks seed dormancy of daylilies.
Last edited by sooby Apr 10, 2015 5:33 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 10, 2015 6:05 AM CST
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
I have never stratified seeds but always have sown directly outside in pots with fairly good success. It does take longer to germinate this way but last year I tried the stratification with water and peroxide and I lost over half of the seeds. They all molded.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Apr 10, 2015 6:33 AM CST
Name: Sue
Ontario, Canada (Zone 4b)
Annuals Native Plants and Wildflowers Keeps Horses Dog Lover Daylilies Region: Canadian
Butterflies Birds Enjoys or suffers cold winters Garden Sages Plant Identifier
They can be naturally stratified outdoors too, depending on temperatures. Cindy, did you put them in the fridge in the water and peroxide? It should be at room temperature but out of the sun. I read about someone soaking in peroxide in the fridge so I tried it with my other experiments and it didn't work well at all. At room temp, though, germination was good in the peroxide.
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Apr 10, 2015 6:53 AM CST
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
Daylilies Hybridizer Irises Butterflies Charter ATP Member Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Birds Region: Michigan Vegetable Grower Hummingbirder Heucheras Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Yes, I put them in the fridge with the mixture. I may just try the wet paper towel or vermiculite method this time.
Lighthouse Gardens
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Apr 10, 2015 12:57 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Cindy, that's how I do mine and it seems to work fairly well. I had a 95% success rate.
Avatar for christyh
Apr 10, 2015 8:15 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: christy
tn (Zone 7a)
My seeds have been planted for about three weeks. About forty. Nothing..... Blinking Confused Thank You!
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Apr 10, 2015 8:18 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I would check a few. Unless you already have?
Avatar for christyh
Apr 10, 2015 9:16 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: christy
tn (Zone 7a)
I did. They look the same! Lol Sighing! Grumbling
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Apr 10, 2015 9:31 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
That's sad. Do you have more?
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Apr 10, 2015 10:03 PM CST
Name: Becky
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Daylilies Hummingbirder Butterflies Seed Starter Container Gardener
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Ponds
Well, to NOT have a single one germinate by now ... it sounds like they are no longer viable .... fungus gnat larva got them or they rotted or they weren't viable seeds. Or perhaps they need more heat to germinate?

I've never had that happen, so I can't help but think they won't sprout at this point. So sorry.

If you have more seeds left, I'd try again and sow some more.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
Garden Rooms and Becky's Budget Garden

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