This is for all the PCI enthusiasts.

Earlier this spring (before my travel, fall, and broken wrist saga), I bought some PCI seeds from the PCI Society. (They were very generous, and actually gave me bonus seeds.)

My question to those with experience with PCIs, is what is the process for getting their seeds to germinate? Do they have to go through a wet stratification period like bearded iris and daylily seeds do? If so, how long is the process? What is the germination temperature range thereafter? (I gather that with the bearded irises, once the temperature gets up somewhere in the high 60s, germination plummets.)

While I plan to paw through my old TB seeds and pick some to start this winter (hoping for better results than last year, where I did get seedlings but then lost them all ), I also want to try to get some PCI seedlings too.

(I know, that's rather masochistic of me, given my bad luck with PCIs, but I think it'd be neat to see a "new" PCI. "Always have something to look forward to" and all that.)

So, any advice?

Stratification?

Planting media? (The seed starting mix I used last year ultimately, I think may have been too heavy for the iris seeds.)

How much sun? (I'm guessing that (presuming there is a cold germination requirement) I will be starting the seeds out on the patio table, which this time of year gets maybe half a day of sun.)

Thanks in advance.

This may help you: https://www.pacificcoastiris.o....

I have gathered seeds off mine, put them in a tray with potting soil, and left them to their own devices. I had a pretty good germination rate, but honestly I did absolutely nothing with them and now only have one left.
They do need the cold and damp winter. I've got a few seedlings in the yard, I'm leaving them alone to see how they do on their own.

Thank you! Was too busy (err, lazy) to go dig up the info for myself.

Glad to know that you got a good germination rate!

for some reason, my Californian irises often sprang up at the beginning of winter and I had to bring the pots home (and planted them in the open ground at the end of March)

I just plant outside in potting soil in late fall/early winter. Part sun is fine.

I have had some germinate in February, but those had already been planted for about a year.

Poly have you joined the SPCNI? Just go to the AIS website under memberships and you can add it on. I just got my latest bulletin, they are doing a number of more scientific-type articles about growing & hybridizing which I find interesting.

Yes, I have, but I haven't had the time to look online lately for *their* seed starting advice. (I also recently got the latest paper bulletin.)