Germinating titanium seeds

From: "Mitch ." <iamwhatiam52 at hotmail.com> on 2004.06.23 at 00:11:56(11657) I just got my seeds in the mail and they are HUGE. Even after looking at pictures of them for years I was not prepared for just how enormous these things are. Now can someone let a novice like me know the best way to germinate them and care for them? I've read they germinate easily but are difficult to care for untill they get some size. Mitch +More In fact the thing is that titanum seed is big and hewittii seed normal. Other big ones are eburneus and brachyphyllus. Most Amorphs have seeds the size of hewittii. Wilbert

From: "Kirk Bowles" <kirk_bowles at mindspring.com> on 2004.06.23 at 19:32:29(11659) I'm in the same boat as Mitch. What's the best resource? Kirk ----- Original Message ----- To: +More Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 7:11 PM Subject: Re: [aroid-l] Germinating titanium seeds > I just got my seeds in the mail and they are HUGE. Even after looking at > pictures of them for years I was not prepared for just how enormous these > things are. > Now can someone let a novice like me know the best way to germinate them and > care for them? I've read they germinate easily but are difficult to care > for untill they get some size. > Mitch > > > > In fact the thing is that titanum seed is big and hewittii seed normal. > Other big ones are eburneus and brachyphyllus. Most Amorphs have seeds the > size of hewittii. > > Wilbert > > >

From: Ronmchatton at aol.com on 2004.06.23 at 21:20:53(11660) I have now handled two batches of Am. titanum from seed and have found them fairly easy. The seeds were removed from the berry and planted in Fafard 3B (a peat/perlite potting soil that is quite open, holds a great deal of water but with excellent drainage) cut with about 15% extra perlite. I keep the medium just barely moist and time to emerge from the soil has averaged about 6 weeks. I've had no problem with them kept in a bright greenhouse with about 2500 footcandles (70% shade or so) and day/night temperatures of 80F/58F (about 15C/27C). Once the seedlings emerged, they have been given a dilute solution of Peters 16-16-16 fertilizer at nearly every watering. The seeds planted in September are now putting up their second leaf. The largest of the seedlings is about a foot (30cm) tall. Ron McHatton

From: Neil Gordon <neil at ng23.abelgratis.co.uk> on 2004.06.23 at 22:17:10(11661) On 23 Jun 2004, at 01:11, Mitch . wrote: I just got my seeds in the mail and they are HUGE. Even after looking at pictures of them for years I was not prepared for just how enormous these things are. Now can someone let a novice like me know the best way to germinate them and care for them? I've read they germinate easily but are difficult to care for untill they get some size. Mitch +More Ive got mine in a soil " recommended compost mix (as used at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) is 2 parts loam 2 parts coir 1 part grit 2 parts fine bark 2 parts medium bark 2 parts perlite or vermiculite. This is a very free draining mix so be prepared to feed at least twice a week with a balanced fertilizer (we strongly recommend Miracle Gro). Decrease watering and feeding during autumn and keep barely moist in frost free conditions over winter. Look for signs of growth (usually late spring to early summer) and gradually increase watering." planted in 6" pots with plastic bags over them, and i plug the propogator in in the eves at the moment, its been a bit colder here in UK the last few nights! Both my hewitti seeds germinated happily in this. The soil info was taken from this page http://www.urbanjungle.uk.com/amorphophallus.asp?linkÊt Neil

From: <ronlene at bellsouth.net> on 2004.06.23 at 22:45:02(11662) > Hi Ron, I have also received some of these seeds. Regarding the planting of the titanum seeds, how do you determine the position to plant them in the soil? Also, I am accustomed to seeing one leaf grow each season from the Amorphophallus that I have. Is growing from seed different?? Ron Kessler > From: Ronmchatton@aol.com > Date: 2004/06/23 Wed PM 05:20:53 EDT > To: aroid-l@lists.ncsu.edu > Subject: Re: [aroid-l] Germinating titanium seeds > > I have now handled two batches of Am. titanum from seed and have found them > fairly easy. The seeds were removed from the berry and planted in Fafard 3B (a > peat/perlite potting soil that is quite open, holds a great deal of water but > with excellent drainage) cut with about 15% extra perlite. I keep the medium > just barely moist and time to emerge from the soil has averaged about 6 > weeks. I've had no problem with them kept in a bright greenhouse with about 2500 > footcandles (70% shade or so) and day/night temperatures of 80F/58F (about > 15C/27C). Once the seedlings emerged, they have been given a dilute solution of > Peters 16-16-16 fertilizer at nearly every watering. > > The seeds planted in September are now putting up their second leaf. The > largest of the seedlings is about a foot (30cm) tall. > > Ron McHatton +More >

From: <plantguy at zoominternet.net> on 2004.06.24 at 01:25:00(11664) I'm trying the 1:1 mix of sphagnum and perlite suggested by Peter Boyce as one possibility in an earlier thread. I put my hewitii seed in this and once I added bottom heat I've got 7-out-of-10 now up. Hopefully the titanum will appreciate a similar treatment. Once they germinate I know that Phipps Conservatory here in Pittsburgh, PA grows there titanum (about 6-8 of them) in a 1:1 mix of turface and small pine bark so I thought I'd give that a try. If any of the experts here think that is a bad idea I'd happily change some of the seedlings to a different mix. As always, thanks for any advice in advance. Hopefully in the next couple of years the Phipps titanum will be making the news with some blooms!! Dan Devor +More Pittsburgh, PA USA ----- Original Message ----- To: Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 6:17 PM Subject: Re: [aroid-l] Germinating titanium seeds > > On 23 Jun 2004, at 01:11, Mitch . wrote: > > > I just got my seeds in the mail and they are HUGE. Even after looking > > at pictures of them for years I was not prepared for just how enormous > > these things are. > > Now can someone let a novice like me know the best way to germinate > > them and care for them? I've read they germinate easily but are > > difficult to care for untill they get some size. > > Mitch > > > > Ive got mine in a soil > > " recommended compost mix (as used at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) is > 2 parts loam > 2 parts coir > 1 part grit > 2 parts fine bark > 2 parts medium bark > 2 parts perlite or vermiculite. > > This is a very free draining mix so be prepared to feed at least twice > a week with a balanced fertilizer (we strongly recommend Miracle Gro). > Decrease watering and feeding during autumn and keep barely moist in > frost free conditions over winter. Look for signs of growth (usually > late spring to early summer) and gradually increase watering." > > planted in 6" pots with plastic bags over them, and i plug the > propogator in in the eves at the moment, its been a bit colder here in > UK the last few nights! > > Both my hewitti seeds germinated happily in this. > > The soil info was taken from this page > > http://www.urbanjungle.uk.com/amorphophallus.asp?linkÊt > > Neil > > >

From: Ronmchatton at aol.com on 2004.06.24 at 12:51:26(11669) Up, down or sideways doesn't appear to matter. The developing growth appears from the end opposite the end opposite the one where the berry was attached to the stem. If they are put in upside down it just takes them a little longer to reach the surface. Growing from seed is different from an offset. The first leaves to appear are much less divided and you usually see a rapid succession of leaves before the first dormant period. In fact, the more leaves you get in succession the better since each leaf corresponds to an increase in corm mass. The first Am. titanum I grew put up 5 leaves before the first dormant period, rested for a couple of months and then put up two more leaves in succession before the second dormant period. I now get one leaf per growing season and the corm is about the size of a soccer ball. I have a large number of Am. paeoniifolius growing from seed now and they are also putting up leaves in rapid succession.

From: <r2ot at charter.net> on 2004.06.24 at 20:55:03(11684) I have an A.Titanum that I bought from Plant Delights over a year ago, and although it is very healthy it seems to be growing a lot slower than many of the A. Titanums other people have talked about on this list.The tuber was about 4 cm across and although it has not gone dormant since I bougt it , it only sends up about two leaves per year, each larger than the previous one.I have noticed that Amorphophallus seeds grow much more vigorously than offsets; could it possibly be the this specimen grows slower because it was grown from tissue culture,or might it be a fault of mine? any ideas or comments are appreciated, Zach

From: Ronmchatton at aol.com on 2004.06.24 at 23:13:56(11689) I have noticed a similar problem with corms developed from tissue culture as well as those produced from stem sections or cuttings. The corms are often irregular in shape and growth is generally slower. My first titanum was from tissue culture and it grew very slowly, putting up one leaf at a time with a dormant period between them. I thought at first it was cultural but once the corm got to be 2-3" across the growth rate increased dramatically. Since then I've seen it in tissue cultured plants but the seedlings are much more vigorous.

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