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Flotation of Winged Seed Species

© Bill Richardson

Seeds which do not hold their viability for a long period of time, often are best germinated by the Flotation method. Amaryllids, or winged seeds such as Agapanthus, Hippeastrum and Cyrtanthus,can be germinated by flotation. If the seed is old or you are not certain how old the seed is, this method can be a way of determining viability of the seed. It is also a method to use for better control of seedlings as they grow. The materials and the method used are most important and it is also wise to keep good records of successes or failures.

MATERIALS:

• Potting Materials
• Margarine container
• Potting Mix
• Pencil
• Perlite
• Plant labels
• Small pots
• Marking pen
• Labels
• Blood and Bone (Bone meal)

Place the seeds in a clean, washed margarine container with the container 2/3rds full of water. Make sure you include the species name by:

• Writing on the side of the container, or
• Taping a plant label to the edge of the container,or
• Floating the named plant label in the container

Polystyrene cups or paper cups are not suitable, as the surface area of the top is too narrow and crowds the seed together. This tends to cause fungal problems, which may be caused by the properties of the cups.Margarine containers have a larger surface area, which helps keep the seed spread out and stops them from touching each other.

The water level must be often checked to ensure that the containers do not dry out. Keep the containers in a light airy place and check daily, topping up the containers with water as necessary.

Remove any seeds with fungus and keep seeds apart as much as possible so they do not touch. As the seeds start to germinate and the shoots are approximately 1cm long, it is time to put them into your pots. Be careful not to touch or break the growing tops and handle them very carefully when removing them from the container.

The best way to remove them is to use a plant label to lift them up. Alternatively, use your fingers, being careful as the wet plants will often stick to your fingers and damage will be caused when trying to dislodge them.

Seeds that do not germinate can be dried out and tried again at a later date. It doesn't matter which time of the year that you use flotation, as long as you can provide light and warmth. Good Growing

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