Here is the CASE 6 germination (Iceberg X OP):
Also, here’s the same seedling pulled out to show you the hypocotyl and rootlet development:
Of the remaining 4 embryos which have not sprouted, none of them had developed a definite elongation/sprouting of the radical end at the time of removal from their glass of water and transfer to the seed raising mix. On the other hand, those 5 embryos that have already sprouted, all had the beginings of radical end sprouing/elongation at the time of sowing. So there is an obvious pattern here, that for once seems to make sense.
I am thinking that if these remaining four do not germinate, then maybe I should think about leaving such embryos (ie. those with no sign of radical end sprouting) in the water until they do start elongating their radicals, or else until they basically dont elongate their radicals but self destruct?!
I did finally get lucky with this Iceberg hip. It contained two achenes, the achene and its seed on the left were good, whilst the achene and its seed to the right contained no embryo to speak of, just a collapsed seed sac:
Here is the embryo after a few minutes swimming in water:
It also appeared normal looking when I quickly looked at it under 30X magnification.
So I’ll call this one CASE 2a, to replace CASE 2 (which proved to have a weird complete fusion of its cotyledons on one side), and hope it continues to appear normal!
CASES 3 and 7 are both definintey dead today (both these were derived from a white blend HT…one came from a bone dry brown hip, the other from a plump ripe colored hip).
At this point in time, both CASE 5 and CASE 8a (both Mutabilis X OP) appear to be alive but have not germinated (I am judging this by the appearance of the very tip of one cotyledon, which I have deliberately left exposed to the light and air).
This is an example of how much radical extension I am guessing may be enough to act as a marker of when water-saoked embryos might be ready for transfer from the glass of water to the seed raising mix (this is CASE 2a this morning, immediately before it was sown):
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Here is CASE 8a (mutabilis X OP) germinating this morning:
It has minimal chlorophyl and lacks vigor…it served its purpose, now off to the compost!
Here is CASE 2a this afternoon, germinating (Iceberg X OP):
Recently Russell Cole started a great discussion on fertilizing seedlings, from which I learned a great deal. In that conversation, there was mention of the virtues of ultra-dilute NPK soluble fertilizers for young seedlings, by Jim Sproul.
Since reading all of that thread, I have started to apply a 10% X (full strength) NPK fertilizer solution to such vigorous embryo/seedlings as the one in this picture, as well as to seed that has just sprouted a small radical and has just been sown, and I have had excellent results all round. I have been applying it at the frequency of every second watering.
This embryo/seedling, which is not showing any signs of stress, has just received its first such fertilizing just prior to the photograph being taken, and I’ll show you over the next few days how it responds to this application.
There is one remaining embryo yet to germinate in this little study of ten. It is the second of the two Mutabilis X OP embryos. It is actually starting to push through the seed raising mix, however it looks like it lacks a fair bit of chlorophyl, just as its sibling did.
CASE 2a, 24 hours after the application of the ultra-dilute fertilizer: