FRI has made the following recommendations. Once the seedlings are 7-10cm tall (when the second leaf is forming), they can be pricked out. "May you grow on for ever and ever!" Raising Seedlings Say the following karakia when sowing or planting your pikao:
When germination begins, remove the covers and ensure protection from rodents and birds.Keep trays moist, FRI place inverted seed boxes over trays to maintain high humidity and provide regular light waterings.Use of a fungicide (e.g., Capstan) is recommended as pikao seeds are prone to fungal infection.Cover the seeds with a 3-5mm layer of the seed-raising mix or course sand and water.Sprinkle seeds and husk over a firm bed of seed-raising mix of 1:1 peat:sand/pumice in seed boxes.The basic procedure for sowing seeds is as follows: FRI did find variation in seed germination between different sites in one year. In Otago, germination success has been found to be more variable and currently research is being conducted to examine any treatments that may improve germination rates. Plant in the following autumn to spring periods (9-12 month-old seedlings).įorest research trials have found pikao seed easy to germinate with no need for pre-treatment.Plant in the following autumn to spring period (12-15 month-old seedlings).Frequently used Timelines for raising and planting pikao Cold Climate and no heated glasshouse facilities with protection from the frost Seed (and husk) should either be sown immediately to prevent a loss in viability or alternatively they may be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator for several months until they need to be planted without any apparent loss to viability.
Once the seedheads have been rubbed, scrunch the seed and chaff with your fingers to help loosen the seeds from the husk and spikelet formation. The husk and seed will be removed together and it is not necessary to separate them (thankfully as it is a painstaking process usually involving tweezers). Seeds can be easily separated from the head by either rubbing with your hand or a blunt object. Either in the sun, or in a paper bag in a hot water cupboard for about a week. Once the seedheads have been harvested dry them out. At this stage the seeds are difficult to remove when the seedhead is rubbed, a sign it is not yet ready for collection. Store the seedheads in a paper or hessian bag rather than a plastic bag as the seedheads will tend to sweat, increasing chances of fungal infection and making the seed more difficult to remove.Īvoid harvesting seedheads when the seeds are not yet ripe (when the seed is a greenish colour). Harvesting of seed heads should be done with a pair of scissors or sharp knife, cutting the stem below the seedhead. It appears that as the seed matures on the seedheads a dormancy mechanism may be enforced making germination more difficult so efforts should be made to collect seedheads as early as possible. Ripening Periodsīegin seed collection as soon as seed fall begins (when a little husk or seed is on the ground), and attempts should always be made to collect fewer seedheads from a greater number of healthy plants so some seed is retained locally. The seeding period, typically 2-4 weeks long will lengthen in areas where there are a large number of plants because of a greater number of seedheads. This is probably a result of climate differences, as pingao seed ripening periods in a given area will be dependent on the temperature higher temperatures will bring seeding on earlier. The seeds ripen in late spring and during summer, with more southern populations tending to ripen later than their northern counterparts. The shiny brown egg-shaped nuts develop in the 15-30cm long spirally arranged flowerheads. Pingao seeds are 3-5mm long and 2-5mm wide, about the size of a match head. Pingao Recovery Plan, Otago Conservancy 1993-1998.Guidelines for seed collection, propagation and establishment. Please note that the guidelines below are reproduced from recommendations made in: Propagation from seed is the recommended method as parent plants will suffer less injury and seedlings are more adaptable that cuttings or transplants. Pikao plants can be propagated using one of three methods
0 kommentar(er)
