Lotus seed growth (in progress) 孵蓮子續篇

Lotus seed growth (in progress)孵蓮子續篇

Day 20. Two leaves and the third leaf is coming. You can see the root already.
第20天. 已有2片小葉,第3片葉片已形成. 可以看到根已長出.

Planning to plant it into a water container with soil (better in clay soil) and hopefully the weather will be warmer by then.

計畫用黏土種在水盆裡,希望到時天氣好轉回暖.

Plant one in a large bucket with dirt 1.5-2 feet deep with some water over the soil. It will flower either in 3 months or next year. Put some copper things (pennies or other copper object so will not grow mosquitos).

They can be over winter outdoors with simply protection. The lotus root, leave and flowers can be veggies too!

You actually can purchase lotus seeds from dry lotus pods cheap from any craft store!

歐石楠Heather（Erica）

歐石楠Heather（Erica）

Heather is evergreen small flowering shrub, often be used as ground comv
歐石楠（學名：Erica）這種是低矮的耐寒常綠小灌木,造景上常用來當地被. 因為長得慢常綠又會開花,價格上以呎吋而言並不便宜,1小3吋半盆要價約合台幣280元.

需全日照.

孵蓮子囉! Growing Lotus from seeds

孵蓮子囉! Growing Lotus from seeds

Pictures shown the tools you will need and the progress of growing. From day zero (removing shell) than day 1 (seed soaked and inflatted), day 2 (the tiny green shoot shown), day 3 (seed cracked and green shoot shown more) and day 4 (you can see the root shown a bit and leaf formed and streched). They grow rather fast and magical!

The seed has very hard shell on, you will need tool to remove the shell otherwise it will not asord water at all. Use pliers to stablize the seed and use utility knife to cut the round end (where the shoots will come out), the other end is pointy end (where the roots will grow).

The seed shell is quite smooth, very slippery to cut. Becareful don’t hurt yourself or the seeds… It needs practice to get better of removing sell. Be patient!

According to my reserch, it will take 3 months to a year from a seed to grow the first flower. Here I am growing white single, white double, pink single, pink double and one is large white single. I will keep update the progress!

孵蓮子囉! 花友送的禮物.

第一先用工具固定後去厚皮. 然後就泡水置於溫暖處. 很快就會長出綠色的小葉片. 待根長出後用土種在小盆放水裡養,或直接種在缸碗裡,需全日照. 這次孵的這些是不耐寒的,冬天要搬進屋. 從孵種子到開花至少3個月或隔年. 好期待喔!

重瓣朝顏(牽牛花)Double Morning Glory Vine (Ipomoea)

Double Morning Glory Vine (Ipomoea), they has been out in the market for years, the prices of seed packs are still high. Oh, they are so few (less than 10) in a pack… I guess that is why it is not very common seeing people have this plant in the garden. I have planted the cherry-red onec in my backyard, they were as easy to grow as the common kind of morning glory.

朝顏/牽牛花（屬名：Ipomoea）屬旋花科，有些地區稱它喇叭花，日本人叫它"朝顏"，原產熱帶美洲的一年生或多年生的草本蔓藤植物。 這兩種很貴一包的重瓣西洋朝顏(一包種子少到屈指可數),真是搶人! 而且還不是到處都有在賣…上市這許多年了,還是貴的很,價格一點下降也沒有. 也因為價格高昂,很少人種重瓣的. 我種過桃紅色的重瓣朝顏,種植與一般朝顏無異.

巴西耐寒的大花西番蓮Brazilian Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea)

巴西耐寒的大花西番蓮Brazilian Passion Flower Vine (Passiflora caerulea)

Zone 5! They are the ones I really want! In the past, I have only seen the tropical ones (Zone 9) selling in the nurseies and garden centres. This year I decide to grow from seeds. After one month sitting in the freezer and then plant them in the supermarket mushroom container with some soil, I then place whole thing in a clear plastic bag. Daytime put near heat register so it is quite warm, put them in the fridge to keep cool at night before I go to sleep. They are in and out of my fridge for 2 weeks now, I saw the first sprout (the pink one)today!

一般園藝店賣的都不耐寒. 除了秋末要整大盆搬進屋渡過漫長的冬天外就是當一年生的將它賜死,因為植株不便宜所以今年看到這耐寒品系就決定來孵種子了!

冰箱冷凍了一個月後拿出來種在洋菇盒裡的淺土,再用透明塑膠袋紮起來放在溫暖的地方. 睡前再整包冰進冰箱冷藏. 早上再拿出來. 如此2周就可發芽,今天已有一顆有芽了!

雖是園藝觀賞種,但果實依然可食用.–就是不知是否好吃?