> Regarding those fynbo species that require smoke treatment, I was amazed > to read about experiments by Australians proving that even Liquid Smoke > works just as well as the real thing as long as there is not too much > vinegar in it. I wonder if there's a cheap gibberelic acid treatment > somewhere on the Walmart exotic spices aisle, . . .
The subject of seeds requiring smoke treatment has come up before, but I continue to wonder if cold might not be an adequate substitute for smoke. Romneya coulteri is a species said to "require" smoke treatment for seed germination, but the seed also germinates quite well when simply sown outdoors in pots, here. I'm trying the same simple vernalization technique for a couple of species of manzanita (Arctostaphylos pringlei and pungens), instead of going through the seed smoking business (I guess I could go into Denver and buy a pipe for smoking seeds of medical manzanita, but I don't want to), or scarification (tried that), or stratification, etc. etc. Liquid Smoke does have vinegar in it. (Wouldn't that be "acid scarification"?) Another option to get the charate supposedly required for germination might be to burn a piece of wood, douse it in water, and use the water for irrigation. Bob Nold Denver, Colorado, USA _______________________________________________ Alpine-l mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.science.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/alpine-l
