Hoy

[salix]

No worries, Walter. Wasn't feeling excluded at all, just extremely happy that we get to share these seeds. And I just found out I am definitely on the "Canadian" waiting list, so everything is good. You are to be commended on checking out the germination rates on these seeds, hope they all pop up soon - maybe the second batch was planted in a better lunar cycle? (planning to keep an eye on this as well)

[ireilly]

Just got finished sending out 20 of your requests. The DW got me some small poly baggies from Wally World to send these in that are labeled for daily pills, like vitamins. The poor 8 seeds look so lost in the baggie. I could have put all the seed I got in a single baggie.

I've counted the remainder and it was even closer than I thought. I'm now going to open the offer for another 4 takers if there are any more. 8 seeds in each packet. See link above please.

Medbury Gardens has generously said he will send more Hoy seed so please speak up if you want some, so we have an idea what the demand will be.

Plus we have to make him eat even more Hoy tomatoes to produce the seed.

I hope these all germinate for you but I will be interested to see the results. Not every variety's seed all germinate for me, but I do get 100 percent on some. I would love to perfect that skill though.

Offer open #22-#25 please.
Walter

[Full Moon]

I just found out I am definitely on the "Canadian" waiting list

Where is that list salix?

[ireilly]

#22-#24 are packaged and will drop in post tonight.

Walter

[Duh_Vinci]

By the looks of it, fine looking specimen, Medbury!

Thank you both for the time and opportunity to try it out!

Regards,
D

[kath]

Originally Posted by ireilly

Just got finished sending out 20 of your requests.

I hope these all germinate for you but I will be interested to see the results.
Walter

Wow! You're fast! Thanks for spending your day doing this, Walter.

Will be happy to share the germination rate when the time comes.

Thanks to all who were part of making this distribution happen. If I get a Hoy plant, I'll bag and share the seed.

kath

[KLorentz]

Originally Posted by kath

Wow! You're fast! Thanks for spending your day doing this, Walter.

Will be happy to share the germination rate when the time comes.

Thanks to all who were part of making this distribution happen. If I get a Hoy plant, I'll bag and share the seed.

kath

Goes ditto for me.I will make sure I let ya know about the germination and will be sure to save seeds for next season.More folks saving seeds the more gardeners will be able to try them


Kevin

[Wi-sunflower]

I just finished reading the various Hoy threads and needed to make 1 comment --

It seems that maybe Walter is too new here to have read the threads the last couple of years about needing to put padding in the envelopes so the Post Office doesn't crush the seeds.

Carolyn did a test after her seed offer was getting bad germination. Something as simple as a paper napkin ( or I use 1 of those 1/2 sheets of paper toweling) works well enough to protect the seeds but doesn't add to the postage. But anything to cushion the seeds helps.

Carol

[strax]

Carol, fyi: the seeds were crushed in transit from nz to the usa. walter recieved them with damage and has not caused any damage. in fact he has volunteered his time and sent out seed(that he recieved from nz) to tv growers in the usa without even asking for sase's.

[ireilly]

Thanks for the info. In fact, it is not at all sure that the seeds were damaged in transit to me. I think we always consider it because of past discussions (read more below). I did not see them pulverized, but the plastic bag showed some dimpling. OTOH it could be I am having less luck with germination, and everyone will have plenty Hoy plants to deal with!

I did pad all the envelopes I sent except the one to Indonesia, at their request, so as to pass through their mail system. I have been using the small bubble wrap so as to get under the 1/4 inch thickness rule. I think that is fine for tomato seeds.

But I received a letter with tomato seeds and beans in it from someone who was nice enough to trade with me. There was no padding, and the tomato seeds look fine but a few (just a few) of the beans were pulverized - literally. Wouldn't want to have my finger in there! Point is that the rollers on the sorting machines do exist for normal shaped first-class mail. Someone else has said the more square envelopes (like greeting cards sometimes can be) do not pass through the machines. So maybe that's another avenue.

If anyone does not get theirs let me know and I will send more when I get them. #25 was the last sent off on this batch of seed. Please post the requests in the Hoy Seed thread and that will indicate demand.

Update on germination:

Batch #1 - two more have come up just yesterday, almost 18 days since they were first put in a baggie, about 13 days since they were sown. Wonder why it took so long? Rate is now 3/6.

Batch #2 - I said 5/8 were sprouted but one just sort of stopped - so I am not counting it, and now it is 4/8, same ratio as the first batch. Maybe sowing in soil will make more germinate.

I do have to say I have not put these on a heat mat as I do not have one and my furnace has not run in a couple weeks now. In fact it will be 84 F here today, so maybe temperature is the answer. I hope others will have better rates than this - not that I am not happy to have 7 lovely plants started.

Seems like most folks have gotten their requests in, so maybe the demand is mostly over for the seed? Not sure.

[Wi-sunflower]

OK, sorry about that Walter. I read thru the threads rather fast and I wasn't sure where the dimpled plastic occurred / possible crushing.

There is another slight possibility too with the shipments - radiation. Not from Japan but from scanning equipment. Right after 9-11 I had several orders get killed by the stuff they were doing for the anthrax problem. Now with some of the mail bombs from some areas, it's possible they have increased scanning again and that's not good for the seeds if the level is too high.

It's possible that the Hoy variety is just a bit slower too. This winter I has a complaint about some KBX seeds. I did another germination test and while I got better than 90% germination, the KBX took at least 2-3 days longer than other seeds tested at the same time in the same baggie.

Carol

[Medbury Gardens]

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

I just finished reading the various Hoy threads and needed to make 1 comment --

It seems that maybe Walter is too new here to have read the threads the last couple of years about needing to put padding in the envelopes so the Post Office doesn't crush the seeds.

Carolyn did a test after her seed offer was getting bad germination. Something as simple as a paper napkin ( or I use 1 of those 1/2 sheets of paper toweling) works well enough to protect the seeds but doesn't add to the postage. But anything to cushion the seeds helps.

Carol

The seed that was sent to Walter i'm sure was inside a folded up A4 which i thought would have been enough,but a paper toweling may have been better,i think any type of paper is fine for just a few seeds but when it comes to sending large amounts i now know that they need to be in what the latest consignment has been sent in,which are the plastic bubble padded envelopes,they are a $ each but worth it if the seed can arrive uncrushed.

[ireilly]

Yes, you are correct, it was in a folded A4.

I am not sure that they were crushed, partially or otherwise. I think we reach for explanations when it seems like other factors (like how old a seed is) are optimal, yet the germination rate is not what we expect.

Who knows? You saw that two more just came up from the first batch. That surprised me. I hope my experience is an anomaly and others have better luck.

But I thank you on behalf of everyone who has and will receive the seed for growing it and sending it us.

And you're right, the bubble envelopes are more expensive as well as more expensive to mail.

[Bama mater]

Originally Posted by Bama mater

Med, Thanks for the seeds, However the plastic bag they were in has seed indentions like they were pretty well crushed, What luck this variety is having getting started over here. Anyway I started them with some other varietys a few days back so I should know in a day or 2 if I'll have some Hoy, and if so I will be saving seed for those in need.

Medbury, All is well here with Hoy, Germination is a success 12/14, As I said the plastic bag they came in had seed indentions so I assumed there was some damage, I was wrong for assuming. Anyway I'll grow a 10ct row of these and save seeds for anyone needing seeds.

[Timbotide]

Sounds like I will be bagging some
Blossoms this season.


Tim