Earlier this year I was quite pleasantly surprised when one of a very few seeds of Gentiana boissieri that I was sent, germinated quite quickly. However, returning from holiday a month ago, I found the seedling looking decidedly poorly.
I have brought it into my conservatory to avoid the downpours that, unusully, have characterised the last month here, but there is not much sign of improvement...
Any suggestions would be much appreciated....
I found this on the web pertaining to another species of Gentiana and hoped it might help with this one, too. I can't find a whole lot on the species you mentioned.
Propagation Notes: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a light position in a cold frame. It can also be sown in late winter or early spring but the seed germinates best if given a period of cold stratification and quickly loses viability when stored, with older seed germinating slowly and erratically. It is advantageous to keep the seed at about 10°c for a few days after sowing, to enable the seed to imbibe moisture. Following this with a period of at least 5 - 6 weeks with temperatures falling to between 0 and -5°c will usually produce reasonable germination. It is best to use clay pots, since plastic ones do not drain so freely and the moister conditions encourage the growth of moss, which will prevent germination of the seed. The seed should be surface-sown, or only covered with a very light dressing of compost. The seed requires dark for germination, so the pots should be covered with something like newspaper or be kept in the dark. Pot up the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. The seedlings grow on very slowly, taking 2 - 7 years to reach flowering size.
Thanks - looks like I did right to bring it inside...
