You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
For the third year running, I will be offering lingonberry seed for postage. There were several people requesting seed later last year, after I had run out and I will give them priority if they are still interested. Please no requests for outside of the US.
I should have plenty of seed this year as it looks like a bumper crop on my plants. However, before requesting seed, please read below on how to start and successfully raise lingonberry plants. They are not difficult when given proper condidions. Some patience is required, but you can generate many plants this way. I produced over 100 lingonberry plants following this procedure from one batch of seeds in 2007. Seed should be available beginning at the end of July.
1) You will receive several over-ripe fruits which must be gently crushed into about 1 cup of water. Seeds will ferment in the water for two weeks to one month, after which the crushed berry waste and bad seeds must be carefully rinsed and washed from the good seeds that sink to the bottom. Do not let the fermenting fruit or seeds dry out. You should have many good seeds, typically over 100. When rinsing the seeds, retain the rinse water in case you are too vigorous and rinse away good seeds. The seeds are very small and young plants are initially very fragile.
2) Fermented seeds must not be allowed to dry out. You will need to plant on the surface of a 50/50 mix of peat/sand. Ideally, you will use transparent containers, filled only halfway with this mixture. A thin transparent plastic food storage container can work well. Carefully press the seeds onto the surface of the moist peat/sand mixture. Do not cover the seeds. Seal the container with a plastic bag or tight fitting transparent lid. During the first week check daily to make sure that the potting mixture does not dry out. Try to keep the seeds separate and resist putting too many seeds into the same container. 10 is a good number of seeds per quart sized container. A small mister is helpful for adjusting container moisture. Consider the container to be a mini greenhouse. The transparent sides and top help to develop a well structured plant, but your plants will be "stringy" for thier first year or so. The room above the peat/sand allows the young plant to grow in a protected environment
3) Place the container in bright light but not where it will heat up. Light appears to be necessary to trigger germination. Check periodically to make sure that the planter does not dry out. Keep tightly closed.
4) Seeds begin to germinate in 2 weeks, but can take up to 2 months for all to germinate that will do so.
5) Leave the plants sealed in the containers until they have grown to the top of the container (3-4") and have started to develop multiple stems on the small plants.
6) You can transplant seedlings to larger or more pots as needed, if too crowded or they get too big.. Young plants are easily handled, provided you keep the humidity and potting mix moisture maintained. Do not plant outside for the first winter. Handle the roots gently.
7) Plants can be out-potted during the following spring. This is when you will incur significant losses if you do not properly harden off. Open containers for an hour a day for about a week, then remove lids/covers for increasing amounts of time until the plants can go without lids/covers. Plants will die if you do this too quickly. Transplant into peat/sand mixture in larger pots being sure to protect from sun, drying wind and other harsh conditions. The plants will gradually strengthen and are quite hardy, but will not tolerate drying out too much until fully acclimated.
8) Up pot into 1 gallon containers when you see evidence of plants sending runners or plant them in ground. Be aware that a lingonberry plant's stems only last a couple of years and that plant is continually reproducing itself though underground runners. If the runners do not have room, the plant can die out when the older stems reach the end of their lifespan.
9) I have now grown lingonberry plants for years, without fertilization and with good success, in the 50/50 peat/sand mixture. Please be sure to maintain proper soil for them as it seems to be the most important thing you can do for success. If you plant them in the ground, be sure to add a layer of peat/sand each year around the plant. The sand helps prevent the peat from compressing too much and the peat maintains proper acidity. The loose mix also allows the plant to send out more runners as the plant grows.
This thread has 11 replies. This forum is accessible only to subscribing members of Dave's Garden. There are many free features here, and about half of our forums are completely open to all members. Take a tour of our site and learn more about Dave's Garden, and explore the benefits of becoming a subscribing member.
