Rhododendron floribundum seeds

Description

A rare rhododendron from Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, China. Lovely lavender coloured flowers are generously marked with dark red spots and basal botch.  Adding to its beauty leaf veins are deeply etched and have a pale woolly indumentum on the reverse. Blooms in April, but there is some sporadic flowering in mild climates.  All new growth is covered in a fine pale felt that is soon lost as the growing season progresses. Flowers at a young age.

• Seed Count: 25-30
• Collection Date: Dec 2019
• Hardiness Zone: 6-10
• Height and Width: 2-5m x 2m
• Germination test type: hand sort
• Family: Ericaceae

How to germinate Rhododendron floribundum seeds:

Rub peat moss through a 4mm screen to create fine milled peat moss. Add some 20/30 filter sand (10% content max) and some greensand (1 tbsp/gallon of medium). Moisten, blend well and fill pots/flats/WHY and tamp firm. Sprinkle seeds thinly on medium surface and mist well. Give gentle warmth (20-25C). Lightly mist daily. Provide strong indirect light. Clear plastic cover will help maintain humidity and enhance germination/seedling survival by not letting medium desiccate. Seeds should germinate in 10 days. Never let seedlings nor medium dry out nor over water.  Prick out when large enough to handle into individual pots and grow on.  Shallow rooted.  Be warned seedlings have very fine hair like roots and can damage easily. Have pots ready to receive when transplanting to avoid roots from drying out.