The Gentian plant which is also known
as Gentiana bears cobalt-blue, trumpet-shaped flowers that rise on short stems
from green, mat-like foliage. The Gentian plant is native to alpine regions, the
plant also grows in temperate climates throughout the United States. The Gentiana
affinis "Ovata" is actually a California native plant, blooming in
June and July. You can grow small species of gentian, such as Gentian acaulis,
in rock gardens, or plant more robust species, such as willow gentian (Gentian
asclepiadeas) in borders in partial shade where summers are warm and dry. The Gentian
plants often grow in symbiosis with certain fungi. You can easily treat the seeds
with gibberellic acid -- a derivative of Gibberella fujikuroi fungus, in other
to hasten germination. Cold stratification also helps the Gentian plant seeds
break dormancy.
How to Grow Gentian from Seed
The following are the steps on how to
grow Gentian plant from seed;
Step 1: You need to treat the seeds
with gibberellic acid to hasten germination. Fold a paper towel into a square
measuring about 4 ½ - by-4 ½ inches. Dampen the paper towel. You need to lay a
3-by-3 inch piece of polyethylene plastic in the center of the toweling. Cut a
2 ½ -by-2 1/2 inch piece of paper
toweling and fold it into a rectangle ½ -by-1 inch. You need to moisten it with
approximately 6 drops of water and then place it in the center of the plastic.
Sprinkle the Gentian seeds on this small rectangle. Dip the pointed end of a
toothpick -- the kind that is rounded on both sides -- into the dry gibberellic
acid powder. Sprinkle the powder over the Gentian seeds. You need to keep the
toweling flat and then place it inside a plastic bag to conserve moisture. When
the Gentian seeds sprout, you can dip the paper toweling in a small container
of water to float the Gentian seeds. Pour the water over a seed flat that is prepared
with seed-germinating mixture.
Step 2: Stratify the Gentian seeds to
aid in breaking dormancy. In the springtime you can easily sow the Gentian seeds
in a seed flat prepared with a moist seed-germination medium. Place the flat in
a plastic bag and then seal. You can place the flat in a refrigerator for about
2 months. Remove the flat from the refrigerator and then keep them in a dark
location at seventy to seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. You can transplant
seedlings to peat pots.
Step 3: Plant the Gentian in a moist,
well-drained soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.5 in Sunset's Climate Zones six through
twenty-two. Grow the Gentian plant in partial shade in areas where summers are
warm and dry, or in full sun where summers are cool and damp. The small species
that is up to six inches are spaced six to twelve inches apart. The larger
growing species are spaced fourteen to twenty-four inches apart.
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