Each year, the fall issue of the ALMANAC carries a list of donated iris seeds available for distribution. Most, unless otherwise specified, are open-pollinated. They are priced at $1.00 for the first packet, $.50 for each additional packet, and shipped in late January or February. For a current list, see the ALMANAC or contact the seed distribution chairperson. Seeds are listed in the following groups and sent on a first-come, first-serve basis:

1. Seed from named garden hybrids (54 listed, by name)
2. Seed from unnamed garden seedlings (26 listed, parent described)
3. Seed from hand-pollinated crosses (6 listed, parents named)
4. Seed from PCI species (36 lots, species and collection site given)

      Except for areas bordering the ocean, where they tolerate full sun, Pacific Coast Iris (PCI) are generally found growing wild in lightly wooded areas, with well-drained, gritty soils. They thrive where the summers are long and dry, but tolerate rain and snow cover and some frost, in other times of the year.
      Our most up to date recommendations for seed culture are as follows: Plant the seeds in a good, moist potting mix. The mix should be fast-draining with a pH of 6.5 to 7. Plant in pots or flats and cover and firm with about a quarter inch of potting mix. Plant as many seeds as you can physically separate from each other when it is time to transplant them, (½ to 1-inch apart).
      Keep in a cool area. PCI seeds germinate best at temperatures around 50 degrees F. They will not germinate at temperatures above 70 to 80 degrees F. Keep pots or flats outdoors, or in hard-freeze areas, in a cool basement or garage. Refrigeration only delays emergence. Keep the soil moist until they germinate, which takes two months on the average.
      Transplant the seedlings to the garden or into pots when they are 3 to 6 inches tall. This will generally be around April or May. If pots are your choice, use 6 to 8-inch pots for each seedling. When planted directly into the garden soil, plant them 6 inches apart in rows which are a foot apart. In that way, you will have room to dig those you select when they bloom.
      PCIs transplant well as seedlings, but only when actively growing (in late fall or early spring) as adults. They grow best in filtered shade or morning sun. Most hybrid seedlings will bloom the following spring. Some species take two years to bloom.

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