Cyanothamnus ramosus seeds – ( Boronia ramosa, Blue Boronia)

Description

This plant is a native of Australia. It is a small shrub growing to about 40 cm high and 30-40cm wide. It produces lovely, delicate and fragrant blue flowers, and makes a pretty bush for your garden. The flowers are a favourite of florists, making an unusual and  fragrant cut flower. The scent is typical of the boronia family , and is a light perfume which will not overpower other plants. The flowers are usually produced during the late autumn and winter, which is a very useful time of the year , flowering when many other plants are finished . It likes a free draining soil , in a sheltered spot, and can withstand some frost as well as being drought resistant. Plant it in full  or partial sun.

Sowing advice

These seeds germinate best with smoke treatment .

Method 1

Buy a custom smoke treatment such as:

• Biogrow seed soak

Method 2: A cheap option and one which has worked well for us  is to use a covered object such as a kettle barbecue or  large tin can with lid or similar which can contain the fire. Buy some vermiculite from your garden centre.

• In  the  BBQ or tin can object, put  the material you will use for generating smoke , such as dryish grass or wood chips or dryish leaves, in the base of the container.
• Light the material, and allow it to smoulder.
• Place the vermiculite in an open  container , and put this container into the  barbecue , tin etc, on a  rack above the base fire. Put the lid on the barbecue ,tin etc
• You may need to replenish the fire material a few times if it stops smouldering
• Leave the vermiculite inside  the covered BBQ /tin /etc for  about 30 mins
• Remove the vermiculite, and store in a sealed container

Follow the makers directions for Method 1.

For Method 2 mix a small amount of the smoked vermiculite into the seed raising mix about 1 cup for about 4 cups of seed raising mix. Sow the seeds on the surface of the  seed raising mix when the temperatures reach the ideal temp range  of about 18-22 deg C. .Sprinkle the seed lightly with some smoked vermiculite. Do not let the mix completely dry out, but don’t waterlog them . Place in a warm shady position.Germination should occur within a month, but can take longer .  Should this occur, set the seed pot aside somewhere and keep them warm and moist ,  and don’t discard as they often germinate when conditions suit them.

We can sometimes supply a very small  amount of smoked vermiculite with your seeds if you ask us .