Dear Byron, Others may do it differently, but when I started seed of Calochortus in the fall it germinated well and I lost most of it when the cold wet weather with high humidity came. It probably would have been possible this year however with our drier weather and more sunshine. Calochortus seed usually takes about a month to germinate for me and if I started it late January, when it came up in February the conditions seemed more to its liking. But others may have different experiences or start it under lights indoors or use fungicides. Diana Chapman and Bob Werra might want to share their experiences. Mary Sue