Also growing seedlings in field conditions is sometimes risky. Following is clipped from the pbs wiki, an information source I am finding very valuable...... many thanks [pbs] http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… 'The following specie seeds are immediate hypogeal cool germination. If held at temperatures of 9 to 11C. they will sprout their first true leaf about 60 to 80 days after the seed has germinated and the bulblet is well formed.. If held at warmer or colder temperatures the seeds may never germinate but if they do the true leaf may never sprout. The planting medium should be just moist, if it's to wet the seeds will refuse to germinate.' The above protocol is for lilies with 'immediate cool hypogeal germination' indicates a critical temperature range. I've purchased, collected and otherwise accumulated seed from immediate epigeal, delayed epigeal, delayed hypogeal and this one, immediate cool hypogeal. Endlessly confusing but now I have my seeds sorted out and have a growing strategy for each species. Last year, without this resource I 'shot from the hip' and fall planted Lilium pardalinum in a seed bed outside. It grew well but I did not really understand why. This fall I planted in seed bed outside again and paid better attention, watching the seed germinate in their hypogeal fashion. They are now covered with sawdust mulch and hopefully will appear again in the spring with leaves. My location is almost exactly on the Canadian border and some winters we have cold spells where single digit degree F air drains out of the Frasier River Valley. This would likely destroy my baby Lilies. I've grown L. columbianum and L pardalinum by direct seeding to flowering in the field but never had consistent success each year. Now I'm thinking that a protected tray system and transplanting young bulbs is a more reliable method. I'm also interested now to expand my species list of lilies that I can grow. I decided at the onset to grow lilies and related genera in our fields only from seed. Altogether, I have 750 species (including some ecotypes) on my growing list only from seed initially. My theory is this will minimize the risk of introducing virus, disease and nematodes. This limits however my growing to 'species' strains not commercial selections and hybrids. Once I have a lily, Allium, etc going it can be vegetatively propagated and as it is a P1 source I can supply buyers interested in vegetation restoration with a specific provenance. Growing other non-bulb species from seed from specific seed sources, (provinance), I grow the p1 seed to maturity and collect f1 seed from these plants for 2-3 years. This seed increase allows me to supply my restoration customers with plants grown from genetics they need for specific habitats. Richard T. Haard On Dec 25, 2011, at 8:36 PM, Kathleen Sayce wrote: > Thanks for the several comments. > > It does sound counter intuitive, but if the problem is keeping a pot cool enough. Where a large (and efficient) cooler is available, then heating a small volume box in that cooler is indeed more efficient than plugging in a refrigerator to hold at a slightly higher temperature. > > Richard and I both live in the PNW, and keeping plants, or seeds, consistently at 45 or 50 F during winter is problematic due to temperature fluctuations outside. > > Kathleen > > PNW Coast, WHZ 8, dryish cool summers & mild wet winters; tonight, it's a mix of hail and rain > > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/