Lee wrote (in response to Janet): >I wonder about using a heating mat during the winter to germinate and grow seedlings from California and (I assume) the Cape Province area of South Africa, in California I agree with Lee. I'm in San Jose as well (in Evergreen, up against the hiills in a cold pocket). All of my bulbs and seedlings from both CA and SA are hardy to about 20F (-6C) overnight. The only time I need to protect them is when there's one of those occasional arctic deep freeze storms. If the temperature goes below 20F, or if the freeze is sustained for a full day, you're in danger. I have talked with folks who struggled to germinate South African and California bulb seeds in a warm greenhouse, so I think Lee may be right that the heating pad could actually inhibit germination. There's also the risk of damping off fungus for some California species (Calochortus), which I speculate might be encouraged by warmth. And welcome to the list, Janet! I hope it doesn't feel like we're piling on you about the heating mat. We're all happy to help. Your growing setup sounds really good, and I'm sure you'll get great results from it. Please keep us informed about how it works out, and keep posting anytime. Mike San Jose, CA _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net https://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> PBS Forum https://…