On 28 Mar 2009, at 16:39, Jane McGary wrote: > I think you need to chill [seed of Iris magnifica] AFTER it is planted and > moistened. This is the typical need of plants from cold steppe regions. At > least, that is what I do with Junos and it works. Jane has indirectly brought up an important point for those not used to growing bulbs from seed. Many gardeners, used to the warmth + moisture = germination equation typical of annuals, make the mistake of thinking the same equation applies to everything else. This mistake overlooks the fact that the annuals widely sold in seed packets have been subjected to many, many generations of growth under warm, moist conditions, and have evolved to respond well to such conditions no matter what conditions their wild progenitors experienced. However, we bulb enthusiasts aren't growing annuals, and the seeds we receive from exchanges generally demand conditions approximating those experienced in the wild. My practice, for the last 30 years or so, has been to soak seed until it is thoroughly hydrated, sow in a soil-based compost, and park the pots outside where they are exposed to natural conditions, though with protection from rain during the winter. The soak also removes growth inhibitors from some seeds notoriously difficult to germinate. Glaucidium palmatum is one such, and some clever people put their glaucidium seed in an old sock and suspend it in the toilet tank: every time the toilet is flushed, the water is changed. With this exception and a few other bad germinators, most dry seed is ready for sowing when it has plumped up, usually within a few days. An interesting exception is the genus Narcissus: I have found that Narcissus seed sown in the later winter or spring often germinates the same summer. It is important to use soil-based compost. Many species of bulbs take several years to germinate, during which time peat-based composts will pack down into a dense airless sludge. Though not bulbous, it may be worth mentioning that I hold back sowing Lamiaceae (aka Labiatae, the mint family) and Asteraceae (aka Compositae, the daisy family) until the weather is warm. Seeds of species in these families often respond much like the commercial annuals: warmth + moisture gives fast germination. But on the whole I find more success in letting the seeds germinate when they will instead of trying to force them to germinate. I am always puzzled by reports "I applied GA3 and all my seeds germinated on Labor Day!" What then do you do with all the young seedlings to get them through the winter after their premature germination? -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island http://maps.google.ca/maps/…