In the SE UK there may, or may not, be a (serious) frost before December; but it is rare. I can cut say 50% of the length of the stems off and place in water, and then in an unheated or frost-free greenhouse; but will this speed up things at all? Will it just keep the plant healthier/greener for longer and slow down ripening, rather than the reverse? Maybe I need some ripe fruit and ethylene, or will my short lived dahlia flowers do ;-) Brian Brian asked: " I need to collect Lilium henryi seed for a seedex. For me this lily ripens quite late in the season, and at present has fully formed and well coloured (some green but mostly dark red/brown) pods, but they show little sign, of drying and splitting to release the seed. Can I hurry this along without damaging the seed? " Brian, I don't know of a way to hurry the ripening process, but if you are concerned that the developing seed will be damaged by freezing weather, it is safe to cut the stems, place them in water, and allow the seed to ripen under cover or inside. Jim McKenneyMontgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where it's hot and humid and hard to realize that we're already into October. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…