Germination Information: I recommend these seeds only for gardeners who are experienced in handling challenging seeds, because they require some care, patience, and experimentation. They seem to need a period of chilling, which is easiest to provide by surface-sowing fresh seeds in a pot as soon as you receive them (October through December is ideal) and leaving them in a protected place outdoors. The seedlings should appear when conditions are right the following spring. The winter-sowing technique (sowing in milk jugs) can work well for this species: seeds I sowed on January 1 began sprouting on March 16 (your experience will vary). I have also tried starting these seeds in warm conditions (indoors, under lights) and have not had luck that way, so I don’t recommend it, but you could try if you wish. The seedlings are delicate and easily damaged during transplanting, so you may instead decide to sow in prepared soil right in your garden. Or, better yet, spread the seeds out over several pots (I’d suggest three seeds per 3-inch pot) and carefully transplant each grouping of seedlings to the garden when they are an inch or two tall. Once you get this species to flower, it will happily perpetuate itself by seeding around, and the self-sown seedlings tend to be much more vigorous than transplants. Note that this information will not appear on the seed packet you receive. Please read the description as well before ordering.
