Hi Leo and Rob, Oh, if we just lived in Tasmania, or even New Zealand! I use a combination of these two methods. I float Cyrtanthus seeds on water until they just barely start to sprout a root. Then I stick the sprouting seeds, root-down, into a layer of sand about 1/2 inch deep on the surface to the potting mix in my growing container. I get at least some survival this way. They do require pampering -- cover the container loosely with a sheet of plastic or a too-large plastic bag. I set the container in a saucer and keep some water in the saucer until there is good leaf growth. Then start to uncover very gradually, and let it dry a bit in between waterings. Like Leo, I used to try straight floatation, and also got 100% mortality. With the sand, I get some survival. Planting straight into potting mix has never given me any germination in Cyrtanthus. In summer, it is far too hot outdoors most of the time for these young seedlings to get started. Indoor in winter, under lights, it is too dry. Regards, Jim Shields in central Indiana (USA) At 04:53 PM 5/5/2005 +1000, you wrote: >Hi Leo, > >I sow them onto the surface of my seed raising medium , then cover >with coarse sand and keep them moist in my shadhouse and get >almost 100% germination from fresh seed within a few weeks. > >Cheers, > >Rob > >Dr R F Hamilton >7 Beach Road >Snug 7054 >Tasmania >Zone 9 equivalent > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA