> > No one has responded to the question of growing Crocus from seed. I too > have had germination sometimes the following year or 4 or 5 months after > sowing. Any help from the experts? Or is this to be expected. > > Mary Sue Mary Sue et al., Crocus are relatively straight-forward from seed, generally germinating the late fall-early spring after sowing. Pretty much all of my seed of fall-flowering crocus is now up, barring a few stragglers. The spring flowerers will be germinating between now and February/March. Because of this 'winter' germination pattern I like to keep my crocus seed pots from freezing through - once germinated (and still below the top-dressing) the seedlings are very vulnerable and can be killed if they freeze when wet. Mine are kept in a greenhouse which gets to 32F but not much below. As soon as they germinate they come into the big greenhouse which is kept a little warmer but has strong forced ventilation. They do need a certain pattern to germinate - warm then cold - but if they miss that they will wait a year. Last fall was very warm until December and very few germinated, they are all up this year. Cyclamen did exactly the same. If it hasn't germinated after two winters then you can be pretty sure it was no good. I do find a proportion of crocus seed that looks the part just doesn't germinate - frequently rots the summer after sowing. No idea why this should be. J Dr John T Lonsdale 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Phone: 610 594 9232 Fax: 801 327 1266 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.johnlonsdale.net/ Zone 6b