Mark mentioned that alliums grow from swamps to desert, sea-level to mountains. The growing conditions are extremely varied, and I think the seed germination requirements must vary almost as much. I would really like to be able to consult a chart when I am ready to sow some seeds. Perhaps the chart could start simply by area: eg, Chinese mountain species - do this, Iranian desert, do this. Gradually the chart could be expanded as individual species are added. I have grown a few species from seed, usually from seed exchanges but occasionally bought from collectors. I'd like to group these into successes and non-successes, and hope that Mark can give some suggestions for the latter group. Generally I have sown the seed as soon as I receive it in mid-winter, and most was kept at room temperature (about 17 C, or 65 F) unless it was from a desert region, like A. karataviense, which I put outside (usual winter temperature is between 0 and 10 C, or 32 to 50 F) Successfully grown to flowering: A. cernuum germinates in about 10 days. A. cyaneum - 10 to 30 days. One, which germinated October 1998, flowered June 2001. A.flavum ssp tauricum - 10 days. A couple which germinated in March 1998 flowered in summer 2002. Successfully germinated but haven't flowered yet: A. amabile - 2 weeks A. anisopodium - 2 weeks A. atropurpureum - 2 months A. caeruleum - many seed packets - has always germinated, usually in 1 to 2 weeks. I've been growing seed since 1998, but have had none flower yet. A. christophii - 1 year A. fetisowi - 4 weeks A. flavum v. nanum - 2 weeks A. karataviense - 7 weeks A. mairei amabile - 2 weeks A. perdulce - 5 weeks A. siskiyouense - 10 days A. splendens v. kurilense - 3 weeks Successfully germinated and grew a couple of years, but then pot was empty - eaten by rats? A. flavum A. insubricum A. schubertii A. victorialis Not yet germinated: A. akaka sown 1 year ago A. dichlamydeum sown 3 years ago A. forrestii sown 3 months ago Allium maximowiczii v. shibutsuense sown 3 years ago A. narcissiflorum sown 4 years ago A. suaveolens sown 3 years ago -- Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada maritime zone 8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually) sandy soil