Dear all; I agree with Ellen's summary and have a few refinements. The first warm is best warm and damp, Do not freeze seed ever and if you decide to save it until spring or summer planting, store it at room temperature in a dry spot, not in the fridge. The species offered vary a lot in severity and duration of each warm or cold period. Generally the tree peonies will germinate with shorter warm-cold-warm than most herbaceous will. P. osti can germinate in as short as a month from start to finish and P. lactflora wants a 3 or 4 months below 40F just for its cold period. One way to gauge this if you decide to simulate warm /cold is that at the end of the warm period, the roots will emerge. When they are about 1 inch long begin the cool period. When the bud appears to swell, begin the final warm period and germination should follow. Takes some guessing and study to determine where the species comes from and what degree of treatment might be best. Jim W. >Susan -sow it ASAP, then let it follow a natural sequence of temperatures. >Peonies need a warm-cold-warm sequence (sometimes two of them) to >germinate; so seed sowed now and put in a sheltered outdoor environment >shouldn't be expected to come up until spring 2006 at the earliest. > >You can also try simulating that temperature sequence with refrigeration >(i.e. 3 mos warm, 3 mos in fridge, 3 mos warm again) but I find it a whole >lot easier to let themselves get established on a natural schedule. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +