I am attempting for the first time to start various Tropaeolum species: T. polyphyllum, T. sessilifolium, T. tricolorum and T. brachyceras. From what I understand, they all develop large tubers after about a year and was told that once the seeds are planted, they should not be disturbed until the tuber has formed. Now here's my problem: I live in San Francisco, where winter temperatures are mild, and apparently this is fine for T. tricolorum and T. brachyceras. I put them in two-gallon pots and set them outside. It's the T. polyphyllum and T. sessilifolium I'm concerned about. They need to be stratified, so I carefully planted them in six-packs enclosed in plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator. However, the person who sold them to me was concerned that I would greatly damage them once I take them out of the refrigerator, because they need a lot of space for the tubers to form--and should not be moved once they start growing. So what do I do? Call me old-fashioned, but I don't have enough room for 2-gallon pots in my refrigerator... Does anyone have experience in successfully stratifying these two species in mild climates? Can they be transplanted? Can these plants be saved? Or even started? (she cried despondantly, beating her breast in dismay...) Thanks for your help. Jean Moshofsky Butler San Francisco, CA