On 5 Jan 07, at 14:03, Gerhard Stickroth wrote: > just received some seed of Asarum hartwegii from Ron Ratko. Reading > thru literature - Norman C. Deno and John E. Bryan -Bulbs- germination > is difficult.Looking at the seed, prior soaking may be helpful?? I always soak seed before sowing, for up to two weeks. I've done a few asarums in my day and never had any particular trouble with them. On occasion, I have been able to germinate seeds everyone else thinks are a problem. Some general tips on soaking seed: 1. Change the water every few days. When you do, rinse the seeds under a hard spray of cold tap water; a small, fine sieve is the right tool. Blot the sieve dry with a paper towel pressed against the underside; this will make handling the damp seed a little easier. 2. Change the water sooner if it starts to go cloudy. 3. Change the water sooner if it becomes colored. I believe (perhaps wrongly) that such colors are frequently due to germination inhibitors in the seedcoats being leached out. 4. Add a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid to the fresh water. More if the seed seems to be water-repellent. 5. Be extremely careful about labelling. Devise a system that makes it impossible to lose track of which container contains which seed. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island