Leo, this species germinates like a weed, I feel you got seeds too old. Indeed after the grmination the seedlings are prone to damping-off, but this was due to a peaty mix. Another batch was sown in a more mineral mix (sand-perlite with just a pinch of peat) and no seedling died. The growth isn't vey fast (i.e. like Dietes) but still sturdy. Angelo Porcelli Apulia -south of Italy Alice Messenger ;-) chatti anche con gli amici di Windows Live Messenger e tutti i telefonini TIM! <http://maileservizi.alice.it/alice_messenger/…>