Thanks for the comprehensive reply Mary. I have been reading the archived IBS posts on seed germination. What a gold mine. Thanks for the tip. I had Googled seed sowing previously using the the search string from the wiki welcome page, but I never had discovered this particular string of posts. Mry, I wondered if you could offer some clarification of sowing of Calochortus. I can't tell tell if you mean that you always sow early in the fall, or if you wait until later in the winter after most of the rain to avoid a long, soggy stay before germination. Michael and others, your feedback is well-taken. I'll do my best to be more patient and wait to sow seeds of the winter-growing species. ~Byron