Hi Jane, I never sow mine 'fresh'. I always collect them in the split capsules then let the whole lot dry for a couple of weeks at room temperature. They clean much more easily this way. I then keep the cleaned seeds in the fridge until mid-late August and sow them then; they would probably be just as well stored at room temperature. Although the seeds are relatively desiccated I never soak before sowing - just water them in well and keep the pots moist - the seeds rehydrate quite quickly, as they would in nature. The results from this method have never been other than excellent. The seeds need a period of warmth followed a period below about 15C, after which time they will be primed to germinate at or close to the time the parent plants either come into growth or flower. If I store cyclamen seeds for more than a couple of months it is always in the fridge, and they maintain viability well. Best, J. John T Lonsdale PhD 407 Edgewood Drive, Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, USA Home: 610 594 9232 Cell: 484 678 9856 Fax: 315 571 9232 Visit "Edgewood" - The Lonsdale Garden at http://www.edgewoodgardens.net/ USDA Zone 6b