Thank you Jane. Will do that. Knowing to cover them like that and why, helps too. And ongoing care. Now for the patience until they flower..... Not as bad as the Plumeria seed I have just got and I seem to recall they take 7 years to flower. Ina On 14/06/2012 4:14 a.m., Jane McGary wrote: > Ina asked, >> Does anyone have experience growing Sternbergia from seed? What sort of >> conditions they like, sown on top of the soil, or covered? Which time >> of the year? > I have grown all the Sternbergia species from seed. I sow the seed in > fall, or if I get it later in the year, as soon as received. The > seeds should be well covered with at least 5 mm of soil and grit > topdressing, because the radicle (first root) emerges from the seed > first and can push the seed and its single cotyledon (leaf) out of > the soil if it is not well covered. (This is true of Crocus seed > too.) Usually the seeds germinate the first year after a period of > cold (not freezing), but I would keep the seed pot at least two > years. Keep the seedlings in their pots until they go dormant. Then > you can store the seed pot fairly dry but not completely desiccated, > in the shade, and let it grow on another year, or you can sort out > the young bulbs and put them in a larger pot for the next year's > growth -- also keep this pot somewhat but not totally dry. > > Jane McGary > Portland, Oregon, USA > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ > -- Ina Crossley Auckland New Zealand Zone 10