On 22 Feb 2013, at 18:36, Richard wrote: > A good seed collection is totally clean. I have bad news for you. The quoted statement is not always and invariably true. Ca. 20 years ago, one of our locals was trying to grow Linum flavum compactum from commercial seed. The seedlings invariably died quite early, no matter what hygienic precautions he took regarding soil, pots, water, and all else. I suggested that there might be a seed-borne fungus involved and that at least one reference I'd read suggested that a rinse with hydrogen peroxide might be worth trying. He tried the peroxide rinse. It worked. One concludes that on rare occasions a good collection of seed carries pathogens. PS: Though we think of such seedling pathogens as fungi, they may also be oomycetes, which were formerly classified as fungi, but have now been recognized as not-fungi. Sudden Oak Death is an oomycete. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oomycete/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_oak_death/ -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate