I always start mine the last week of January in 'waves'. I use the older heating pads that don't have the auto cut off and a heat mat thermostat called Jump Start. You plug the heating pad into the Jump Start and stick a probe into your seed starting medium and set the thermostat to the temperature you want. Worked great last year. Previously I was using glass encased photo thermometers which required constant checking.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NZZG3S/

If anyone has any germination information for starting the Voodoo Flame Ginger - Burbidgea schizocheila I'd appreciate it .. seeds are tiny. Don't know if they need light, darkness or they don't care.



Here's my list so far .. I'll be adding a lot more to the list in the weeks to come .. I'll be using GA - gibberellic acid, a plant growth hormone on the Canary Bird Vine since they are very difficult with poor germination rates to get going.

Amaranthus 'Illumination' - Amaranthus tricolor
Blue Honeywort - Cerinthe major subsp. Purpurascens
Brazilian Coral Tree - Erythrina crista-galli
Calendula - Flashback Mix - Calendula officinalis
Canary Bird Vine - Tropaeolum peregrinum (going to try GA on them since they are hard to germinate)
Candle Stick Bush - Cassia alata
Dichondra Silver Falls - Dichondra argentea
Dutchman's Pipe - Gigantia - Aristolochia gigantea
Hibiscus - Jamaican Tea - Hibiscus sabdariffa
Hibiscus - Kenaf - Hibiscus cannabinus
Hibiscus - Thai Red - Hibiscus sabdariffa
Honey Bush - Giant - Melianthus major
Lisianthus - Double Yellow - Eustoma grandiflorum
Marigold - Sweet Cream - Tagetes erecta
Mimulus - Mimulus luteus tigrinus grandiflorus
Nasturtium Double Gleam - Mahogany - Tropaeolum majus
Passion Flower - Cotton Leaf - Passiflora foetida var. gossypifolia
Petunia - Dbl Cascade Pink - Petunia x hybrida
Petunia - Dbl Cascade Soft Pink - Petunia x hybrida
Voodoo Flame Ginger - Burbidgea schizocheila
Ylang Ylang Climbing - Artabotrys hexapetalus
Zinnia Zahara Starlight Rose - Zinnia
Zinnia Zinderella Lilac - Zinnia

Good luck Anne. Some nice choices there. I too use a thermostat on my heat pads.

Those seeds by the paper clip are huge compared to some I planted the other day. You essentially could not see them - smaller than dust. :-)

For miniscule seeds - I mean microscopic small - I devised a trick a couple of years ago. Moisten a small piece of cotton from a ball or from a q-tip. Just a very small portion. Rub against what you think are seed. Indent media in cell. Ly the cotton with seeds in the indent. Cover with a fine dusting of play sand. Lightly moisten. This has worked well for me.

How much GA-3 will you use? Have never grown Canary Bird Vine

Good luck on the Ylang Ylang Climbing - Artabotrys hexapetalus - they love bottom heat. I have 2 growing that I started last year. I also have some Artabotrys siamensis.

Do you happen to have an Texas Green Eyes? I am going nuts trying to find seeds - two places had it Out of Stock. Heh

Thanks David, I'll have to try that cotton trick for my dusty seeds!

Last year we had a whole troupe trying to get the Canary Vine going from seeds. No one really had any luck so I'm going to go the GA route starting with 500ppm and give that a try. I'll probably nick and soak some and just put some down on a GA soaked paper towel .. I'll even try injecting some GA into a seed as well but only use 200ppm.

The thread "canary bird vine - tropaeolum peregrinum" in Vines and Climbers forum

Don't have any of your Texas Greeneyes seeds but looks like this place does:

http://www.pineridgegardens.co...