The Blue one is setting seed. Anyone grow saved seeds from Salpiglossis, will they come true? I saved seeds from a beautiful light blue petunia one year, well they were all colors with a few light blue.

I think with salpiglossis, you need to stick them in a warm, dark place till they sprout, then quick get them into the light! And into cooler temps. And I've had volunteers, so they might do well wintersown (yes, Karen! )

I saved seeds off my Chocolate Royale this year, so we'll see if they come true!

Keep us posted! I'll try too.

I tried to WSow just a few salpiglossis seeds last year- no sprouts.

It does happen, Woofie.

Karen

Karen, everything I've read about starting salpiglossis from seed indicates that they really want darkness to germinate. I put a piece of cardboard over the flats in my GH. But once they germinate they need light and cooler temps (persnickety little snots). You might try putting your jugs in a shaded spot or drape some shade cloth over them. They're such striking flowers, I think they're worth a little fussing with. The volunteers I got all came up in areas that were shaded.

I"ve winter sowed them in late spring and got a few plants to start.

That doesn't count, Duane. You're in zone 8, and you don't know what sun is in western Wa!

When I wintersow, IF I know the seeds want darkness, I cover with a little soil. Otherwise, I generally just sprinkle on the surface. Most stuff sprouts Trudi's answer for sprouting in darkness: For every day, there is also a night.

Karen

Salpiglossis are one of the annuals I start every year from seeds. I've had really good luck sprinkling the seeds on top of moist seed starting soilless mix. I spray a light mist of water on the seeds and put them under a tray with a dome under lights. If I need to water them before they sprout I water them from the bottom. I don't let them dry out but don't get them to wet either. The kew blue ones are my favorite and if I have them in an area where there aren't any others close, they mostly come true from seed.

Beautiful.

Karen

they are great!!

Okay,--- everything I've read about Salpiglossis ---says they need darkness, but the seed packet says they need light.
So I am going to surface sow, and place them under lights.
The packet is for the Kew Blue. Do different types need different light?

You might try a thin layer of vermiculite over the seeds. That's what I'm going to do. I haven't tried Kew Blue, but the Chocolate Royale didn't seem to need any different treatment from the mixed seeds.
AND, for the record, the seeds I saved off my Chocolate Royale plants looked very like their parent plants. I got a couple of odd (and interesting) colored blooms, but in the main they still looked like Chocolate Royale.

I winter sowed various kinds. I just sprinkled the seeds on top of my planting medium.

They all did EXCELLENT, with the EXCEPTION of Kew Blue. I got ZERO on that one.

I ordered 'black trumpet from Thompson & Morgan and S. grandiflora from T's flower & things. Sprinkled seeds on top of moist planting medium and covered lightly with vermiculite. That was on Jan. 26 and on Feb. 8, found germination of the 'black trumpet'. Today 2 seedlings of grandiflora. Last year tried with seeds from swap but they didn't germinate - hopefully this year these will get big enough to bloom!
I very much want these in my garden --- they are just lovely.

I wintersowed some last year- a mix- and not even one sprout.

Karen

I start mine on top of the growing medium also and have very good germination. I think the freshness of the seed has a lot to do with the Kew blue. I bought it from Thompson and Morgan originally and didn't get great germination, but have been saving seed every since and it germinates really well.

4susiesjoy said:I start mine on top of the growing medium also and have very good germination. I think the freshness of the seed has a lot to do with the Kew blue. I bought it from Thompson and Morgan originally and didn't get great germination, but have been saving seed every since and it germinates really well.

I have had germination issues with T&M Kew Blue the last few years.

Me too. Very few Kew Blue but a huge amount of choc. Royale. I sowed them in the same flat last year. I also sowed the red one and very few germinated. Have not planted seed this year. I had such a problem with aphids on these in the greenhouse not sure if I will plant this year. They are beautiful when they do grow. Caroline good luck and let us know how things turn out.

Thanks for all the info.
These are Mr Fothergill seeds for the Kew Blue, so we will see if a different supplier gives better results.