| How would I start a Dwarf Lily of the Nile from a seed? Do I need to let the seed pods dry out first? What time of year should I start the seed growing? Thanks! |
| Agapanthus seeds should be sown when they're fresh, but fully mature. When you look at a typical seed head, you'll probably see some of the seed cases are still green, which indicates that they are not yet ripe, and others are very, very papery and have actually split, revealing the black seeds. The best way to deal with this is to just pop the seed head into a paper bag, and wait for all of them to ripen. Once they've all fallen out of the seed cases you can sow them in seed starting mix or filtered compost. I use a peat substitute-based compost, and cover the seed with about a quarter of an inch of compost. Make sure that compost remains moist during the process. Once they?ve germinated keep them in a warmish spot until they've developed two sets of leaves. You can transplant them into the garden after they've developed a healthy set of roots (about 4 weeks) You can also save some of the seeds for direct sowing in the garden next spring. Between the two methods, you should get some lovely plants. Since they're free plants, you really can?t go wrong! |
