The instructions on the packet says "Germinates best in light, so surface sow onto moist soil-less mix and keep at warmth and high humidity until germination."

The plant database says to stratify the seed. So I am thinking I should wrap it in a wet paper towel in the fridge, then surface sow it on to moist soil, etc.

Anyone think winter sowing is a possibility for this seed at all?

After 2 years with no success in trying what your seed packet said and the fridge, I winter sowed the seeds I had left and so far nothing has come up. You might want to divide the seeds up and try different methods.

Nothing to lose hmm? Well perhaps a little experimentation is in order. My understanding from the comments on the database is that it takes a long time for them to grow anyway, so even if the wintersowed one doesn't sprout until mid-July, it doesn't matter.
Thanks

I found one source on google that says they only grow in zones 4-8. And wintersown seeds are supposed to germinate in mid-Spring. And that they're hard to grow from seed. Doesn't sound too promising, but oh my, they sure are pretty! Good luck with them!

Thanks. I have a little micro-climate going in the front of the side yard up close to the house and behind the spruce trees, so I am hoping they can survive there if they sprout. Only one way to find out though.

I'm patient for sure ... I've grown plants from seeds that took about 2 years to germinate .. I think it was a passiflora - I have this corner in my greenhouse that I put pots of sown seed that haven't germinated and yes some toad lily is there but I'm not giving up. From time to time I get a nice surprise. Some seeds just need the right conditions met .. I have some very large containers I grew datura metel in about 6 years ago and every year I'm pricking out datura seedlings. I actually pricked one out yesterday when I was getting the containers ready for Spring and since I stirred everything up I'm sure more will be popping up.

Ah yes, the old "curse and stir" method! That was how I got my very first Lisianthus seedling. I'd totally forgotten I'd even tried to grow them, till I got my "mystery seedling" identified!

Lol you remembered! The Curse n Stir Method of getting Datura to sprout. Gotta admit, it works!

posted in the wrong thread.. all fixed now

dorab said:I like to keep some wintersowing containers going for a couple of years for that very reason. It took 2 years for my fritillaria passidflora to pop up. When I give up on them I take care to dump the seed starting soil in the area I planned to put the plant just in case one germinates and takes hold.

It looks like I accidently created a new thread. This post should be under Toad Lily. How did that happen?

I am wondering if any of you had results germinating Toad Lilies?
I have a few seeds from a swap, and am thinking to try winter sowing them?

I am getting some from a swap soon. It will be my first time trying to germinate them. I'm not even sure how. Guess I'll have to do a bit of reading!

I did not even think to check mine for seed, maybe they will self sow.
Edited to add: Yes, it appears many of them will self sow.
http://wimastergardener.org/?q...

My toad lilies both self sow and spread by the roots. The seedlings pop up later than most weeds, if that helps. I would think wintersowing would work. They generate lots of tiny seeds.

No, I'm afraid I did not have any luck with that batch Carolyn - hope springs eternal though. Hard to say whether it's seed, climate or process at fault.

I remember reading that JRsbugs had some success germinating Toad lily; maybe ask her?

The article says three months moist stratification.
So a winter sow and save the jugs for a long time might do it? @JRsbugs ???

Whenever I read about a new seed that's troublesome to purposefully germinate, but yet self-sows, I now immediately ponder whether or not it needs a warm period before being cold stratified. It may be that some Tricyrtis seeds follow this course. I have some coming in as well, so I think I'll match them up to the ones listed on Tom Clothier's site and follow that lead. If the seeds come in time I may even be able to meet the cold temperature range outdoors, although a guideline of "24-39ºF for 4 to 6 weeks" may be difficult to hit, as currently, we're hovering near zero, and will fall well below that again tonight. February can be similar here, but maybe the second half of it will warm just a bit.

Hello! It's a long time since I grew Tricytris latifolia and T. macropoda from seed. I got the seed from a trade and they were fresh, as far as I remember I think I sowed them pressed into the surface of a free draining mixture using gritty sandy soil and leaf compost with a light sprinkling of leaf mould over the top. I know I got the seed in 2006 so would have sown them over winter 06/07, and planted the biggest in the ground in 2010.

I can't say for sure when I sowed them though, it was probably early in the year around January or February or could have been in December, which in our climate would give plenty of time for them to feel the cold but any time during winter would have sufficed here and maybe even later up to early April. I put them in a cold greenhouse rather than outside, so they would have got a mixture of warmth and cold. We don't get a lot of warmth in this country but in a greenhouse the temperature can rise dramatically compared to outside, I'm talking of perhaps up to 20C on a sunny winter's day and if we get sunshine. I don't keep notes so I can't say how long they took to germinate but I know it was within a few months, it might have even been in late summer. I just checked up on an old cmail and T. macropoda did germinate much later so it would have been the one which germinated around July. I had very good germination of both species, when a little larger I transplanted the stronger ones into the ground and put the weaker ones of T. latifolia in pots . Those in the ground disappeared after a year or two, they did very well in the first year after transplanting but perhaps didn't like their positions between Camellia plants. I sowed the remaining plants without separating them from their pots, three pots as they were, in a spot near the west side of the house which is where I put the first ones but the second lot were closer to the house and just beyond any Camellias, also near a grass path. This spot has suited them and they continue to thrive, it gets a lot of shade with afternoon sun but I think the clue to their survival is the ground stays moist in that spot.

T. macropoda made smaller rhizomes, I planted the biggest in the ground around the same place as T. latifolia but they disappeared. I had left the very small plants in their pots under the edge of a deciduous tree where they fended for themselves other than an occasional watering. Eventually some flowered, I think they are still alive but this one seems to be more tricky.

I never scarify seeds, it can let in water too soon and if the conditions are not correct for germination then you are inviting the seeds to rot. All seeds have a soft spot where the seed will seek water through by sending out a root when it's ready to grow, and when the conditions are suitable for it to grow.

Thank you!

It seems that perhaps what they need is oscillating temperatures near the freezing point.
I must get these seeds potted and outside.