Can't remember if I'd mentioned it earlier, but I had the same confusion about salpiglossis; the instructions said to germinate them in the dark. So I 'd surface sow them and cover them with a piece of cardboard or another pot till they sprouted. Sigh. This year, I just covered them lightly with vermiculite, and they came up just fine and actually look much better than the ones I fussed over with trying to keep them dark. The plants are much more compact and sturdy looking; probably because they got light as soon as they sprouted.
