Mine took a couple weeks out doors here.
keep moderately moist and warm. Should see them sprout withing a month

Temperature 75-85f-high humidity-flourecent lights for abt 14 hrs per day,seeds must be covered.
High humidity dos't mean moist soil, it was better using the towell method.
Germination from two weeks till ...... I have 2 seeds germinated after 4 months.
To take an idea how you can keep high humidity watch the following pictures

goodluck
John
from Athens-Greece

Just curious but why did you post a pic of a potted begonia? I soak my plumeria seeds in water overnight then plant them in moist soil. Make sure the "wing" is above the soil and use bottom heat. The pot can be covered but it's not absolutely necessary as long as the soil doesn't dry out. They should germinate within about 2 weeks. If they aren't up in a few weeks there's a good chance that the seed has rotted.

Hi karyn1,
begonia picture is out of topic.

To prevent rot, I spray with water only the wings of the seeds, the soil is light moist, I cover them because if humidity is very high the shell does n't dry and easely the coltyledons can throw out the shell.

I don't use pots, but black plastic sheets with many small holes/pots.

When the seedling is about 3 inches I transpant to a small pot.(I prefer gradually transplanting to a larger pot every time).

Many times small seedlings from water spraying in their leaves and body, start neck fungus, in that case to solve the seedling, I cut the body of seedling up of the problem and I put it in a small glass with water and in a hot place, new roots starts to grow in a few days, take a look at the following picture

{{gwi:1150306}}.

Of course everyone have his method working well for him.

John
from Athens-Greece

Hi John,

I just recently tried laying the seeds down and covering them. I should have been doing it that way all along. It's so much easier not to have to worry about the shell drying out.

By "neck fungus", you must mean what we call "damping off".
I've been bothered with this problem as well, usually when I haven't provided enough air circulation. I do the same as you, except I re-root the seedling in mix rather than water.

Gradually transplanting to a larger pot every time is very good advice. Even for an older plant.

My success with seeds has greatly improved since I started using seed germination mats.

Best regards,

Dewaine

* Posted by greekman (My Page) on
Tue, Jan 13, 09 at 12:28

Hi karyn1,
begonia picture is out of topic.

To prevent rot, I spray with water only the wings of the seeds, the soil is light moist, I cover them because if humidity is very high the shell does n't dry and easely the coltyledons can throw out the shell.

I don't use pots, but black plastic sheets with many small holes/pots.

When the seedling is about 3 inches I transpant to a small pot.(I prefer gradually transplanting to a larger pot every time).

Many times small seedlings from water spraying in their leaves and body, start neck fungus, in that case to solve the seedling, I cut the body of seedling up of the problem and I put it in a small glass with water and in a hot place, new roots starts to grow in a few days, take a look at the following picture

Hi Dewaine and John,

I agree the planting of seeds by the scattering method. We have had many seed voluntarily germinate in the container by being air borne in a wind landing in a container and germinate on their own. Here is an example.
{{gwi:1150307}}

We soak our seed overnight in water that has 1 Tablespoon Sea Weed Extract placed in the greenhouse to be same temperature as their future environment. The mix is also stored in the greenhouse for the same reason. We use nursery flats with equal parts pumice, Turf N Tee and #2 perlite for the planting mix. We lightly compress planting mix so it is flat and even. Then scatter up to one hundred (100) seeds to a flat. The mix is pre-moistened with water containing a product called Actinovate which is a bacteria that has a similar type relation to the seedlings as mychorrhizae. Next we cover the seed with a planting mix of 50% Turf N Tee And #2 perlite, lightly compress and then final watering with 1 tablespoon Sea Weed Extract and Actinovate. Actinovate feeds on pytheium (damping off fungus) and other air and water borne fungus. When the plants achieve a three-four inch meristem height we then transplant to a tube and rack system with a tube diameter of 2.5 inches by 7 inches deep. First watering contains mycorhizae, Sea Weed Extract and 15-5-15 fertilizer with a high content of mag. (Epsom salts) and Calcium.
{{gwi:1150308}}

This allows the seedlings to develop a very substantial root system prior to planting in a one gallon container.
{{gwi:1150309}}(note a rooted cutting shown){{gwi:1150310}}

These containers are designed to prevent root spiraling and promote strong deep roots. This method allows many seedlings to be grafting stock in less than one year. The cutting can be held in the tubes for up to 2-3 months without issues. You will note the tube depth is close to the depth of the one gallon container. When transplanted in spring (very early April) they have a container filled with roots by end of May or first week in June depending on the variety.

this weekend we will be planting fifteen hundred (1500) seeds using this method.

Jack

Jack

Hi Dewaine,
I thank you for your informations.

About damping off, I found that changing the time of watering/spraying from evening to early morning it minimized the metioned problem,

Most tropicals as orchids-plumerias etc is better to watering at morning and till night must be dry out their leaves and body , I found that this was one of the main reason of the problem, by changing the time, the problem reduced from abt 10% to 1%..

I prefer to water my seedlings by water spraying, it keeps under control (with other home remedies) mites problem and for humidity.

Also, plumeria seedlings rooted in water and other plants also rooyed in water, I transplante them in dry soil, and I don't watering them for a few days, abt 2-4 and after I start very light watering and at shade of course.

Hier is the plastc sheets with small pots I use

Here is the automatically spraying system I use

If you could upload a photo of " seed germination mats " (sorry my English is n't in high level) so do understand more about your method.

Best regards
John
from Athens-Greece

Hi Jack,
many thanks for your many usefull informations.

Unfortunally I think, in Greek market we don't have many of the reffered products as :
Actinovate - tube and rack system.

I would hence obliged if you could send me more informations about Actinovate ( or a link), so to understand better and to translate to the Greek language, so that to make a search at Greek market, otherwise I must to import from abroad.

About tube and rack system, very interesting, also I will make a search to the Greek market, otherwise I must to iimported from abroad.

Very interesting informations, many thanks.
As you probably understand, I am amateur plant grower, living in an apartment But having the luck to have a very big veranda around (about 120 m2 ) and I can enjoy my hobby growing many plants and trees and plumerias of course, all in pots.
Best regards
John ATHS_GR

Thanks Jack and John for the good information. Looks like you both have very nice set ups, much more sophisticated than mine.

John, the seed germination mats I use are just rubberized heating pads that (for me) keep the night time soil temps high enough for the seeds to germinate during our winters.

Google "seed germination mats". There are a lot of on line sources and the mats are quite cheap.

Dewaine