It takes some time for the root to adjust to soil from water, then it takes some time for the cotyledon to emerge from the seed coat. April 20th wasn't even 3 weeks ago--you just need patience. You're well on your way to a small forest of plumeria seedlings!

jandey has the patience of a saint - I would very very gently pull one out and look at it LOL! If it's fine you can always just tuck it back in there. Can you see ANY signs of a stem at the soil line? Are they staying moist?

I learned a lot from messing with a few of them, that's the only reason I suggest to look.

I have not messed with them but they look the same as they always had above the soil line. I planted all the plants on the same day so some had a long white root and some only had the very beginning of a root. I have seen no sign of anything above the soil line. Just the same wing that has been on the seed since I received them.

If you can stand to mess with one -and maybe lose it, maybe not - I would gently pull (or dig around it until you can get it out) one out and examine it. It should only have a straight root at this point. I have even taken my nail and gently split the seed coat just a tiny bit to see if the seed inside is brown or white. If it's brown, it's rotten.

I think I was also previously planting my seeds to deep, which just made them take a little longer. If you buried more than half of the seed, chances are it's a little too deep. There are just a lot of little variables so with practice you'll quickly get the hang of it.

Are you keeping them moist but not too wet? (That's a tricky one isn't it?!) Keeping them warm at night when they're brought in?

Don't despair, whether you mess with them or not, you should know soon. Good luck & if you still have questions just keep asking!

I have still seen no green above the soil so i checked on 2 of the seeds. I gently pulled them out of the soil. Both of the roots were darker then they had been when I got them out of the styrofoam. I was a dark brown. I cracked open that one and the seed itself was still white like the root had been. I checked to make sure that the seed was half in and half out of the soil.

I have another batch of seeds that is now in the styrofoam. I am starting to see roots. I saw on another message board that I should wait to remove the seeds till I actually see the beginning of leaves then transplant them into the soil. I did not do this. After about an inch of root I moved them to soil. I do not have them on a heat pad at night but the temperature never drops below about 75 in the house. I have been putting them outside in the afternoon but think that maybe the heat is too much for them? I have cuttings that I have been given that all seem to be doing great but I would really like to be able to grow a few plants from seeds. It seems from the pictures on this forum that most people get a large number of their seeds to actually sprout so I know I must be doing something wrong

Thanks for the help

Hi Jeff,
Honestly, it sounds like you really do have the right idea - many of us, myself included, have posted that although we had read everything we could, we still felt like we were missing something. But you gain that from practice and just tweaking a few things here and there.

There are many ways to get seeds started but there are a few common things that plumies just need to have - don't keep them too wet or too dry and heat, heat, heat. I would put them in the heat as often as possible without letting them dry out. And even though they are just seeds, they like sunlight too.

Monitoring your moisture and your heat will be the key, most other things are variables. If the seeds sit in damp, cool soil it does absolutely nothing for them.

I've had seeds rot and just had a few rot out of my last batch too so don't worry, it happens to everyone. Keep trying and I just know you'll have success!