Sowing now or later?

[JPB]

I have received many seeds a few days ago and I'like advise as to sow them now, later this spring or next autumn.

Narcissus (spring and autumn-flowering)
Calochortus
Tulipa (from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan))
Fritillaria (Eurasia and N-America)
Iris (f.i. orchioides, xiphioides..)
Lilium (washingtonianum, pardalinum)

Any advise is greatly appreciated!

Hans

[Onion]

Only experience with Tulips. Store them dry and cold in the fridge till autumn. Then sow them mid September.

[David Nicholson]

Best advice anyone could give you is look in Ian's Bulb Log (it's all indexed) it's likely to be all there.

[Ian Y]

Hans my advice is:-

Narcissus (spring and autumn-flowering) Sow now
Calochortus  Sow now
Tulipa (from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan)) Save and sow in August/September
Fritillaria (Eurasia and N-America) Save and sow in August/September
Iris (f.i. orchioides, xiphioides..)  Sow now
Lilium (washingtonianum, pardalinum)  Sow now

I have heard reports that some people have had successful germination sowing the N-American frits now but my experience so far is that it is best to wait.

David you are correct I have written abut this a number of times through the (now into) 9 years of bulb logs.

[Darren]

I actually had almost exactly the same question and intended to look at the bulb log today to find the answer - this has saved me the effort so thanks Ian!

My surplus seed from the SRGC exchange turned up yesterday. Oh dear, I don't remember asking for that much...

[JPB]

Thanks Ian!!!!

I did search your bulb-log but had not yet found it nearly as clear as in your reply!

Now I have a lot of sowing to do!

Cheers, Hans

[art600]

What about Erythronium please

[Maggi Young]

For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now.  

 Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.

[tonyg]

For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now.  

 Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.

And by the time the last one germinates the first one will have wormed its way through the hole at the bottom of the pot

[Maggi Young]

For Erythronium seed, soak for at least 24hrs and sow now.  

 Germination may be sporadic but it'll come.

And by the time the last one germinates the first one will have wormed its way through the hole at the bottom of the pot

Yup! that's right! 

[JPB]

Now I've sown the Narcissus species listed below, but I wonder at which temperature I should keep them. Do the species from the section Pseudonarcissus still need a cold treatment? I guess it is important to make all of them germinate as quickly as possible, so they will be large enough when they go in summer rest?

Thanks again! Hans

Narcissus asturiensis
Narcissus bulbocodium nivalis
Narcissus bulbocodium
Narcissus cantabricus
Narcissus cavanillesii
Narcissus confusus
Narcissus deficiens
Narcissus elegans fallax
Narcissus humilis mauretanicus
Narcissus jonquila
Narcissus obesus
Narcissus obsoletus (=elegans)
Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. eugenia
Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. pseud.
Narcissus rupicola
Narcissus serotinus
Narcissus triandrus ssp. pallidulus
Narcissus viridiflorus

[David Nicholson]

Hans, others may disagree but I would leave them outside to all that the weather can throw at them.

[ArnoldT]

All my Narcissus seeds are potted and exposed to the temps in the cold house.  It is kept at min. of 45 F. Many have germinated.

[JPB]

Thanks, I'll put them in my frost-free greenhouse and see what happens

[Maggi Young]

Hans, they really do not need to be frost free at this stage