In article . hx, Kostas
Kavoussanakis writes

I sew some perennial sweet peas in loo rolls in February, but I have
seen no progress since then. Any tips?

Thanks in advance,
Kostas

Hi Kostas

I was the one who sent you the seeds, and I found some info on the web
(at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/peoria/...-shorts.html#1). I
certainly soaked and scarified the original seeds I started with and it
worked very well.

"Unfortunately, some plants’ seeds require pretreatment. Without this
first cultural step these seeds will germinate only with difficulty, if
at all.

Soaking, stratifying and scarifying are techniques that the gardener can
use to improve chances for successful seed germination.

Some common garden plants that benefit from soaking are okra, mallow or
hibiscus, sea pink, lupine, morning glory, sweet pea, parsley and any
garden peas. To soak seeds, place them in warm water for 12 hours. Some
horticulturists recommend starting with water, up to 150º F and keeping
the water warm for the rest of the soaking. After soaking, the seeds
should be planted indoors or outdoors immediately. If the seeds you set
to soak float, they should be soaked until they absorb enough water to
sink.

Scarification weakens the seed coat and the need for it in some large,
hard seeded plants ranges from essential to merely beneficial. Among
these plants are Mallow or Hibiscus, Lupines and Morning Glory (followed
by soaking), Blue False Indigo, Perennial Sweet Pea and Ornamental
Castor Bean. Seeds may be scarified by scratching with a file or knife
or rubbed with sandpaper. A fingernail clipper or wire cutter can also
be used to nick the coating. The point is not to destroy the coating but
to make it easier for moisture to enter and for the plant embryo to
emerge.

Pretreatment is an additional chore added to seed starting but it is a
small price to pay for improving germination odds for some very special
plants."

Hope this helps, Lynda