Well, I've got a couple more seed offers coming, I think... so I thought it might be time for another blurb on growing from seed. Many gesneriads bloom in about 6 months from seed. That means if you start them now, they'll be blooming by spring. (In my world, "now" means I'll get to it in a couple of months... )
They are easy if you can find a warm spot with light. (Windowsills in the winter don't work too well.)
'course, they are difficult if they don't germinate :^)
I posted info on how I start my seeds here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/gesneriads/discuss/22059/
And photos of some of the gesneriads I've grown from seed here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki/search/tags:gesneriad,seed/tagmode:all/
And to those who have been here a while, sorry for being a bit repetitive :-)
about seeds
I've been here awhile, but I certainly need to be reminded! Thanks for posting this info. :)
--Dana
okay, I think I'm done for this round - just four seed offers. I need to go around pollinating more :-)
A couple more tips (which may be in the link as well).
The seeds are TINY so do not open anywhere near pets, kids, wind, doors, air vents etc.
It helps to open the little packs on a sheet of crystal clean white paper. Fold it down the middle to make a little crease - this makes it easier to not lose seed.
It pays to sow carefully - about 6-10 seeds per 2" pot is good. Believe me - separating tiny seedlings because you have 30 plants in a 2" pot is more painful than distributing seed carefully.
Constant temps around 70-78F or something like that, and give them as much light as your blooming AVs (and more light than your non-blooming AVs!).
For soil mix and more tips, check out the link above, or google for info.
Once you figure out a setup that works, gessie seeds are easy as p... well, easier than that :-)
Thanks for the link, and for the additional tips.
I'm really looking forward to trying these!