how to germ. Cleome seeds

I have one Cleome that is setting seeds and am wondering what's the best way to germinate the seeds?There isn't that many seeds so I don't want to make silly mistakes.Any help would be great! Don

Donlaclair you needn't worry about silly mistakes. You'll have more seeds than you know what to do with and what you don't harvest will come up as volunteers next year. Oye will they ever! I think I had 4 plants last year and I cannot hazard to guess how many seeds I saved (let's just say it's in the thousands) nor can I hazard to guess how many volunteers I've pulled up (let's just say it's in the hundreds). LOL

As to your original question I didn't do anything special to germinate my original plants last year. I started them inside with bottom heat then put them under lights until it was time to plant them out.

Good luck and enjoy!

This message was edited Jun 2, 2007 9:42 PM

Thanks LaLa Jane

I have thousands of seeds too. One year I put 4-5 in a coffee cup and sold them at my yard sale for 50 cents per cup. I made over $30. Just put the seeds where you want them to come up next year - now, or this fall when they seed. Let nature take it's course. I didn't do anything to get all those babies but let them fall.

I now have bags of white, purple, pink all in seperate bags from last year. I didn't get to plant them at the new house because my tiller killer over and I really wasn't sure where I wanted them at the new (1910) house.

You can buy one plant at the nursery and it will supply you with tons next year.

Kathy

Does anyone know if it is too late to direct sow cleome for flowers this year? They seem to grow pretty fast.

I planted some 3 weeks ago and they will be blooming any day.

LOL - I put some Cleome seeds in... now I have a nice little crop of Celosia, which I really Did Not Want.

Who mislabeled those seeds, huh? Huh???

I happened to read in a grower mag last night:
Recent trials indicate that a change in daytime and nighttime temps can greatly improve germination percentages. A 95% germination on cleome 'Sparkler' was achieved with daytime temps at 80 degrees, 70 degrees nighttime temps, average daily temp of 75 degrees. In addition tempered water at 85 degrees added to the plug trays aided in germination.