I've been looking for instructions about these seeds, it says sow in late winter ???
any ideas :)
the seed are like dust, and need to be 'surface sown'. usually in late feb / early march, sealed in poly bag, on a warm windowcill / propagator. takes AGES to germinate, but they will!!
thay are a lovely night-scented plant for the back of the border, reaching 3 - 4 ft high, and are a favourite for black-fly (in my experience) ;)
Sowing Instructions from T&M website)
Sow on the surface of a good free draining seed compost from late winter to early spring. Make sure the compost is moist but not wet and seal in a polythene bag until after germination which usually takes 10-20 days at 21C (70F). Do not exclude light which is beneficial to germination.
Growing Instructions
Transplant when large enough to handle and grow on in cooler conditions. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10-15 days before planting out after all risk of frost 60cm (24in) apart in sun or part shade on rich well drained soil.
ah, like acquilegia, then, it's the late winter had me bothered, the way the weather was last year, it was nearly summer in april ;D
looking forward to these, love the smell and they look great ;D
They should only take a couple of days to germinate. If they're taking longer than that then there's something wrong. I had good success last year, but they are very small seedlings and watering is a challenge. Like Tony says, they need to be surface sown on good JI seed compost and kept in a dark plastic bag. The recommendation is for bottom heat - 70+ degrees - but mine did fine in a seed tray in an unheated greenhouse . And I think Spring is a much better time to sow if you don't have a heated greenhouse. The foliage is also nicely fragrant on a hot summer day.
One year I decided late on that I wanted some tall stuff in a border, and sowed Nicotiana Sylvestris in late May. They flowered by July and were a gorgeous sight right till October. I also did African Marigolds that year, now you've reminded me I might do it again....more seed buying......
OH usually has some spares for our Open Days folks... ;D