I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online. I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that failed aswell).

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:19:20 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:26:06 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online. I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that failed aswell).

Royal Empress, aka Foxglove tree, botanical name Paulownia Tomentosa.
From what I read, you did all the right things. Some seeds need light
to germinate, the classic example being Flanders poppies, which lay
dormant in the soil until the trench warfare of WW1 brought them to
the surface.

My only thought is have you waited long enough, as germination can be
slow? But I also read that the temperature should be kept below 15C
otherwise germination is inhibited, so maybe you had them too warm. So
try them a bit cooler and be patient.

http://tinyurl.com/zw638kw and http://tinyurl.com/hta9b29

Ok, I'll wait longer.

But the two sites you linked to disagree on the temperature. One says under 15C, the other says 18-20C.

I have some of them in a room at about 18-20C on a windowledge (only gets direct sun in the late afternoon, but the room lights are on almost all the time), and the others under a grow lamp on a timer for 15 hours a day, temperature 17C at night 22C during the day.

--
In light of the Madrid bombing, France has raised its terror alert level from "run" to "hide."
The only two higher levels in France are "surrender" and "collaborate."

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:03:54 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:30:56 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:19:20 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:26:06 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online. I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that failed aswell).

Royal Empress, aka Foxglove tree, botanical name Paulownia Tomentosa.
From what I read, you did all the right things. Some seeds need light
to germinate, the classic example being Flanders poppies, which lay
dormant in the soil until the trench warfare of WW1 brought them to
the surface.

My only thought is have you waited long enough, as germination can be
slow? But I also read that the temperature should be kept below 15C
otherwise germination is inhibited, so maybe you had them too warm. So
try them a bit cooler and be patient.

http://tinyurl.com/zw638kw and http://tinyurl.com/hta9b29

Ok, I'll wait longer.

But the two sites you linked to disagree on the temperature. One says under 15C, the other says 18-20C.

Disagreements like that are not uncommon in the gardening world. I
guess it reflects different people's experiences. I have actually
grown Paulownia from seed collected on the ground below a large tree
in a local public garden, so it was very fresh which can effect
germination rate of all types of seed, but it was so long ago that I
can't remember the details. :-(

I can't believe a tree that grows so fast can have such feeble seeds. Most of those sold say they have been stored at a cold temperature, presumably to make them remain "fresh".

--
What do you call an aerobics instructor who doesn't cause pain & agony?
Unemployed.

On 23/01/2017 18:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will
germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some
fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of
light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely
nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd
the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online.
I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that
failed aswell).

I often grow these from seed, it is quite correct that they need to be
literally sprinkled on the top of the compost with no covering and I
never use heat but let nature take its course, normally sowing 1st Feb,
seeds needs to be fresh, when I have tried to use the previous seasons
seed I got nothing.

They take a few years to start flowering 5-7 in our case, try and put
the tree where there will be a dark back drop, we didn't and ours
flowers well but against the blue sky and we can only see the flowers
properly from a bedroom window

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhoude.co.uk

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

On 23/01/2017 18:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will
germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some
fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of
light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely
nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd
the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online.
I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that
failed aswell).

I often grow these from seed, it is quite correct that they need to be
literally sprinkled on the top of the compost with no covering and I
never use heat but let nature take its course, normally sowing 1st Feb,
seeds needs to be fresh, when I have tried to use the previous seasons
seed I got nothing.

They take a few years to start flowering 5-7 in our case, try and put
the tree where there will be a dark back drop, we didn't and ours
flowers well but against the blue sky and we can only see the flowers
properly from a bedroom window

Where would you recommend I start them in Scotland? Current outdoor temperature is 0-10C. I thought indoors would be nicer for them to get going.

You say the previous season's seed doesn't work, so perhaps the ones I bought from Ebay were expired?

I wish I could just buy a sapling from somewhere, but I can only find one company that sells them, at £50 each!!!

James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 20:03:54 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:30:56 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 19:19:20 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 18:26:06 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one
will germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds
on some fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in
lots of light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp).
Absolutely nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did
think it odd the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's
what it says online. I've always put seeds a cm under the soil
(tried that too and that failed aswell).

Royal Empress, aka Foxglove tree, botanical name Paulownia Tomentosa.
From what I read, you did all the right things. Some seeds need light
to germinate, the classic example being Flanders poppies, which lay
dormant in the soil until the trench warfare of WW1 brought them to
the surface.

My only thought is have you waited long enough, as germination can be
slow? But I also read that the temperature should be kept below 15C
otherwise germination is inhibited, so maybe you had them too warm. So
try them a bit cooler and be patient.

http://tinyurl.com/zw638kw and http://tinyurl.com/hta9b29

Ok, I'll wait longer.

But the two sites you linked to disagree on the temperature. One
says under 15C, the other says 18-20C.

Disagreements like that are not uncommon in the gardening world. I
guess it reflects different people's experiences. I have actually
grown Paulownia from seed collected on the ground below a large tree
in a local public garden, so it was very fresh which can effect
germination rate of all types of seed, but it was so long ago that I
can't remember the details. :-(

I can't believe a tree that grows so fast can have such feeble seeds.
Most of those sold say they have been stored at a cold temperature,
presumably to make them remain "fresh".


Maybe to make them 'think' there has been a Winter, and that it's safe
for them to germinate? I think most of our tree seeds need to
'stratify', but I don't know if this extends to shrubs and everything else.

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 08:02:30 -0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:28:54 -0000, "James Wilkinson Sword"
wrote:

On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

On 23/01/2017 18:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will
germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some
fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of
light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely
nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd
the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online.
I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that
failed aswell).

I often grow these from seed, it is quite correct that they need to be
literally sprinkled on the top of the compost with no covering and I
never use heat but let nature take its course, normally sowing 1st Feb,
seeds needs to be fresh, when I have tried to use the previous seasons
seed I got nothing.

They take a few years to start flowering 5-7 in our case, try and put
the tree where there will be a dark back drop, we didn't and ours
flowers well but against the blue sky and we can only see the flowers
properly from a bedroom window

Where would you recommend I start them in Scotland? Current outdoor temperature is 0-10C. I thought indoors would be nicer for them to get going.

You say the previous season's seed doesn't work, so perhaps the ones I bought from Ebay were expired?

I wish I could just buy a sapling from somewhere, but I can only find one company that sells them, at £50 each!!!

51 suppliers in the UK here http://tinyurl.com/jotylts . I haven't
checked prices, postage or availability, but one of my local nurseries
does a small plant for £12.50, plus £13.50 for P&P
http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=3136

Ok that's better than £50, I'll take a look.

On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

On 23/01/2017 18:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will
germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some
fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of
light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely
nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd
the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online.
I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that
failed aswell).

I often grow these from seed, it is quite correct that they need to be
literally sprinkled on the top of the compost with no covering and I
never use heat but let nature take its course, normally sowing 1st Feb,
seeds needs to be fresh, when I have tried to use the previous seasons
seed I got nothing.

They take a few years to start flowering 5-7 in our case, try and put
the tree where there will be a dark back drop, we didn't and ours
flowers well but against the blue sky and we can only see the flowers
properly from a bedroom window

Where would you recommend I start them in Scotland? Current outdoor
temperature is 0-10C. I thought indoors would be nicer for them to get
going.

You say the previous season's seed doesn't work, so perhaps the ones I
bought from Ebay were expired?

I wish I could just buy a sapling from somewhere, but I can only find
one company that sells them, at £50 each!!!

We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking
before parting with any money

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhoude.co.uk

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 17:27:19 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:

On 23/01/2017 18:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
I bought a pack of 100 Royal Empress seeds on Ebay, and not one will
germinate. Am I doing something wrong? I sprinkled the seeds on some
fresh compost in some pots, and kept them warm (20C) and in lots of
light (some on a windowledge and some under a growlamp). Absolutely
nothing happened. Duff seeds or difficult plant? I did think it odd
the seeds should go on top of the soil, but that's what it says online.
I've always put seeds a cm under the soil (tried that too and that
failed aswell).

I often grow these from seed, it is quite correct that they need to be
literally sprinkled on the top of the compost with no covering and I
never use heat but let nature take its course, normally sowing 1st Feb,
seeds needs to be fresh, when I have tried to use the previous seasons
seed I got nothing.

They take a few years to start flowering 5-7 in our case, try and put
the tree where there will be a dark back drop, we didn't and ours
flowers well but against the blue sky and we can only see the flowers
properly from a bedroom window

Where would you recommend I start them in Scotland? Current outdoor
temperature is 0-10C. I thought indoors would be nicer for them to get
going.

You say the previous season's seed doesn't work, so perhaps the ones I
bought from Ebay were expired?

I wish I could just buy a sapling from somewhere, but I can only find
one company that sells them, at £50 each!!!

We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking
before parting with any money

Can I not buy a seed which will work at this time of year then?

How much would you charge for postage? A small one is fine, I just want it to have germinated as I seem to fail at that!

--
In 1839, the imperial Chinese commissioner Lin Zexu wrote a letter to Queen Victoria warning that, unless the British stopped supplying opium to China, he would cut off rhubarb supplies to Britain, killing everyone through mass constipation.

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
news
On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking before parting with
any money

--
Charlie Pridham

Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

On Tue, 24 Jan 2017 22:17:58 -0000, philgurr wrote:


"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
news
On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking before parting with
any money

--
Charlie Pridham

Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern

Your accent is showing :-)

Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

So you don't get the 15 feet growth per year up there?

--
There was a young Chaplain from Kings,
Who talked about God and such things.
But his real desire
Was a boy in the choir,
With a bottom like jelly on springs.

In article ,
says...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
news
On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking before parting with
any money

--
Charlie Pridham

Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

Does it flower?

Janet

"Janet" wrote in message
t...
In article ,
says...

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
news
On 23/01/2017 22:28, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jan 2017 22:08:25 -0000, Charlie Pridham
wrote:
We sell small ones for £8 but of course the carriage pushes that up! :~)

Seed is normally ripe in October.

Not sure what sort of temps they will go down to, be worth checking before parting
with
any money

--
Charlie Pridham

Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

Does it flower?

Janet

No, sadly

Phil

On 24/01/2017 22:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:


Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern

Your accent is showing :-)

Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

So you don't get the 15 feet growth per year up there?


You only get that sort of growth on trees that are coppiced fed and
watered, you do this if you want the large leaves rather than flowers

--
Charlie Pridham
Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk

On Thu, 26 Jan 2017 08:47:41 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

On 24/01/2017 22:26, James Wilkinson Sword wrote:


Have one in the garden which is now 23 years old. looses some of the
new growth every winter but still growing well. Temperatures here down
to -24C. some winters.

Phil
Norrthern

Your accent is showing :-)

Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles N. of Inverness

So you don't get the 15 feet growth per year up there?

You only get that sort of growth on trees that are coppiced fed and
watered, you do this if you want the large leaves rather than flowers

This one is to be in an aviary for birds to climb on. I want lots of branches, fast growing to replace what they chew.

--
Two Muslims have crashed a speedboat into the Thames barrier in London.
Police think it might be the start of Ram-a-dam.