Nepethes from seed

[michael49]

Hi there......First time post.
I have not long ago aquired 5 different species of Nepethes seed and, not quite sure if I have done the right thing in sowing them. What I have done and was advised to do was place them on a bed of peat moss and lightly cover them (with peat).
I was then told to place the containers in approx. 2 cm of water and cover them with a half a coke bottle to creat humidity.
This having been done and the pots living inside ( winters just round the corner here). All seems to be going well but I was wondering just how long it takes for the seeds to show any progress. One has a small green shoot which appears to be growing very slowly ( mind you, It could be a weed).
I would be greatful for any input from you Experts.
PS If this post is in the wrong place, I'm sure the Mods. will move It.
Cheers, Mixhael.

[edwardyeeks]

Hi michael, you need not cover them with peat, but since it's lightly covered, it should be fine. While they like high humidity, make sure there is ample air circulation otherwise the seeds will be attacked by fungus and most likely not survive or germinate. Keep the media moist but not soggy wet. And since winter is around the corner for you, you might want to make sure that the germination containers are kept warm enough for seeds to germinate.

As for germination rate, it depends on how old the seeds are. Extremely fresh seeds (harvested within the first week when the seed pods pop) can germinate in 2 weeks + whereas in most cases, seeds that are a month or two old can take more than a month to germinate. Beyond that, there are cases where the seeds take half a year or even longer to germinate. Just don't give up unless the seeds are totally rotten. Good luck.

[michael49]

Many thanks for your reply,suppose i'll just have to sit on my hands and wait.

Cheers, Michael

[Hikeheeri]

Just for some of you that might want to know, 2 of the 6 seeds im growing under 100w hps showed a white pistol at 17 days from seed, 2 others showed the 1st white pistol at 21 days, another at 22 days, Still waiting on 1 more to show.