You might try starting a thread on another forum, just asking about seed mats and their temperatures, and what kind folks have. You might try asking at Tomatoes as I see in their FAQ that temps of 70-80 are optimum, and I'm sure that some folks who have basement set ups, or something similar, aren't keeping the room at 70-80, thus are using mats. I know the newer heating pads shut off after a certain amount of time, and I don't feel they would be as safe as an actual seed starting mat. My house is cooler too, without any place you could really call 'warm' for starting seeds. In the past, I started some seeds in my gas oven (no pilot light) with the light left on in the oven. The temp stayed at 70+ degrees with the light on. I put a big note on the oven ...DO NOT USE-SEEDS! as a reminder to not accidentally turn the oven on with the seeds in it.

What sort of potting mix is it in? I often find a peaty mix to be a harbinger of woe. And, if you aren't already, water from below and ensure excellent drainage by leaving the pot on pebbles in the drip saucer. Possibly - further dilute the fertiliser and ensure that it only hits the potting medium rather than being used as a foliar feed.

the seed will ripen in the center of a protective coil that the stem forms after the flower blooms. the plant holds it close to the ground. the trick would be in figuring when it's ripe, but before the plants lets go of it. i'd start checking a month or so after it blooms and keep an eye on it to figure out when to grab them. i read somewhere that ants carry off the seeds because the coating is sweet and that's how they get distributed in nature. i'd think that if you picked them fresh you wouldn't need to rehydrate, but you may need to remove that coating. my hederifolium has started reseeding some in nature. since they are so tiny the first few years, and were all too close, i grabbed as many as i could last year and put them in cell packs to wait a year or two in pots while they size up. i was happy to see that even with the drought and my sporadic watering through the fall, most of them came up in late fall on schedule. the are so tiny they're adorable. the little bulbs were only the size of an 'o' in a sentence last year- long ways to go til they get to the 1/2 dollar size+ that is typically sold. pam- that's pretty cool about the florist's one managing 2 winters. maybe it'll start to reseed for you and you'll end up with a colony. does it bloom in fall or now for you? that would help narrow down which hardy genes are in there.

Just found some seeds in a lot that came too late last year for WS. Email me directly if you want some of the C. hederifoliums. I have two pks. I can share. I hope to get more with my NARGS order again this year. And, I don't use the paper towel method; I just soaked, planted, covered the container and put outside. I left them in darkness for about six weeks. Some of the seeds did not germinate until late this summer, but all six containers from last year germinated, finally. I have left them outside for another winter (covered in their milkjugs) and will plant out this coming season. As I said earlier, I think they are easy but SLOW. I had blooms this fall from the first batch I tried three seasons ago.