Nancy - No success here either. This will be my 4th or 5th year trying too. I have two jugs outside each with a different variety. Might try them indoors too this year to see what happens. I start my hot peppers, toms and annuals under the lights still since our growing season is short here in MN.

Sandy

Misery loves company Sandy -thanks! I feel like I am pretty good at "this WSing thing" but this is the one I can't get to germinate. I did sow my only pack this morning in an outside jug (cause WSers NEVER give up - smile) but if someone has the magic answer, I will actually go and BUY a pack of seeds (something I never do anymore with all my seed saving and trading)to try a successful technique.

Nancy

I WS'ed monkshood in December 2008 and got sprouts 2/21/09. Those sprouts bit the dust during a horrible arctic freeze in March, but others popped up later. If I were doing this again, I'd probably sow them in February.

The new sprouts were really slow to grow, but I've been told that they should take off this year.

kt

I've successfully wintersown monkshood twice (and plan on doing more this year, though I'm getting a late start).

Where I had problems was after germination. The seedlings grew very slowly and remained small. However, I planted them out and by the next year most of them had survived and grew quite well.

Good luck!
:)
Dee

I wintersowed this last year from seeds I got from a trader in Norway and was successful. Like Dee and Kt they grew slowly for me.
Remy

I WS them last year and managed three sprouts, and yes, they grow slowly. It wasn't until the end of summer when I planted them out. I transplanted them into pots to let them grow more, and wouldn't you know, within days the ba$@&rd squirrels dug all of them up, all but one that I planted in a somewhat hidden spot near a more mature plant. I HATE SQUIRRELS! They always seek and destroy my newly planted seedlings, or any other plant for that matter.

Karen

I WS'd monkshood last winter successfully from purchased seeds. I was surprised because the packet said that they could take up to a year to germinate. I am hoping that they will make it through this winter. They were still teeny tiny last fall.

I never sowed them at all, but ended up with a surprise one that bloomed in my garden very late in the fall.I didnt realize what it was, and had to have it ID'd here. Guess that was real luck.
{{gwi:279454}}
Tammy

Thanks everyone..I'll keep trying!!!!
***Nancy

I think I'll buy a packet of monkshood too and wintersow them. Will be interesting to see if they germinate and/or the two jugs I've ws from trades germinate. I refuse to let Monkshood beat me!

Sandy

Plant the seeds in moistened medium. Put in plastic bag and put in freezer for 30 days. take out and place in a cool place. it make take 30 days to germinate. Or plant outside in late fall. This works for coneflowers also. Poppies get scattered with the first snow.

I got them to grow! I read that they need to be absolutely fresh, dont let them dry out, so I took them off a plant and put them DIRECTLY into the soil.

It bloomed this year, bad news is it seems to not have enough sun, its absolutely lieing on the ground. :( they dont like to be transplanted either.

Gardens North used to offer lost of varied aconitums moist packed, I got tons in the past and they did germinated just fine. I left mine in enclosed porch over winter. Most seeds do not tolerate dry storage so fresh seed only- you might get lucky but it is a chance...

Monkshood really only likes to be divided in very early spring when just a tiny bit of foliage is showing. But it actually benefits from being divided about every five years or so or it develops the circle with a dead zone in the middle shape.

To divide, wait until there is just enough foliage showing to be sure where the clump is (like one leaf showing) and slip a shovel under to pry up the whole clump. Then just pull the clump apart into pieces as small as one cone with a leaf and a root. Or just break in half or quarters. Pot or replant. Even the one leaf cones reach blooming size to 2-3 years.

I have enough clumps that I break one up every year to have some to swap.

Once the monkshood stems begin to enlongate, it isn't crazy about being moved.

I finally got germination of one each of aconitum yezoense and aconitum napiforme (out of about 10 seeds per pack). But that's better than I've done before in three years of trying.

I wintersow Aconitum seeds again this past winter, and I had success. They were dry stored until I sowed and I did not have a problem. So I know I'm not going crazy(well maybe I am, lol) that I've done it twice now with dry stored seeds.
So I just went and checked on sowing the seeds at Jelitto.
It said they must be warm then cool. It also said that snow helps aid in germination. Well, I've got both temperature swings in my area and lots of melting snow.
Very cold areas where it is frozen solid all winter or where there is not a lot of moisture are going to have problems it seems. That must be why it is often stated that they can take a year to germinate. Those types of climates would need longer to fulfill the germination requirements.
Remy

I winter sowed monkshood a few yrs ago and had wonderful sucess with it.I got the seeds in a trade.I have not wsd the last 2 yrs but if I can find some seed,this is one I would like to grow again.The ones I had only lived that 1 yr. but I see from kimka's post they clump and live for yrs.Not sure why mine did not survive.They were big healthy plants with beautiful blooms.
moonphase

Kimka,
TY for sharing that, I will definitely try that in the spring.

:)