Sow them early enough to get two weeks of exposure to 39 degree weather. (Now is fine) They'll sprout after temps are closer to 68 degrees for 10-20 days.

Glad I read this post. I really want to have Bells of Ireland to intermingle with my Black Prince Snapdragon for color. I had no idea they needed a short cold period.

Melissa

We had that temp last year when I put em out, but still didn't germ. I just wonder if it was the daytime sun that raised the temps maybe the cause.
I really like the lime colors in arrangments

I'm trying them again this year. No luck last year, but I'll try, try again!

:)
Dee

I did have some germinate, though only a small percentage of the seeds sprouted.

Karen

Good to know, may just pick up more seed and oversow

Bells of Ireland need light to germinate and also a period of cold stratification. So they will actually germinate best in a cold climate if you just scatter the seeds on the surface of the ground in the fall or mid winter. (Of course you have to make sure that heavy rains don't wash them away or all into one spot.) Bells of Ireland will readily self sow if a patch of them is allowed to drop seed onto the surface of relatively loose soil.

Last spring (2008) my mom had lots and lots of them popping up all over her Bells of Ireland patch from 2007. Her bells patch is in a raised bed of really good soil and she didn't till it at all so the seeds were allowed to lie on the surface of the ground all winter. For ideal germination you would probably want to remove any mulch in the fall and then soften and amend the soil around the dying plants. After that you should be able to just allow the plants to self sow (perhaps shaking the branches to help the seeds all fall out and to be more evenly distributed) and then just let them lie until spring.

WE had a thread going about these last year; seems they were either really good, or really bad as I recall. Lots of people having not so good luck with them. I'll see if I can find it.
(busylizzy- I'll get your poppy packet in the mail tomorrow)

Aer they to be dug up before winter? If so I may have lost mine!! Mary

Yeah me thinks these are the fussy ones.
I give all fussy seeds 3 strikes your out seasons, then go on plant exchange and go from there.
Thanks for the info Steve, but, I cannot direct sow in the area I want these, as I broadcast corn gluten meal as a pre-emergent, very soon I hope. The seeds won't germinate fer sure.
I was planning on Wsing

Np on the poppies, I am still under snow!

Last year was my 1st try at bells of ireland. Just had a few germinate in my pot, so when I planted them, "dumped" the potting soil onto the bed near them. Amazingly got about double the number of plants - so hoping for this year. Planning to w-s a few more - and hoping (expecting??) some self-sown from last years.

The funny thing with Bells of Ireland...the first year I sowed them, they sprouted, weakly, and did nothing the first year. I thought they died.
Well they must've done enough to drop several seeds because low and behold, the following year, they sprouted up in that same place in a bunch and were as pretty as they looked in the picture when I ordered them.
Quite a pleasant surprise.

Linda

This will be my third year trying to get Bells of Ireland to germinate. I've always used commercial seed, so I may give up if I'm not successful this year.