Thanks so much calistoga, your input is valuable. I can see your point and why you are saying what you are. I appreciate very much the thought you put into your answer. Perhaps that would be best. However...I'd like to try with the burlap. I may be being foolish but do value the burlap (2 used coffee bags which is essentially 4 layers of burlap as recommended by the Interbay mulch system) not only for weed minimization but as the mulch to allow gentle watering of beds (even hard rains drip through slowly controlling washing) and keeps moisture levels even. So....I'd still like to try to germinate the seeds and use the burlap as mulch and not pull the burlap away. I may just be like the kid that has to learn the hard way but that acknowledged...it I still need advice on the seeds...my plan for the transplant is cut thru and plant.. BUT for the SEEDS....Would it be best to 1. plant the seeds under the burlap and cut a hole or slot or cross to allow the newly germinated seeds to continue with the burlap as their mulch 2. cut a cross or slot in the burlap, plant, and allow that to be the hole the seeds push through that 3. Cut a little hole where the plant goes and plant there like that The advantage of the first it seems to me would be protecting from washing away of the seed and I know some light gets through the burlap...I've also had one person suggest cutting a cross and pinning the flaps however which seems also to have advantages but a lot of work. Which method or variation do the experts here recommend....given I'd like to try this to retain what I consider to be the benefits of the burlap as mulch over straw and other options. HELP! It's almost time to plant. THANKS....

Hey guys! I popped in at 6am right before I left the house. Sorry to leave you hangin' all day, Doc. To be honest, I collected the seeds at a friend's nursery months ago. It was the last thing I thought of right as the sun was going down so I just grabbed seed pods from 4 or 5 different species and put them in one packet. Oh, the folly of my ways! I guess we'll find out as they grow. There might be some Adromischus in there too :/ I pretty much forgot about them until I saw the packet the other day and, worried they might be going bad, I sowed them. Thanks for the advice, Rian. I moved them to the outdoor shade yesterday. I'll try increasing the light soon and a light feeding. Pix tomorrow!... How excited can you get about tiny green dots? Actually? pretty excited:)

I came across this post in the "name that plant" forum and followed your link! :) just a stab in the dark-- to me, it looks vaguely like a cobaea scandens seed pod... and the seeds also look somewhat like cobaea seeds, but the pics are blurry so it is hard to tell. The pod is a bit more angular around the main veins than I recall the cobaea being, but when it dries I think it does become angular as well... Being native to Mexico, cobaea should be right at home growing in TX without much care, though I have never seen a pod in potpourri... Anyway, just a guess... :) Here is a link that might be useful: unripe cobaea seed pod

I get a bit complicated, but it IS a hobby and I have the time. I used to do it the hard way with windows and some lights. Then about 4 years ago I bought a 4 shelf storage unit, 4'w 2' deep, 6' tall. Bought 4' bulb 4 fluorescent light fixtures and attached them to the bottoms of the shelves. Put daylight and/or growlights in the fixtures (whichever was cheaper). Set the shelves to 4", 8", 12" and 18" below the lights. Built small stands of 4" high from plywood to make the seedling trays stay JUST under the lights "the closer the better" (seriously, if you are going to pay for lighting, get the most you can from them). Used sterile potting soil but added water from the fish tanks. and some organic fertilizer when the seedlings were growing. Transplanted the tomatoes from the small 6-pack cells to 4" deep packs I saved from a nursery sale after 4 weeks, and to deeper pots after another 3 weeks. Deeper each time (tomatoes grow roots along buried stems. When I transplant out from inside (after days of gradually increasing sun exposure) I bury the tomato seedlings up to 12" deep in warmed soil from black plastic and cover that with red plastic (reflects light to improve yield). I have poor sunlight, so I have to do nearly everything to get any harvest. But I expect that would improve anyone's harvest. And grew about 10 dozen other veggies and flowers in the light stand.., I can give details if you want. Hope any of that helps...