I just started a bunch of clivia seed(thanks to CliviaJohn) and did it similiar to you except i added bottom heat with christmas lights and have them under light for 14hrs. so far in about 3-4weeks 95% have started. remember only to bury the seed half way.check after a week or two to see which way their sprouting and reposition, hope this helps
Jim

Thanks Jim! That's a good idea. I'll try to supply some heat for the little guys. :-) But why the long light cycle?

These are the instructions a friend in South Africa gave me, and they work very well. I have germinated 100s of seeds using his instructions.

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I change the paper towels weekly, and I use Clorinated tap water, it helps keep the bacteria down.

Here are some photos of some germinated seeds and newly planted seed.

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Once you plant them keep the soil surface moist, I spray it once or twice a day as needed. Please notice that the majority of the seed is above the the soil.

Great instructions, thanks! What do you use for your potting medium?

I have been using a mixture of 2 parts Miracle Grow potting soil to 1 part pearlite. I would use a bark but my better half is very allergic to pine, an cypress actually has something in it that acts as a pre emergent, so it would not be good for seedlings. I have to winter the plants indoors. So far they are fine with that mixture.

I use Superthrive and 1/2 strength orchid fertilizer to water with. Superthrive is a vitamin/hormone mixture that quite frankly looks like snake oil with its old style packaging and label, but it does help the seedlings better use nutrients, and grow faster. I used it on one group of seeds that I started in June, and not on another group, and the group that didn't get are about 2/3 the size of the ones that did. Walmart is the only place I could find it, and you only use a drop or 2 per gallon. I always thought it was a bunch of Bull hooey, until I actually tried it.

Thanks again. That is exactly the info I need. I use Miracle Gro all the time. I also keep perlite around -- and I've got some nice composted bark/peanut hull that I can add as well.

And I know exactly what you mean about Superthrive! It seems like it must be snake-oil -- yet soooo many people have great results. I used it years ago when I had a bunch of orchids -- oughtta start using it again. :-)

Thanks again!

My seeds came today! Yippee yahoo! And the seller sent more than I paid for -- I paid for 10, received 14. :-)))

Of course, it'll take a good long while to see if these come out variegated or not -- but based on my experience so far and also based on reading her other feedback, I can recommend loveablechina on ebay. :-)

Now I'm off to play with my seeds!

I thought of another question --

Once you plant the germinated seeds, do you keep the pots in some sort of larger container (to keep the humidity up) -- or do you let them fend for themselves, aside from the spraying?

Just a further update --

The dud seed went back to being a dud. It sprouted the tip of its root, but when I picked it up today to check on it, it was mushy and obviously rotted. Oh well!

Out of the 14 seeds I received, 12 are growing strongly. 1, a nice big fat seed, has STILL not sprouted -- but it still looks good, so I'm not giving up hope. And I've already planted 4 of the sprouted seeds in their own pots. So far, so good!

Doc I want some orange if you have some to bring to the MTPS!

Hey 'bambi too' if you are still around I would love to see those seed instructions. But all I get are the dreaded red "x"s in the little boxes. Can anyone cut and paste them here for me?

David, they're still showing up properly on my screen.

Here you go, try this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:571417}}

Thanks folks, I think that the photobucket links are actually all censored on my computers at work (you know the danger that might be incurred by allowing links to such sites ;o)) but I should be able to get to these at home.

I will ask one other question along these lines from a clivia novice -- when are the seeds on the bloomed out stalks (the "infructesence", to be botanically correct I guess..) ready to be harvested? I have a number of clivias now including some pretty good color forms and have been pollinating lots (though my partner *CUT OFF* some of the spent flower stalks, he was just "cleaning up the plants"...oh brother...). Anyway I am not sure how to tell when the seeds are ripe and about how long after pollination that might be.

Thanks for the help. David