Nice to know Barb that you are an editor of the ORG&HPS Journal! I'll gladly put a good word in for the society as I've been a member for some time. Wish I could get to meetings more often! The wonderful annual seed exchange is over for another year and I've already sown the seeds that need some cold treatment. Many seeds I contribute to the GW Exchanges have been started from the society's offers. It is affiliated with the North American Rock Garden Society, as well, as a charter member. So seeds that have been contributed to the NARGS exchange will show up occasionally in the ORG&HPS lists through members who contribute and order from both. It all goes around. The ORG&HPS Germination Guide is kept up to date and has proven a great help to me in germinating those seeds that need several cycles of temperatures or special conditions in order to germinate. Guess I'm one of those seriously plant-addicted persons! Sharon M.

My brother walks in the room, says where are you going to put all of these hibiscus and datura seedlings and I tell him, It's not how many there are, it's how many are going to live. If I start with 10 of the same kind, I'm sure to get 2-3. There's just too many things that can go wrong with seedlings, so if I want a plant from seed bad enough I'll order or get enough to ensure I get 1...lol You probably shouldn't have had that compost in for seedlings, and no fertilizer at all until they've got at least their second set of leaves (1st true set) but from the sounds of it, your remanders are strong and doing fine. Use a very little fertilizer at first...as in real diluted, just enough to get them use to it. You'll have to feel your way through as to when to add more as all plants have thresholds for such things. I like researching things but I can't remember how much I fertilized. Though I don't know if that's necessary if you already have compost in your mix. Now, I haven't grown lunars, but I have grown 5+ other kinds. Your roots, I believe, are little tubers and they must stay attached to the neck of the plant when you transplant, much like dahlia's except longer and thinner tubers relative to the plant size. They are stonger than veining type of roots. All my hardy hibiscus shoot straight out, in one direction or another. I expect yours are probably curling around the bottom of the pot and you should have them in ever bigger sized pots. Just keep in mind, a root bound pot means there is so much root in the pot that the water just runs right over the roots and out the bottom, with nothing much to help keep the water near the roots for a long enough time. They will grow much faster in their second year and probably be able to reach full heighth in the third. Albeit those newer kinds of hibiscus (especially to most of us here in Canada)do each have their own characteristics and your own growing environment and care will have a lot to say about how fast they'll grow. But from what I've read and I've read on almost every kind, have the same growth biology...but there are always exceptions to the rules, such as Lord Baltimore and others that can grow pretty tall. - Sandy

Save time and effort and wait until the weather is HOT outside. These are relatives of and similar to okra. Wet a double thickness of paper towels. Sprinkle the seeds on the paper towels and roll them tightly. Let them sit overnight. When the weather is hot, I fill a large pan (need slow drainage) with soil and SOAK it with water. Let it sit in the hot sun all day. The seeds will crack and some may have a small root sprout. Carefully plant them in the hot soil. I place the pan in the greenhouse and I water every day. They will sprout within a week. They will grow quickly in the heat.

It will in part depend on how the seed were stored. they will not need a second pretreatment so go ahead & sow the seed.... many flower the secod year ... so... will get flower quicker this way..... so YES START ALL SEED NOW!!!!