I grow Thunbergia every year, and Sweet Peas every few years. Sweet Peas don't transplant very well, but are easy to start by planting them directly in the soil. They'll germinate in cold soil or warm soil. I usually plant them in October here in northern California, when the temperatures are pretty warm, and they seem to take a few weeks to show up (trying to remember). One year, though, I planted them late, and we had some really cold temperatures, and up they popped! So maybe colder temperatures hasten germination. If I had paid more attention I would likely have more specific information. Anyway, I plant Sweet Peas about 2-3 inches apart in soil enriched with plenty of compost. I always cover these seeds with enough soil to block out light, not because light is an issue, but so that the large seedlings have more of an anchor. Thunbergia seeds are generally pretty speedy germinators when given heat, much slower to germinate (can take a month sometimes) at lower temperatures. I would plant these more like 6" apart than closer because eventually they will branch out. Once they get going they can be pretty aggressive, but it takes a little while for them to get their rhythm, so to speak. I've never grown them on a lattice, but I plant them with cukes growing on long tomato trellises, and they twine around the trellis and the cucumber plants very nicely. I've also had some pop up in odd places where there is no support, and they are full enough to look nice sprawling over the ground. This is another seed that I cover with enough soil to block out the light for the same reason I do the Sweet Pea seeds.

I had seeds stored in the fridge.Got a new fridge.I noticed hubby left the baggie out so I went on and set my tray up(salad container w peat pot discs,pored boiling water over) And they have been sitting....sitting...sitting.I can actually leave them undisbred.I prevouisly grew one of the red seeds& the vine grew never flowered,dug up & replanted it the next spring.It did well till hubby weeded it with weed eater(wacker)So I might need to let these sit around a year huh.they are in the pantry.the seeds seemed in good shape when planted them.They had been in the fridge about 3 years though........................

Thanks Lindalana for sharing the specifics of your techniques; I had started some exotic ones last night and when I read what you said, I actually put a heat lamp/heating pad on them as they were well insulated under a humidity dome and tucked in with a thermometer, and I took it up to 92 degrees F before removing the heat (room temp is close to 79 F here all the time). The temperature settled back within a few minutes; so maybe that will do for the lukewarm water, it was only one variety and probably my slowest one and the seeds had just (finally!) arrived. Daniel thanks too and for the great pictures. I was going to try something similar and it is reassuring it is working nicely for you and probably solves a uniformity problem if you need that. There are three reasons why I held off doing that, disease, expensive or having few seeds, and bumblefingers me stressing small sprouts upon a transfer. Here's the thing with me. Molds are a great problem here. Not necessarily initially, but later as the seedling develops. I used to add a small amount of fertilizer to my seedlings but now I do everything germination related in pure (distilled) water under sterile conditions including no paper, filters, etc. Holding off on the small nutrient content doesn't allow anything undesirable to get much of a start and the fertilizer can always be added diluted later. But I think I'll try next a few minutes soak in a very weak soluble fertilizer like Lindalana mentioned and then sowing the seeds into distilled water as normal (for me), though it will be inorganic. If that doesn't cut down on the scattered germination times, I'll think about pre-germination but once I get a plant going the problem is usually slowing its growth, not selecting for vigor, at this latitude, though for fall it might make more sense. I'm just frugal with the seeds as I usually only get about 20 and preselect only the well-formed ones. I started by double sowing, and that has the same problem, too much seed waste and leaves decaying material. This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 10:49

What Sany says. +1 ^^^ Most potting soils have some built in ferts that are usually good for a couple months at least. Seedlings are pretty self sufficient aside from water and I would wait until they have a few sets of true leaves before dumping anything extra on them. Then, I suggest a water soluble fert and half or lower strength to start. And at that point, a fert that is a bit higher in Nitrogen is best. They don't need the P or K so much at that point. The MG tomato ferts are more balanced but if you look at the general purpose MG, it is higher in Nitrogen. I would start them out with that, but again, in partial doses to start. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Miracle-Gro-All-Purpose-Dry-Plant-Food-8OZ-MIRC-GRO-PLANT-FOOD/38473112