Plumeria / Frangipani seeds going mouldy

[Vagetarian]

So, I've had 4 packs of seeds from 2 different eBay sellers. I've planted them all in multi purpose compost with about 1/3rd perlite, 4 seeds to a 5" pot, watered fairly lightly and sealed in sandwich bags.

The first lot rotted after a month and now the rest are going mouldy.

I have had them in the conservatory and I don't think the temperatures have been very helpful, 18-38 degrees.

I've noticed T&M sell the seeds too so I'm going to have another go. This time I'm going to put them somewhere with a more stable temperature and am considering planting them in slightly moist vermiculite in plastic boxes and moving them to individual pots when/if I ever see one sprouting. I may even first spray them with a half strength solution of bordeaux mix.

Does this sound like a good idea or a bad idea?

[Vagetarian]

OK, no replies but in case anyone is interested I'm posting an update. I managed to get some seeds from the second attempt to germinate, 7/15, the rest were thrown away before they had a chance.

I now have 20 more seeds from yet another eBay seller and I'm trying to find out for myself the most reliable way to germinate them.

10 were soaked in water and planted into MPC. 10 were soaked in weak Maxicrop, planted in a sandwich box full of slightly damp vermiculite and then sprayed with a very weak Bordeaux mix solution.

I will post another update if/when I see some progress.

[Two_Sheds]

I've had a lot of problems germinating flower seeds this year. I think it's been too hot & the seeds have cooked

I've had probs too, but with T&M seeds as well as eBay and other providers. I'm now chitting as for peas & beans: sowing on damp kitchen towel in takeaway boxes. It's working well*


* however, out of all the whole pack of asters that chitted successfully, only 6 have appeared after being planted into compost. Who knows what's going on, I don't

[Two_Sheds]

OK, no replies

Your thread has only just shown up in my "new posts" ...? Hence no earlier reply. I don't know why I only see a selection of the new posts, but it's v.annoying

[vicky]

I've tried Frangipani seeds before but with no luck - rotting before germinating. Will the plant be able to survive in the UK?
If you have success let us know, they are fantastic trees

[Vagetarian]

Your thread has only just shown up in my "new posts" ...? Hence no earlier reply. I don't know why I only see a selection of the new posts, but it's v.annoying

Strange... even stranger, I'm sure I posted this reply at lunch time.

I wasn't moaning, only excusing my bumping of the thread..

I've tried Frangipani seeds before but with no luck - rotting before germinating. Will the plant be able to survive in the UK?
If you have success let us know, they are fantastic trees

So far out of a total of 20 seeds I've got 7 seedlings, all looking very healthy. The rest rotted in the compost and I think Two_Sheds has mentioned the main reason for this, the heat. Even for tropical seeds I think it gets a bit too hot in my conservatory so this new batch have been moved into the house.

They will not survive outside all year round in this country but they should be happy enough indoors or outside during the warmer months.

Hopefully the vermiculite and bordeaux mix method will prove successful enough and I shall let you know how it goes in a few weeks time.

[Vagetarian]

An update for you;

I had a failure, almost all of the seeds, even those treated with fungicide grew some strange kind of fungus which looked a little bit like balls of moss on tiny stalks. I threw them all away last night except for 3 of them which had a tiny root growing, 2 of which were the ones soaked in Maxicrop. Not very conclusive though I have to admit.

A week prior to my sowing I gave my girlfriend 5 seeds to germinate. She put them in a pot of MPC (20% perlite) on her kitchen windowsill (which is relatively cool temperature wise - morning sun only), saturated it and kept it well watered. 1 seed rotted, 1 felt empty and therefore not viable (oops) and the other 3 are now growing on in individual pots.

First seeds she's ever germinated and now she's the blooming expert.... so I let her plant the rest of my seeds for me. Straight into a seed tray full of plain, well watered MPC, on my windowsill without the seed tray lid on.

[queenlee]

Hi All I'm a new member but thought I must add something to this thread.....
I also planted some frangipani seeds that I bought from an E Bay site and I've had 2 seeds germinate out of 6 of them. They now have four leaves and are coming on nicely but will need repotting soon as they're only in tiny pots at the moment, but haven't wanted to disturb them.
I've gleaned from other websites that they don't like temperatures below 12 degrees and like to be kept pretty dry in winter and may lose all their leaves but grow them again the spring - fingers crossed.
On another note with exotic plants, I've grown a Hoya plant from a heart shaped leaf plant given to me for Valentines Day that came from Ikea originally that is now 3 years old, 3 feet tall and has flowered this summer. In fact I've had to give it a prune as it wants to grow all over the curtain pole! We also have lemons coming successfully on our lemon tree since we brought it indoors for winter and kept it indoors this summer and fed it - so anything is possible!