Sowing instructions S-Z (sorted by scientific name) Sabal Palmetto - Cabbage Palm Seeds are buoyant and salt resistant, requiring no pretreatment in order to break dormancy. Germination is hastened by planting seeds in moist sand at 38° F for 30 days. Optimum planting depth is 0.5 – 1 inch in light soil. Seed survival is reported to be low due to consumption by animals. It is reported reported that as little as 9% of 620,000 seeds produced per acre survived frugivory, that's why I would recommend to start them indoors in a container.. First year growth consists of the primary root, one fully expanded leaf, and a rhizomatous stem Schinus molle - California pepper tree Sow seed in a warm greenhouse in mid spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter before planting out in early summer. Plant 1/2" deep in well drained soil. Keep warm and damp in bright light (cover pots with plastic sheet) Solanum Mammosam - Titty fruit Solanum quitoense - Naranjilla Solanum topiro - Cocona Plant seeds 3/8 in deep in nursery beds in rows 8 in apart; or in polyethylene bags containing a 50-50 mixture of potting soil and sand. In each bag, or each hole put 4 to 5 seeds expecting the emergence of 1 or 2 sturdy seedlings. Germination time varies from 15 to 40 days. Provide bright light - not full sun. Solenostemon scutellarioides - Coleus Carefree Mix Solenostemon scutellarioides - Coleus Fairway Mix Solenostemon scutellarioides - Coleus Wizard Solenostemon scutellarioides - Coleus Scarlet poncho Sow surface at 65=70 degrees and cover very slightly with soil. Exposure to light, but not in direct sunlight, and keep moist. Germinates within 2 weeks. Stevia rebaudiana Stevia can be grown either in pots on your balcony or any sunny spot, or else in a hydroponic unit. Stevia plants also do quite well in "container gardens." A 10" to 12" diameter container filled with a lightweight growing mix is an ideal size for each plant. A little mulch on the top will help retain the moisture in the shallow root zone. A properly fertilized hydroponic unit or container garden can provide you with as much stevia as an outdoor garden, if not more. Sow surface and push the seeds slightly onto the soil. Because tender young stevia plants are especially sensitive to low temperatures, it''s important that you wait until the danger of frost is past and soil temperatures are well into the 50s and 60s before transplanting them into your garden. Once you begin, it''s best to plant your stevia in rows 20 to 24 inches apart, leaving about 18 inches between plants. Your plants should grow to a height of about 30 inches and a width of 18 to 24 inches. Harvesting should be done as late as possible, since cool autumn temperatures and shorter days tend to intensify the sweetness of the plants as they evolve into a reproductive state. While exposure to frost is still to be avoided, covering the plants during an early frost can give you the benefit of another few weeks'' growth and more sweetness. Strelitzia Nicolai - White bird of paradise Strelitzia Reginae - Orange bird of paradise From seed, plants given ideal conditions will flower within 3 years. To get a mature flowering plant from seed takes about three to five years. For best results sow fresh seed in spring. Before sowing, remove the bright orange tuft of hairs attached to the seed (aril of each seed) and soak in a aqueous solution of ethrel at a concentration of 2000 ppm active constituent, for 48 hours. In practical terms this entails making up 6ml ethrel (39.5% active ingredient) to a litre of water. Sow in seedtrays filled with a well-drained soil medium at a depth of 1,5 times the size of the seed. A constant temperature of 76F is most suitable for germination as low temperatures retard germination. Germination takes four to eight weeks. Seedlings should be a good size before transplanted (two to three leaves) into a well drained medium. Young strelitzia plants must be grown in shade, for the leaves tend to burn in direct sunlight. Regular repotting allows the young plant to develop rapidly. Restricting the root development retards growth. Syringa vulgaris - French Lilac Syringa villosas - Late lilac Syringa reticulata - Japanese Lilac Soak seeds in room temperatur for 24 hours. Cold stratify for 8 weeks. Then sow 1/4 inch deep in quality gardening soil and place them in room temperatur until they germinate (4 days-5 weeks). Keep soil moist. After germination grow seedlings under growlight or on a sunny window. Keep them inside for 3-4 weeks. Transplant them outside in a cold enviroment after this initial growth period. Alternatively you can directly sow them outside in fall. Tagetes - Marigold Start marigolds from seeds indoors in spring, six to eight weeks before your region''s last frost date. Or, if you don''t mind later blooms, start them after the last frost date. Sow the seeds directly in the ground, covering them with about 1/4-inch of soil. Very easy, germinate within a few days. Tecoma stans - Yellow Bells - Trumpet flower Sow 1/16''deep at 70 degrees. Germination 2-3 weeks, Hardy zone 9 Vicia sativa - Common vetch Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow directly outside from late winter to early summer and again in fall.. Washingtona robusta - Mexican Fan palm Put the seeds in water for just a day. Plant them 1/4 inch deep and cover the pot with a plastic sheet to keep himidity high. Don''t forget to water. Withina week they should spourt. This is a great first stater palm seed. and one of the easist palms to germinate Wheat grass (organic) Soak adequate quantity of unpolished wheat-grain overnight in water in any container (after cleaning and washing it thoroughly). Keep a few pots (preferably 7 to 9 pots- one to be sown each day of the week) ready with ordinary soil. Do not add any chemicals or fertilizers. Cow-dung or goat-dung may be added as manure if needed. Spread the soaked wheat on the surface of the soil so that the grains are touching one another. Sprinkle a thin layer of soil on the wheat grains. Cover the pot with a newspaper to provide darkness which helps the sprouting and also to prevent the birds from eating the wheat. Keep the pot in a balcony or a windowsill or a covered verandah. Next day uncover the pot and spray on some water and again cover it with the newspaper. Repeat step 7 everyday until you see green leaves sprouting through the soil. Stop covering the pot as soon as the green leaves appear. Everyday water the pot lightly but adequately depending upon the season and also depending upon the pots used - whether they have holes or not. Beautiful green blades of grass keep growing in height everyday. As soon as the grass is about 8 inches tall ( which usually happens around the 7th to the 9th day from the date of sowing) harvest the grass by cutting with a clean pair of scissors about 1/2" above the surface of the soil. The harvested wheat grass is now ready to be chewed or juiced or stored. A second round of wheat grass will again grow in about 6 to 7 days with daily watering as before. After the second harvest from the same pot, remove all the soil in the pot onto a newspaper- breakup all the roots and mix them with the soil. Add a bit of cowdung to this to rejuvenate the soil. The soil is now ready for reuse for a fresh sowing of wheat. Yucca Elata - Soaptree Yucca Yucca Filamentosa - Adam's Needle Yucca Rigida Sow spring in a greenhouse. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water may reduce the germination time. It usually germinates within 1 - 12 months if kept at a temperature of 80°F. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and consider giving them some winter protection for at least their first winter outdoors.. Zinnia elegans, Zinnia Giant The good seeding season is the mid to end spring. It is recommended to plant them directly in container, because their germination rate is pretty high, and the size of the seeds is large enough to be treated easily. It is recommended to keep 3 inches of interval to seed them, because they grow big. Full sun is preferredThey seems to be always thirsty. Especially in the dry summer in California, sometimes they require watering more than once a day. However, in the humid summer in Japan, maybe it is enough if you water them once a day only on sunny days. If you forget watering, they lose vigor easily