Sowing instructions N-R (sorted by scientific name) Nandina Domestica - Heavenly Bamboo Sow in fall or winter 1/4 inch deep. Seeds need several months to germinate. Nasturtium Space your seeds 8-12 inches apart in the ground, and a little closer in containers. In zones with freezing temperatures wait until after the frost, and in the mild southern climates they can even be planted in the fall for "winter" blooming. I''ve found the trick with nasturtiums is to keep them watered during the entire growing season. Especially when they are in containers. They love full sun, but they don''t do well in drought-like conditions. As long as you keep them watered and give them room for the air to circulate they are a prolific flower. The soil shouldn''t be too rich because you will get more leaves than flowers. The soil can even be slightly sandy and they will thrive. You can use barrel planters, window boxes or porch boxes too. Pick the blooms freely once they start coming, and you will have many more during the summer. Nerium Oleander The small seeds should be barely covered. Use a soil mixture to which you should add 15% coarse sand. To germinate the seeds be very careful that you do not keep the soil wet - it should only be lightly moist, Provide bright light. Nolina Nelsonii - Blue Bear Grass Sow 1/4 inch deep in well drained soil/sand mix at a temperature of 70--80 degrees. Expose to full light and don't water too much, just sprinkle every day the top. Needs some time to germinate Paeonia suffruticosa - Tree peony Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. When sown fresh, the seed produces a root about 6 weeks after sowing with shoots formed in the spring. Stored seed is much slower, it should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame but may take 18 months or more to germinate. The roots are very sensitive to disturbance, so many growers allow the seedlings to remain in their pots for 2 growing seasons before potting them up. This allows a better root system to develop that is more resilient to disturbance. If following this practice, make sure you sow the seed thinly, and give regular liquid feeds in the growing season to ensure the plants are well fed. Tolerant of summer heat. Add compost as needed before planting. Larger shrubs appreciate some shelter from strong winds. Unlike herbaceous peonies, the stems of tree peonies (which are woody shrubs) do not die to the ground in winter and should not be cut back after frost. No pruning is required, except to cut out dead wood or suckers in early spring. If plants become leggy, a moderate pruning in early fall can be done to shape plant and encourage additional growth on the lower part of the plant. Remove spent flowers after bloom. These long-lived plants usually take several years to establish, and are best left undisturbed once planted. Moreover, plant roots go deep and transplanting can be difficult. Appreciates some winter protection in USDA Zone 4 and the colder areas of Zone 5. Passiflora actinia Passiflora ligularis Passiflora quadrangularis Passiflora maliformis Passiflora caerulea Passiflora edulis Passiflora flavicarpa Passiflora mollissima Sow in trays, pots, etc of good seed compost in a propagator or warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of 70-40-70F . Sowing Depth: ¼in . Germination can be slow. Seal the seed container after sowing in a polythene bag and place in a temperature of 70F for 3 months. Keep compost moist but not over wet. If germination does not occur by the end of this time, transfer to a fridge (Not freezer) for 3-5 months. At the end of this period return to 70F when germination should occur in around 3 months. Paulownia tomentosa - Princess Tree Sow surface and slightly cover with soil. Water regulary, but don''t overwater. They can directly be planted outdoors after all danger of frost. It is not recommendable to start them in pots due to strong root development. Will germinate within 3 weeks. Very easy Pistacia chinensis - Chinese pistacio Plant 3/4" deep at 80F. Keep damp (cover pot with plastic sheet) and provide bright light Pritchardia pacifica - Fiji fan palm Before planting remove the outter shell. Plant in bright light and warm (80F), keep damp by covering with a plastic sheet. Plant in well drained soil at 1" deep. Protea - cyranoides, magnifica, susannae, subvestita, repens, nana, longifolia, laurifolia, grandiceps, eximia, coronata, compacta, burchellii, nerifolia The best time to sow is in fall or spring. Choose the season that gives the seedlings the most time to grow under favourable conditions. For example, if your summer is very hot and dry, but your winter is moderate and wet - sowing in autumn will give the seedlings a whole winter and spring to become strong before the harsh summer. In colder climates, it is best to sow in spring so that plants can become hardy before the frosts of winter. Plant each seed in a 500 ml plastic seedling bag. Fill the bag with a well-drained acidic soil mixture with a pH of about 5.5. You can make the mixture out of : 2 parts coarse river sand, 2 parts peat or decomposed pine needles, and 1 part vermiculite or perlite. It is important that the soil mixture drains well. Water should run right through the filled tray, but the soil mixture should be such that it retains moisture and remains damp between waterings. The seeds/seedlings should never be allowed to dry out. The vermiculite helps retain moisture. It helps if the soil mixture is sterilised, ridding the soil of fungus, eggs, larvae and pathogens that might harm the seeds or the seedlings. The simplest method is to drench your soil mixture with boiling water before planting the seeds. This is best done on a flat, hard surface and has the added benefit of leveling out the soil. The drainage of the seed tray should ensure that after about 15 minutes, the soil is evenly damp. If there are any soggy patches or water pooled on the top, then your drainage is not sufficient. The boiling water kills germinating weed seeds, insect larvae, snail and slug eggs and fungal spores. Prunus avium - Mazzari Cherry, Wild Cherry, Sweet Cherry First, scarify the seeds. For faster germination, soak the seeds in slightly hot water for 24-48 hours, followed by 2-3 months cold stratification before sowing in your soil. Sow at 1 inch deep in moist soil. Lights aid germination. The seeds can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate.  Read more about scarification and stratification here Pueraria phaseoloides - Tropical Kudzu Seeds need to be scarified in cooking water for 24 hours prior planting. Plant 1/2" deep in sand/loam mixture, keep warm and damp. Needs bright light to germinate. Slow and erratic, but once established a rigorous grower. Punica granatum - Pomegranate Sow February to May. Germinate at 68-86F on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost. Cover with a very fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite, and place in a propagator or seal container inside a polythene bag. Place container in darkness until after germination which can take 1-4 months. Ravenala madagascariensis = Travelers Palm Place seed in a sealed plastic baggie with peat moss, not too wet, just moist. They rot easily. Keep at a constant warm 70-80 degrees F) temperature. Best place is on top of the fridge. Germination occuse fairly quickly Rizinus communis - Castor Bean Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours. Plant seeds after all danger of frost 1 inch deep in a sunny location. Germination needs appr. 4-6 weeks. Rosa rubrifolia glauca - Red leaf rose Rosa rugosa alba - White japanese rose Rosa Rugosa rubra - Red japanese rose Cold stratify the seeds at 40°F for 90 to 120 days to prepare the seedcoat for emergence. After stratification seeds can be planted any time of the year. This is an easy-to-grow species, although well-drained soil is key to its success. Slightly acidic soil is preferred, although the plant is adaptable enough for this not to make that much of a difference. It is extremely salt tolerant and can grow well in pure sand. Rosemarinus officinalis - Rosemary Sow at 68ºF, cover slightly. Needs light. Germinates in less than two weeks. Royal poinciana - Flamboyant tree - Flame tree Place seeds in boiling water. After a couple of minutes add cold water to drop the temperatur to hot but not boiling. Let them soak for 24 hours. Sow seeds in moist seeding mix covering with 3 times their thickness. Place in warm location best on top of refriderator. Germination occurs then in 2-3 days.

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