I have grown them from seed without chilling. You may get a higher percentage of germination with chilling, but it doesnt seem necessary.

Check out this link for germination - it does say "oscillating temperatures"

Here is a link that might be useful: germination data base

I agree no chilling needed but could be a higher percentage of germination but not sure. I did some winter seeding by broadcasting but only got 3 plants so far from about a 100 seeds but then the birds may have something to do with that. I should get a few nice looking plants that may need to stake as they get to be too tall late in their blooming process.

According to "Making More Plants" by Ken Druse, they do need cold stratification. Sow them thickly into four inch pots, do not cover the seeds, just press them into the soil, then moisten and drain the pots and put them inside Ziploc bags. Put them into the refrigerator for two weeks and then bring them out into 75 degree temperatures and light. (Leave them inside the Ziploc bag until they germinate.) I have had excellent results with them this way.

It's interesting how vastly different directions on seed packets can be. I have gotten to where I tend to favor the companies that give the most detailed instructions. It can make the difference between wasting a packet of seed and getting all or nearly all of them to germinate.

Thanks all for posting. I guess I should play it safe and put them in the fridge for a while. Just looked at the seed packet and there are 500 seeds, so I have a little room to experiment!

A little overwhelmed....first time I've started anything other than zinnias and I'm sitting here looking at nearly 2 dozen seed packets between the flowers & veggies. I just couldn't resist!

You know, you don't have to sow them all at once. Take stock of your beds and make some kind of plan for what you will plant where and how many of it you will need. Give those plants priority.

Then look at the germination requirements. Anything that takes longer than a week to germinate should be sown first. Things that pop up fast like tomatoes and zinnias can wait awhile.

And then look at the temperatures required. Some seeds need very warm temperatures, others on the cool side. For me, I start warmer needs seeds in a small guest bathrooom. I can only fit four flats in there at a time, so that's all I sow at once. When the seeds germinate, they usally need a cooler spot for growing on. In my case, that's the basement. So, as seeds germinate, I move them downstairs, and that leaves space for others that need the warmth.

AND then, I just learned this spring that all seeds can be germinated in crowded conditions. Once they have come up and settled in for a few days, it actually helps them to build stronger roots if they are pricked out and settled into their own pots. So, you can germinate far more seeds at once than you might think. Just use the flat trays (with holes in the bottom), and sow your seeds in rows, marking what each row is. If you're sowing alot of one kind, you can just broadcast the seed into the flat.

Thanks for the info, Donna. I think I gave up on planning out my beds. I just moved into this house last June and I think the neighbors think I'm nuts...I go outside and just walk around and look at things. There are LOTS of beds, and lots of plants currently there that need moved or just dug up and thrown out (monkey grass!!).

I get overwhelmed trying to plan it all out and need to remember it is supposed to be fun. :) This year I'm not "doing things right" and am not sowing seeds in any particular order etc, and don't know how many plants I'll need...I figure a lot of mine will not even germinate, or won't do well, as I don't have lights/heating pads etc....so we shall see. I'm just going to have fun with it, plant whatever I can and see how everything does. I figure it is going to take me 2-3 growing seasons to figure out what does well where and what plants I actually like etc. (I'm a newbie and have only grown zinnias before!).

Next year I'll hopefully be more coordinated and can use some of your advice. Too late this year--just planted a bunch of stuff today before I read your post. :) Trying some winter sowing as well, so we'll see what happens!

Thanks for the info/advice!