Your seeds should be sprinkled on the surface of the soil in enclosed transparent container under the lights. Keep them this way for 6 months = in this case even the old seeds have a chance.

Regarding the tuber. Put your tuber in a freezer ziplock baggie, add just a bit of barely-barely moist vermiculite or sphagnum moss - and pin it to the light stand - or some place where it has light but no direct sunlight. Light stimulates the growth. Usually in a next month or 2 you will get a new growth - and only then you pot it with a new growth showing above the soil - I add milled sphagnum moss and coarse perlite to 1:1:1 mix to lighten it up and wick water it.. Since you are in a similar dryness as I it is probably better.

Please keep us posted and ask more questions.

Irina

Thank you Irina. I had assumed I would just plant the tuber right side up and magic would happen. I have perlite and AV soil but no sphagnum moss, only peat, until I can get into town again. I'll put it in a bag with perlite and put it on my light stand until I can get some. I'll have to pick up some plant wicks as well. Do I need to put anything in for drainage, like charcoal or pebbles?

I do have the seeds in closed containers. When I have set them in water to water them the peat has gotten very wet very fast, even though the holes aren't all that big and that worried me so I uncovered them to let some of the water evaporate a bit. I guess I didn't hurt anything because that was before the 2 seeds started to sprout.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I guess that will fade soon though because these things can't be rushed. 6 months? : ( Oh well.

Thank you so much for your help. I'll keep you posted.

In my experience Sinningias are fool-proof if you let them develop the shoot. If you plant them before it - sometimes it takes longer - or they can rot. Light really stimulates their growth. Usually the top of the tuber has an indentation, bottom is rounded.

If your AV soil is 1:1:1 peat -perlite- vermiculite - you can just add a bit of perlite. If it is a store made soil - add a lot. I use mason twine #18 for wicks - get it in HD - or half of the plys of an acrylic thread - so it won't get too wet.

For drainage I put a layer of coarse perlite. You can put whatever - I am a coarse perlite afficionado - I buy it in 4 cubic feet bales. HD variety = small to dust- is not working for me.

perlite in a ziplock baggie will work too - need to keep it sprinkled every so often - so it adds just a little bit of humidity.

Peat is a not a good media for seeds - you already got the idea why plus it is acid. Next time - try to use rewetted fluffed Jiffy pellets - or AV mix -with extra perlite of course.

If your peat gets too wet - use the paper towel somewhere on the edge to soak water off. Next time do not water it - use the sprayer.

good Luck

irina