You have a wide range of plants there which hail from a lot of different climates: humid tropical, alpine, dry semi desert. You can't expect them all to germinate under the same conditions. Furthermore, perennials and woody subjects are highly unlikely to germinate in a week. I suggest you look up each seed individually and find out their specific requirements. Btw ... Peat pellets are generally considered a poor choice for germinating anything.

Hi, thanks for your reply it's very kind of you. I realise that a week is nothing when seeds are germinating, more like several weeks or months depending on the seed so more patience needed from me... Certainly agree, Its a very diverse range of seeds i've bought palm, cacti and even bonsai seeds where maybe I should start with something easier to begin with. Tomato plant possibly... lol. From what I've researched/Google some seeds like the bonsai require a period of stratification to the cold to start germination. Also, different natural climates and soil types required as you pointed out.. Would you recommend scarifying seeds with tough shells and also do you think Potassium nitrate solution helps to speed up/increase germination. Won't be using the peat pellets for seeds anymore, thanks again, most grateful for your time.

I think that the peat pellets work fine to germinate certain seeds esp acid loving plants and ones that dislike root disturbance like lupines. I was only able to germinate my collected Ferber daisy seeds in peat pellets. Only thing I would say is to transplant to a more complete seedling mix with some perlite for drainage soon after seed leaves appear and REMOVE THE NETTING ASAP. You don't want the roots to get tangled up in that net.

No, I do not recommend scarifying (it is rarely helpful, even with recalcitrant seed coats) or using stuff like potassium nitrate (or hormones until you have a better idea of the intricacies of artificial growth - they are never required in a . I do suggest some basic seed starting, sowing and leaving outside to stratify naturally - the gentian would be a good candidate as will the tree species. Most seeds WANT to grow and given the simplest conditions (soil, moisture) will germinate when the time is right. Messing about with chemicals, lights, heat, before appreciating the basic needs for germination, may well lead you to be discouraged. There are plenty of databases - I grow all my perennials (and trees and shrubs) from seed and never have to use artificial heat, light or chemicals...it may be necessary for annuals if you have a particularly short growing season...or perhaps tricky tropicals, but most plants require very simple criteria for growth. As for timescales - it is not unknown to have to wait 2 or even more years for germination - paeonies, for example...and clematis...although they are actually rock solid as long as you keep the pots slightly moist in summer and protected from predators.

As a final suggestion, avoid ebay and either buy from reputable seed merchants or best of all, save or swap seed as fresh seed is always more reliable than stuff which may have been badly stored for years on end.

Hi, just to say a quick thank you to all that took time in replying and offering advice. I've since been successful in germinating the Musa Valutina, several lemon trees from supermarket fruit, nepenthis and some succulents. I stopped with the peat pellets and tried some good quality seedling starter mix with some perlite and organic nutrients. No chems, less watering, learning some basics of plants/cultivation/soil types just 101 novice stuff but also lots more patience. I now realise why this takes years of experience but its a great and very interesting hobby. Thanks again.