Need help germinating seeds for begonias!

Although I have grow quite a few plants from seed,I bought seeds for the 'Gryphon' begonia and I am having a bit of trouble getting them to sprout.I tried pre-sprouting them in moist paper towel but they have not sprouted(yet).Please help!

Were they encased in clay? Or just seed? How long have they been sown? If they don't germinate in a 2 to 4 weeks then they may be sterile seed or just old (non-viable). Begonia seed should be surface sown, never covered with soil or anything that would block light. Dampen the medium, drop the seed on the surface, and cover the pot with a plastic cover (Saran wrap should be good to start with). Keep under lights or near a window and they should germinate fairly quick if they are viable.

Gryphon is so popular that you can usually find a good sized plant for a few dollars. I'd suggest going that route if the seeds don't pan out.

OP, you're not alone.......... been haunted by Begonias for several years now........ (read my previous post........ ) I've been doing seed propagation for a number of years & just can't seem to get Begonias to grow... Germination isn't my issue, it's when I put them under lights after they've germinated........

How long have you been trying to germinate these seeds? Under the optimum conditions, good fresh seed should germinate within 10 days to 2 weeks......


Oooops, didn't read previous post........ ;)

This message was edited Mar 1, 2015 8:50 PM

THANK YOU!The seeds were pelleted.I've been trying to get them to sprout for 6-8 weeks,maybe I need to sprout them in warmer conditions.Will follow your advice and see if I can get them to sprout.Thank you so much!