http://www.andysmall.com/Pages/00240.html
I planted seeds for Chinese Lantern and nothing came up, but I really want to have this plant. Can someone trade with me? Go to this link to see photo. I never see them in nurseries either. Sometimes the seeds one buys in packages ae just not as good as seeds people collect and trade.
Chinese Lantern from seed?
bug_girl
I have had the same experience. I have planted them over and over again with no results. I am in zone 7 and I have even started them early inside. I finally gave up and stopped trying. If you find out a secret, let me know. cjs41
Did they even germinate?
Try cold stratifying them.
What is cold stratifying? I am a seed novice with a black thumb for seeds.
They need to go through a period of cold to germinate. Plant them outside and they'll germinate in the spring. A definition for Stratification is in Garden Terms. There's quite a few threads on here about winter sowing too. If you go to the search and type in winter sowing it will bring up lots of old threads with some good info on seed starting.
This message was edited Sunday, Nov 10th 8:50 PM
I am zone 10, maybe I need to pre chill them with the bulbs? We only got down to 37 F last year.
Here's Tom Clothiers germination details "Physalis subglabrata, and virginiana , Sow at -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 12 wks, move to 22ºC (72ºF) for germination"
You can do seeds in damp paper towling in your fridge. Chinese Lanterns are an agressive plant. I don't know how well they'd do in zone 10. You might regret planting them after you get them going.
I was reading on Garden Web that there is an invasive annual which is mistaken for Chinese Lanten, but has green flowers. (I hope a can mention that), the reason, is someone on GW, uploaded a photo of the one with green flowers and, boy, is it ugly!
The Chinese Lantern that is a perennial is not supposted to be invasive, but I don't know for sure, since I have never even seen one in person.
Hi Bug-girl,
Yes, Chinese lanterns can be invasive. It spreads with underground roots. I have it in my garden, but I can control it because they don't like it so much at my place. I have to much sun. My neighbours garden is more shady so they moved there also. At my friends place, a woody shady garden, oh oh there are lots of Chinese Lanterns everywhere you look. In fact I've had mine of her, I love them.
Saya
ps The green lantern from which a pic is posted by Floridian is, I think, Chinese Lantern too. They start green and get orange when they are mature.
Oh, I see, maybe I better do a container for them in that case? Once I planted mint and that was a big mistake, when I found out, it was invasive, I ripped it out. The photo looks so pretty however, if you use my link I posted.
Chinese Lanterns are DEFINITELY invasive. My grandmother has them and I rip them out whenever I am helping her weed.
Aha, could you pass a few seeds, my way? I could use a container for them.
if there still in the orange pod ,they wont sprout you need to remove the seed and wash them before planting,good luck,happy gardening. sue
I did further research, it looks like the orange flowers are in fact fruit and not flowers. I have never seen one for real and want to try to grow one for fun.
I was thinking to just refrigate a pack of seeds with the bulbs. The book, I have said, "sow in cold frame", but I don't have a cold frame. What is a cold frame? I am seed novice and need help. I can buy another pack for about 1.30 at the nursery today.
You guys,wait till spring,I pull it out by the bundles...
Never plant it in a garden!!!!
And the "green" flower turns orange......
nightmare.......
crestedchik come spring to remind us start a thread when you start pulling OK
When I get my order from secret seeds, I will update my trade list. Anytime I buy seeds, I don't use them all or else I will get too many sprouts in too small an area. I think the order may be slow because of it being the UK.
I have mine across the road, because they took up too much room in my small yard, come spring if you e-mail me, I can try to dig some out. I did for a trade a couple of years ago, the roots are large, fleshy and quite heavy.
Someone is send me seeds, but if those fail, we could try a "tuber trade". I just started using the trade track.