Aquilegia formosa from seed....

I am being driven mad trying to germinate Aquilegia formosa seeds. I have had both traded and bought seeds and tried starting at both 40F and 70F and haven't had a 'peep'.

The only thing I haven't tried yet is giving light, but that doesn't seem to be a characteristic Aquilegia requirement. Norman Deno (all praise) maintains that it is a 40-70 germinator, but that has not been my experience so far...

Ideas?

Have you tried gibrillic acid? It works for my friend in Ireland.

Have you tried any outside? I think some seeds just need the unstable temps temps that Mother Nature provides.

It could be the seeds are old. Aquilegia tends to have a short life in dry storage.

Thanks to both for the above....
Had found a source of GA in the UK, but their web ordering service didn't work...
Will pursue this...
Re short life, I thought that most Aquilegia seeds required a minimum 6 months of dry storage, and the latest lot were part of a seed distribution of 2003 seeds, so I think they should be viable. However, will indeed try them outside :0)
Mike

Mike, I do not have any growing lights, nor heat mats or others and have grown Aquilegia seeds (although not A. formosa) outsides without any problems. My climate is 'mediterranean'.

Good luck!

Just to say that A. formosa did indeed profusely germinate after a winter outdoors...

J.L. Hudson has the gibberelic acid.