Germinating the seeds
When to plant -- Plant your seeds when you receive them for best results. Getting started -- You may plant each seed in individual, small containers,
such as
seedling starter trays Use well-draining soil. A typical mix is 2 parts
quality potting soil Fill the pots with soil and
place a seed or 2 on the surface.
If you have
long-fibered sphagnum moss Until the seeds sprout, ensure that the surface soil always stays moist. A plastic dome or bag may be used to maintain moisture, but leave it open slightly to allow some fresh air in. You may need to drip a few drops of water over the seeds every day or two to keep the seeds moist. I recommend placing a
minimum/maximum thermometer An LED bulb kept 4 inches (10 cm) away provides the right amount of
light (See: "Growing indoors with LED lights"). Protect from direct sun. Fertilizing -- When they are 2 weeks old, feed every 2-3 weeks with a small amount of diluted liquid fertilizer (1/8 strength). Hydroponic fertilizer is ideal for this, since it is easily absorbed and complete. After 2 months, you may switch to a granular fertilizer that contains micronutrients. Growing onward... Transplanting -- When your
plants are 2-3 months old, you may gently transfer them to larger pots.
Avoid damaging the roots when repotting, and shade it from sun the first week
after repotting. A 4 inch (10cm) pot can hold it for a few months, then
move it to a 1 gallon (4 liter) pot. The second year, use approximately a
2-3 gallon (8-12 liter) pot. Over about 40% humidity is best. If it seems to suffer from low humidity indoors, consider using an ultrasonic room humidifier, sold at home improvement stores and some thrift shops. Dormancy care -- In winter
the rhizomes may go dormant if conditions are cool enough. If this happens,
reduce watering, keeping the soil slightly moist until they sprout in spring. Indoors, the plant might not go dormant, or it may
go semi-dormant. Don't feed it while it's semi-dormant. - Jeff Strange Wonderful Things
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. Or you
may plant them all in a single,
larger
container, but it may be difficult to separate the roots later. Either way, use
containers with drainage holes
to 1 part perlite
(small or medium size, not large chunks).
, sprinkle
a small amount over the
surface. This helps retain
moisture around the seeds while allowing light to reach them, which aids
germination. The amount of moss to use is shown in
near the pots. Until they sprout, try to
keep them between 60 to 78 degrees F (16-26°C)
during the day (but below 80°F / 27°C), with nights between 40-62° F (4-16°C).
If you can't give them that temperature range at night, put the pots in the
refrigerator for 6 weeks. Seal them in a container or bag first, and mark
your calendar to remove them.