Steven Stehouwer asks: " looking for germination information for Meconopsis simplicifolia. Thanks."
I have germinated both subspecies of M. simplicifolia several times and in my experience, they are typical of most Meconopsis species in their requirements (unlike M. punicea, for example, which should be sown as soon as possible after it is ripe). The best time to sow them is totally dependent on your local weather/growing conditions. Here in the Scottish Borders, I am sowing mine now in mid-February and I hope they will germinate in mid-April, just as the weather should be getting warmer, light conditions better and they can grow away quickly. Seeds are said to require a period of stratification; mine always get that outside so I don’t know if it is essential for every species and for some it may have been enough to have been stored in the ‘fridge before planting. Once sown, they certainly must never dry out and I leave them outside fully exposed to rain and snow. After germination, they are very susceptible to slug damage and I protect them in frames, but still keep them well-watered.
Many growers sow their seeds earlier, in December or January. I correspond with one who lives in Cornwall who stratifies his seed in the 'fridge as soon as it is ripe and then sows them in mid-September. Once they have germinated, he is able to sustain them in growth because the light and temperature are so much better there than this much further north, but he does have them in a cold greenhouse and he covers them with fleece if there is a danger of frost. The advantage of sowing seed early is that the young plants are well developed by summer and possibly better able to survive hot dry weather. This is less of a problem for us further north!
If seeds germinate too early, before the local weather conditions allow them to grow away strongly, they frequently succumb to fungal disease. As weather conditions become more erratic, it is increasingly difficult to judge when is the best time to sow seed commensurate with local conditions.
I wish Steven Stehouwer the best of luck with his Meconopsis simplicifolia wherever he might be!
