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TopTropicals Seeds and Bulbs

Seeds: general information || Germination instructions || Germination time || Order seeds

ATTENTION:

  • Shipping destinations: we ship both Nationwide and Worldwide
  • International orders: See International Shipping.
  • Seeds are shipped separately from plants, for US domestic orders: via USPS First Class; for international orders: via USPS First Class International ,USPS Priority International, USPS Express International, and FedEx International.
  • Guarantees:
    • We guarantee that we ship FRESH seeds (depending on species, for tropical seeds freshness lasts from a few weeks to a few months).
    • We do not take any responsibility on germitation rate or germination time.
    • We can not guarantee germination even for the freshest seeds. We grow some of our plants from seeds, too. Some fresh, quality seeds never germinate, and there could be many reasons for it which are outside of our control. This is a nature of seeds - you grow from seeds on your own risk. Seed is a live product which depends on many factors and skills such as proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. Germination is affected by such factors as temperature, moisture content, light intensity and contamination of planting media. These factors are totally out of our control and are your responsibility and risk. Consequentally, we cannot unconditionally guarantee seed to perform properly regardless of conditions or the buyer's methods or mistakes.
    • No replacements on refunds on non-germinated seeds. If you are not ready to take that risk, do not spend your money.
    • If you received damaged seeds, please contact us within 3 days for replacement.
  • Please order only within quantity of packs available in stock! If you order more packs than we have available, we will send substitute of same value.

General Order Info

Ordering seeds

  1. S&H cost for seeds. Please use shopping cart to automatically calculate actual shipping cost which depends on destination. All you have to do:
    a) select item in the shopping cart
    b) select state
    c) press "Add shipping" button
  2. Shipping method. Seeds are shipped separate from plants, via USPS Mail (First Class).
  3. Germination instructions included. You may also view them here.
  4. Freshness. All seeds are guaranteed to be freshly harvested, but we can not guarantee germination which depends on your skills and nature factors. General germination rate is 70-90% depending on the species unless otherwise noted. See more info on germination time.
  5. Availability. We only have seeds available from our price-list. We don't have seeds that are not listed in our store.

Cultivation Questions

Tropical Bulbs

Bulbs should be planted at a depth where the "neck" is just under the soil line. If you feel you live in an environment that might be borderline for plant hardiness, you can probably get away with placing the bulb at a depth that has the "neck" about 1" below the soil line. When planting bulbs in groups, place them about 2" apart. If your bulb has living roots, dig the hole so the roots may be spread out. Just like spring bulbs, these benefit from a handful of bone meal per one or two bulbs in the planting hole. Water in thoroughly. They prefer a well-drained soil and full sunlight. They are quite forgiving with soil quality. Because most of them bloom in response to cycles of water deprivation and surplus, they are excellent for inducing bloom in potted culture, too.

SEEDS FAQ

Q: What soil should I use and how deep should I plant the seed?

A: We recommend a super-drained germination mix that is available from our store, or you can create it yourself using our potting mix (or coconut coir), perlite and vermiculite. The mix we use for our seeds has equal parts of those. Plant seeds 1/2" deep, keep slightly moist, in bright light and warmth (above 75F). Bottom heat (warming mat) will encourage germination that usually occurs within 4-5 weeks, sometimes longer depending on conditions. During hot summer, you may place germination trays on hot surface (like black ground cover) in full sun, just watch the soil to stay moist and never dry out.

Q: Do all fancy adenium hybrids come true from seeds?

A: We have grown a few varieties from seeds in our nursery. Those came true colors. Of course it is not possible to test all new coming varieties simply because it takes such a long time (1-2 years) until seedlings start to flower. Based on other growers experience, the average percentage is close to 80% that flowers come exactly true to the kind. If you have a large collection of different varieties and they all bloom at the same time, cross-pollination may create some interesting hybrids, watch out for seeds and create your own named hybrids!

Q: I would like to buy Synsepalum dulcificum seeds. I've read that they have short viability.

A: 1-3 months is OK if they kept in a plastic bag. They need to be scarified so water gets inside the shell. Germination rate is quite low, around 30-40%.

Q: How long can I store tropical seeds without loosing viability?

A: According to our experience, tropical plants seeds can be kept in a plastic bag up to few months (1-6 depending on species). Make sure to ventilate them once in a while and watch for signs of rotting or mould (this happens if seeds are not dry enough)

International orders
Q: Do you ship seeds Worldwide? How much will it cost?

A: Our online payment system is set up to accept US credit cards only (for security reasons). For international orders, you have to contact us. For seeds, there will be a minimum order of $100 (of seeds cost). Shipping cost depends on destination, shipping method and package weight. A phytosanitary certificate may be requred (depends on your country import regulations).