Question
I have a couple questions.
1. I am trying to grow flowers from seeds indoors during the winter. Most of them seem to germinate okay but then die after a while. I think it has to do with how I am watering them. I put the seed in small containers with holes in the bottom and then put them in a larger container with water in the bottom. This is put under fluorescent  lights with a fan blowing air on them. Am I giving them too much moisture? How should I water the seedlings?

2. I have tried several times to grow purple cone flowers, red bud tree and campanulas from seeds but can never get them to germinate. Is there a trick to growing these seeds?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Tom,
Thanx for your question.
1.  When watering, make sure your pots drain freely and do not sit for extended periods in water.  Water only when the soil begins to dry out on the surface.  Make sure water does not stand.  Keep the plants warm (70?75癋/21?24癈).  Your plants are probably dying from root rot so just make sure the pots don't sit in water for extended periods of time and keep the room warm.
2.  The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)seeds require a little nick to the seed coating (also called scarifying) and then place the seeds in a moist paper towel, seal inside a plastic baggie and leave in the fridge for about 60-90 days.  After the cold treatment (this breaks the dormancy of the seed), plant the seeds about 1/2 inch deep and keep warm under lights.  Germination should take place in a couple weeks.  The tree is a member of the legume family.

Purple coneflowers should be easy to germinate.  I have not noted that they require a cold treatment.  Do you have a specific type or just the common?  I believe Echinacea tennesseensis (Tennessee coneflower) requires a cold treatment.  I've read some that suggest cold treatment.  Although I've not had to do this in my experience, why don't you go ahead and apply the same treatment as the redbud?  With the campanula, you'll have to tell me what kind you have as there are a gillion campanulas and many of the germinate nicely just pressed into the soil and not buried.

I hope this helps.
Tom