Giant Carrion Flower [Stapelia Gigantea] 10 seeds. Same Day Dispatch

Dear Ebayers,Please find for sale 10 fresh seeds for the Stapelia Gigantea also known as "Zulu Giant" "Carrion Plant" and "Toad Plant". Native to the desert regions of Southern Africa, Stapelia gigantea is a really interesting and unusual plant that features truly gigantic flowers. In fact, they are some of the largest flowers to be found among all flowering plants. Even though the thick, velvety stems of the plant only grow to be about six or eight inches long, the flowers can be as large as sixteen inches across. The blossoms are a very pale shade of yellow with very thin, red stripes. For those of us that don't live in frost free zones, they make really interesting greenhouse or conservatory plant ( yes, the flowers do smell of rotting meat - but only if you absolutely press your nose up to them).Please Note: All orders received before 8pm Mon-Fri will be dispatched same daySAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY EBAY SHOPINSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME WITH ANY GROWING QUESTIONS.Germination Guide1) Sow the flat papery seeds in a prepared seed tray of fast-draining cactus/succulent potting mix2) Water well, and keep in bright, indirect light inside a sealed plastic bag or mini greenhouse if you have one.3) Place in a warm place, eg window sill over radiator out of direct sun4) Vent the bag once a week and make sure the soil is barely moist. 5) Seedlings should appear in 2/3 weeks6) When seedlings are a couple of centimetres tall gradually vent the bag over a period of weeks to let them adjust to room air.7) Pot on to individual pots as required as raise as you would a cactus/Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing! I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between: 1) Don’t Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost! 2) Google and YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed.  3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat. 4) Good compost pays dividends. The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine)  5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk. Overseas Orders Buyers please note that they are responsible for any local customs duties or other taxes in their local country and should also ensure compliance with an biosecurity regulations. Any problems? Don't rush to review - message us first and we will get it sorted quickly!