I thinned out the germinated plants, leaving the stronger, healthier baby hostas - 1 per each roll. I waited to collect, until the seeds had matured on the stem. If the wings are white, the seeds are not good.
The primary trait that is unlikely to be retained in an open-pollinated hosta seedling is variegation, but you can still grow beautiful hostas.
Summer Holidays for Chicken (using Poor Man's Fibreglass). I leave the pods on the hostas as long as the weather lets me, then bring the pods inside and put them in large white envelopes to dry.
Since they can fit into an envelop, Im guessing that it might be easy to exchange them.
I love them. Or check out Part 1 of this video series. 
Growing Hostas From Seed So you're wondering, can I grow a hosta from seed? You are able to use the hosta seeds as soon as they're harvested.
Seed-starting images: Seedlings at 4-leaf stage (after first culls), Seedlings under humidity domes (different year/cups), The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 Fruits, Vegetables and Pesticide Residue Updated April 2022. Only problem every time it rains, you get to sprinkle garlic powder again. My resolve will probably hold until the night when the first frost is predicted and I find myself outside collecting only a few pods. hosta seeds seed pods hostas pod flower collect gardening perennials shade flowers hosta seeds daylily seedpods flaschendesign For a small scale hybridizing venture, fast food containers work great. Thanks for the encouragement!
After the seedlings have 4-6 leaves, you can feed with a weak water-soluble fertilizer, and take off the humidity domes. hosta shoots musa come substance sum forgotten photographs second its name Guide to prevent invasive species being planted in Southern Ontario, A garden without wildlife is like a kiss without a squeeze.
Each seed is a small kernel at the end of a papery black wing. I switch from constant light to 18 hours of light once they're growing well.
They are still small, but no colouration. D. Teager photographs. Since Ive grown so many new hostas over the past several winters, and Im starting to run out of space for new gardens, I have decided that this winter I will not start any new seedlings. For a list of hosta cultivars that have seed pods that have been reported to be sterile or are reluctant seed producers, go to: If you're new to starting plants from seeds, a good book like this one will help. Love those plants and would like to have more. hosta seed hostas pods bitch nature lilac
Can you show me a few photos of how big the seedlings are at first? Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success by Lance Cody-Valdez Youve got a homestead you can be proud of and have plenty of homemade prod Use of Epsom Salt on Hostas!
Seed starting mixes hold a lot of moisture and the fine texture ensures good contact between moist mix and seed. If youve ever grown tomatoes from seed, its not very different. This can be a simple as fluorescent (or LED) "shop lights," or could be more elaborate if you get really serious about it.
Genetics also apparently play a role and seed from Hosta 'Dorothy Benedict' is said to take three weeks or more to germinate. 6 years ago.
(The rest are sports, or mutations, of other hostas.) You can use coin envelopes, envelopes, your own homemade envelopes, etc.
But just because they are called weedlings, does not mean they are weeds, at least, not to the home gardener.
hostas seeds growing garden hosta quote
Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia). plant hosta seed seeds pods hostas harvest them propagation plantsgalore insect until spring want
My first attempt had zero results. i have 12 seeds in pots now.
Hosta seeds do not need light to germinate, so covering them is also acceptable. http://www.heidihorticulture.com/2016/07/collecting-hosta-seeds-update-2-years.html <---Here you go - the update! Each seed is a small kernel at the end of a papery black wing. There are varieties that are rather reluctant pod producers with a few seeds that are viable.
You can buy seeding trays with domes for this purpose, I just decided to use household items for the job.
Thats the fun part, though, because the seedlings are always a surprise.
Tentative date for our fall banquet: October 22. hosta seeds hostas propagation plantsgalore planting Shelley has been writing and editing garden stories for 10 years, and has a Master Gardeners certificate in Oregon. Once the sprouts start to grow, you face the hard task of deciding which ones to keep. I examined each seed. Im sure that works well in a warmer climate, but here in the northeast, the seed pods never reach that stage before the first frost. For practice, any seed will do. Some hostas are completely pod sterile. Gently tuck in any sprouts that push themselves out of the mix. Very interesting post.
Newly sprouted seeds and young seedlings are highly susceptible to fungi, bacteria, and insects. Grow the seed in a sterile seed-starting mix, just covering the seeds. Then with a small spade or garden shovel loosen the dirt around this section and left out. If you are new to gardening, the best I find are the books that are simple.
Using the drink cup method, though, I find that I can grow 6-8 seedlings to good size in a cup before they need to be separated.
As a rule, early-emerging hostas take longer to fully ripen their seeds. Great blog!
I start mine in mid to late winter. While there are lots of places online to find information about hostas (see our links), and of course a number of books you can buy for ready references, we didn't feel that there was a good place online for FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), as experience with the American Hosta Society's Facebook page has shown.
You can, however, produce a large number of attractive plants in a short time. You're welcome!
Another idea sometimes hosta nurseries will leave seed pods on their hostas and are glad to let customers take them if they ask. These organisms are kept in check outdoors, but will wreak havoc on your Hosta seedlings indoors. I just placed them in paper envelopes and in a tin box. A warm (75 F) place is best, or use a seed-starting heat mat. Carefully tug out the ones you don't want to keep (you'll be surprised at how long their roots are) and tuck in the ones left behind. Carefully tug out the ones you don't want to keep (you'll be surprised at how long their roots are) and tuck in the ones left behind. That is the purpose of other components in planting mixes like perlite, bark, grit, and sand.
How Many CFL 60 Watt Bulbs for Tomato Seedlings? Most mixes are peat based. I especially love the hosta information. Most can be used to grow Hostas.
Taking the seed I placed them on the surface of the potting mix.
At that stage, the seedlings are more tolerant of short periods of dryness. A standard 1020 flat can hold about 16 - 4 inch pots, each holding a different cross. Lily, good luck with your hosta seedlings its really interesting to see how different they all are. Previously used potting mix should ever be re-used with seeds or small seedlings. hosta phos tiara dainty Sometimes the pods that form in June aren't ready to harvest until September. You can crack open the other seed pods to collect the seeds. Love this info! If your seed growing area maintains a constant temperature of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit, your Hosta seeds will germinate fine. If you picked the pods, you can carefully split them open to reveal the six chambers holding the seeds. I love gathering seeds to grow new plants, sometimes successfully, sometimes not..and to share them with friends and family :), An interesting post. We hope you find this useful. Thanks for the great instructions and the photo of the seeds.
How We Removed an Enormous Tree Stump or How We Saved $576. These are much too heavy to use as a seed starting media or for growing small seedlings.
If you let them dry a few days, you can rub off the papery wing, as it is easier to plant only the kernels.
A mix that holds moisture, yet is free draining and loose, is ideal for Hostas. Potting mix should be heated to kill diseases and insects, even if it is supposed to be sterile already. Many people will find one or more hostas that they like the characteristics of and try to force pollination of hosta seeds. This one is 'June'. Keep the lights going 24 hours a day until a few days before you are ready to move the plants outside.
All my hostas are grown in containers as i only have a tiny garden.
The good stuff is at Part I. Hosta problems are at Part II.
Then think about what interesting traits youre looking for, and grow hostas with those traits. How Long Does it Take for Columbine Seeds to Germinate. I left them in their little envelopes, in a sealed dry container in my little potting shed - outside all winter. Seeds from a green hosta will only produce a green seedling with the same or different characteristics.
I put the seeds from each pod into a paper coin envelope labeled with the parent hosta(s), date, etc. Do you think it would work to do winter sowing with hosta seeds?
About: I am a library media supervisor and I love making fused glass and gardening.
Many of the hosta forums have seed exchanges sometime in the fall. A single container can hold a lot of seeds. hostas Pots, flats, and other supplies can be disinfected prior to use by rinsing in a 10 percent bleach/water solution. I really want to give it a try! Having tried so many other repellents, this one works. If youve ever grown tomatoes from seed, its not very different.
This is best done in the early morning before bees and such can get to them.
Yes, but First recognize that very few hostas will come true from seed (look like the parent plant). To gain knowledge, I'd suggest you buy books that pertain to one element of gardening; such as flowering shrubs.
If you use plastic and the seeds are not completely dry then they will rot. hosta sprouting Lea, in early spring when the hosta are just starting to grow, take a long sharp bread knife and insert the knife down deep between 3 or4 sprouts. Some mixes are especially fine textured and intended specifically for starting seeds.
This process improves the germination rate for all perennials, but it isn't necessary. Hit the "Follow" button on our Blog Home Page! Cold, wet days (below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and too-warm days (above 85 degrees F) discourage seed set.
Within 4 weeks, they are now starting to look like mini hostas. If you don't know the names, not a big deal.
Seeds germinate best in warmth about 75 degrees F in about 10 to 20 days, according to the Delaware Valley Hosta Society. One way to harvest the seeds in those climates is to collect the green pods and place them in a paper bag to further dry out.
Seedlings at "up-cupping" stage to single plant per cup (discarded seedlings at left), and Some illustrate the post others show our surroundings and the things we love about our version of simple living and voluntary simplicity. Some people run the lights 24/7, but you should at least wean them from constant light before it's time to move them outside. Has anyone ever used an aerogarden to start hostas? I hope youll try growing some hostas from seeds. If your hosta flowers are pollinated, they will produce green hosta flower pods. Peat absorbs and holds a lot of water, which is essential for germinating seeds. They'll be ready to go into the ground in September. Hosta seeds are ready 30 days after pollination.
Now i realise only my Halcyon has seed pods anyway. hosta graceful Green pods growing at the end of the hosta stem means that the flower has been pollinated.
You can either collect the seed pods themselves into envelopes or if they are open carefully shake the seeds into a paper envelope. Write It On Your Heart That Every Day is the Best Day in the Year. At this point, you have a decision to make - to cover or not to cover the seeds with potting mix. Thanks!! Sometimes the seeds are not viable and will not germinate. Just remember that the hostas you start from seed will not look like the parent plant, and even seeds from the same hosta will produce very different looking hostas. The hosta plant that you grow from seed will most assuredly be very different than the hosta you harvested the seeds from. Can you tell me how to break up hostas that have gotten too big?
What you never want to use to start seeds is top soil, soil from your garden, or compost. Special mixes are not necessary, though, and a good quality, general purpose potting mix will work just as well. The disadvantage is that a few seedlings will have trouble getting their first root into the potting mix.
Not every hosta will produce seed pods, some will produce them in large numbers, others produce pods but very few seeds. I have hostas at the edge of my woods and have always removed the stalks after flowering because I thought it somehow taxed the plant If left on their own do they self seed? The plastic, closeable containers make perfect miniature greenhouses and come in a range of shapes and sizes to accommodate varying amounts of seed. Therefore, it is important to make sure all pots, flats, domes, and even the potting media are as close to sterile as possible. Youll want to pick the pods before that happens, or tie a mesh (organza) bag over the pod to catch the seeds. I have a few that are huge and I would like to make them into several smaller ones.
The Hosta seeds need to be constantly moist from the time they are planted, until they have several leaves. Once the sprouts start to grow, you face the hard task of deciding which ones to keep. Some hybridizers find that leaving the domes over Hosta seedlings causes no problems and reduces the need to water frequently. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. I will try my luck at sowing my seeds.
All hostas are hybrids, meaning that they are the result of at least two plants with different genetics.
Written by Shirley Filed Under: Growing Hostas.
Personally, I prefer working with seedlings because it is so much fun to see the differences.
hostas hosta boroughs gardening nyc roots alive strong leaves die still It may take over six weeks. If you have been bitten by the bug and want to propagate new plants from a hosta in your own garden, you can gather hosta seeds and grow your own but they may not come true to their mother plant. I used to loosen the dirt around the whole large plant with a large shove, lift the plant up, and then cut the sections out but that was a pain to do. To prepare to sow your seeds, fill the sterilized planting container with planting media. The key is to keep them dry. hosta I certainly continue to divide my favourites too. 2014-2022 by Delaware Valley Hosta Society. If you picked the pods, you can carefully split them open to reveal the six chambers holding the seeds. Beautiful houseplants that also repel mosquitoes, cockroaches and other pests, Light Requirements When Germinating Marigold Seeds. Share it with us! Stratify the seeds before you sow them. Seedlings from a selfed hybrid won't exactly resemble the parent plant. Covering also helps to keep the seed from accidentally drying out.
A sincere thank you to everyone who supports this site by using my Amazon affiliate links and search box to purchase books and other items. Once the rolls are watered they can swell and fall apart, so I use string to keep them grouped. Keep them in a cool, dry place until ready to plant. it has viable seeds. So happy to find a garden site from someone just a zone or two away!
This lets the seedlings drink up the water they need without the roots being dislodged by pouring from the top.
Some form seeds and self-seed readily others not so much. I find the tutorial by Josh Spece at In the Country Garden and Gifts to be the best source, with more technical information than above but not too hard to get through in terms of discussing plant genetics. For much, much more information, there are a few sites on the Internet giving guidance on growing seeds, and a few forums on Facebook and elsewhere for hybridizers.
hosta horticulture The seeds can be used right away or they can be stored until ready to use. Still others prefer to use appropriately sized pots. Part 3 of the video series shows this. grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8 and require a dormant period of cold temperatures to survive each year, according to the Delaware Valley Hosta Society. I do this in the palm of one hand over a piece of waxed paper, as many as 20 at once. This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel. Part 2 of that video series shows you how. recently saw hosta flowers on someones post, and now Ive seen the seeds. Warmer temperatures will speed up germination, though.
The pods will start to yellow after that, and eventually dry and split open. Ramona, it really depends on the type of hosta.
Hosta seeds don't need light to germinate, but they will need good light once they do. Seeds from a streaked hosta may give you streaked hosta babies.
Some adventurous hybridizers enjoy mixing their own potting mix, often adding exotic ingredients like Green Sand, bat guano, and coir. hostas spring come I learned this the hard way. If hosta seeds are started indoors in January or February, they should be a good size to transplant outside by May giving them plenty of time to grow strong before you plant them out. That is so not true!
First, consider your existing hosta variety, because some hostas are downright sterile, while some produce seed but it is not viable. Thanks for all the great info Heidi! You may want to put them into new cups or into nursery pots, to give them a little more TLC before they go into the ground. And finally a little one-question essay on growing hostas from seeds (scroll down for FAQs below). These inadvertent seedlings are the result of uncontrolled, "open pollination," and are called "weedlings" to distinguish them from a hosta that has been purposely developed by a breeder.
planted seeds hosta ever The potting shed gets freezing temps which help the seed to become ready for germination. When you plant hosta seeds, you never know what youre going to get!
Hostas started from seed in February should be happy to go outside into a shady location in May, and into the ground by September. These plants can go as high at $15.00 so I would love to grow and give to my family and friends.
Sow them early. H :). I too did not know what the seeds or even the pods looked like. How to Start White Swan Coneflower From a Seed. hosta flower seeds collect There are as many different planting media as there are Hosta hybridizers - maybe more!
I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. I have several grow lights set up with shelving and usually start seedlings between November and January. Seeds from a blue or gold hosta produce blue, green and gold hosta seedlings. Here I just used stuff around the house.
Proudly created withWix.com. For hostas, it's usually multiple genetic parents. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet.
Cutting toilet rolls in half, I filled them with potting mix.
When the pod has turned brown or black and has dried out, the pods will begin to split lengthwise.
I like so many things about hostas their differences in size, leaf texture, and color, how easy they are to grow, and how impressive they look all season long. They look sort of like tadpoles. Sow the seeds shallowly in a sterile potting mix. You won't find hosta seeds for sale in any nursery or seed catalogs. Cheers!
After the seedlings have 4-6 leaves, you can feed with a weak water-soluble fertilizer, and take off the humidity domes.
hosta plants seeds shade purple ornamental 150pcs perennials flower garden lily pack
Thats the basis of growing any hosta seed. Viable seeds will have a noticeable bump on one end. Good luck!
The stratification initiates the seed to germinate. One innovative method hybridizers are now using is to make holes in the bottom of plastic drink cups (see below), which makes it easy to label each with the parent hosta(s); each cup can hold 15 seeds or so, and the cups fit easily into a tray for watering. Are Yellow Light Bulbs All Right for Seedlings? Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success. Visit our website for great hostas at affordable prices! Great information here.
Proudly created with.
If you buy the type that touch upon every aspect of gardening, you'll find they are great additions for the coffee table, as apposed to you learning a thing or two. Problems Encountered While Growing Hosta Seedlings, Hardening Off & Moving Seedlings Outdoors. Sunset reports that seeds from blue or gold hostas produce blue, green or gold seedlings. Having many deer in my area that love hosta I have found that sprinkling garlic powder on the plants does not damage the plants and the deer stay away. I'm just thankful that I can easily split them up to get more.lol. It will take about 6-8 weeks from bloom (pollination) for each pod to ripen.
Collect the seeds from the plants.
hosta eskimo :).
Others like to use special heat mats. The only way to get a hosta of the same variety is to divide the hosta.
If you started hosta seeds in February, they should be ready to put outside in about May, still in their pots.
Danyelle, when I first started growing hosta seedlings, it was all such a big mystery to me because I had trouble finding information or even what the seeds looked like, so Im glad this was a help to you.
The seedlings will only be in the initial container for six to eight weeks, so they can tolerate being shoulder to shoulder. See pictures of seed-cleaning here.
Great hosta information and pics. Thank you so much for your blog about planting hostas by seeds. Awesome Inc. theme. hostas seed growing thyme
I do this in the palm of one hand over a piece of waxed paper, as many as 20 at once. Delaware Valley Hosta Society: What Is a Hosta? Sow the hosta seeds thickly.
This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel.
Yes, Ive known of a lot of hosta seed exchanges. Make sure the envelopes are paper, don't use plastic.
If you harvest the seeds when they are mature and toss them on the soil, you should get some plants although not as many as if they self-seed or if you start plants inside. The seed is a small kernel attached to a papery black sleeve. Powered by. Although hosta seedlings are easy to grow, they do require strong lighting and frequent watering. Start with easy seeds from H. Elegans or something similar. The seeds will be black, dry, and papery when ready.
Smaller batches can be microwaved for 10 minutes. The hosta with the most characteristics is the flower you would want to pollinate with pollen from the flowers of other hostas.
Aiyana. Bottom watering is always preferred. For shop lights, they should be just a few inches above the leaves, which at first means almost touching your humidity domes. This old baking tray will do the trick.
Then, decrease the light to about 18 hours a day to get the hostas used to natural, outdoor lighting. (Within a year of harvesting.). If the pods fall off before they are ripe, then the seeds inside were probably not good. I marked each roll with a dot, differentiating between the varieties of hosta seeds I collected.
Most people cover them with a humidity dome, or, in the case of drink cups, a second smaller clear cup. Thanks! (Zone 4b in Penetang) forwarded your site on group email to all my garden lover friendsnew fan from Georgian Bay, I have planted them in the garden. I was toying around with dividing or using the seeds? We hope you find this useful. I love your photos. It is usually easier, less expensive, and just as good to use a commercial potting mix. hosta 100pcs
Much of the following information is basic seed growing know-how, but you will find a few tricks of the Hosta hybridizing trade scattered throughout. More importantly, these are infested with bacteria, fungi, weed seeds, and insects. Hostas also need air around their root system. If your hosta happens to throw out these seeds and a seedling appears in your garden bed somewhat uncommon but it does happen these also will not grow true to the parent. Typically, Hosta seed germinates in 7 to 14 days. You can cover the seeds with 1/4 soil, or just gently tamp down the seeds so they connect to the soil. Not all hostas will make seeds (see below), and even those that do might not make a pod from each bloom. Unauthorized reproduction of Heidihorticulture is prohibited.