Helleborus Question

[Kristl Walek]

Hello All,

The generally accepted theory about Helleborus germination is warm/moist, followed by cold/moist.

(1) Has anyone been successful *without* the warm/moist as an initial treatment?
(2) Assuming the warm/moist is essential, what might be the minimum time (8 weeks?) Has anyone been successful with less time?
(3) Having never used the fridge for the Hellebore cold/moist ---do seeds germinate IN THE COLD, or in the warm following the cold/moist?

I am needing to think about this for the benefit of my seed customers- as I will receive seed from Australia in early winter, and have to re-think my normal germination instructions (which assume fresh seed is sown by early fall at the latest, having been moist packed and at warm since collection. These, left outdoors in pots until after first frosts, are usually up and running by Christmas at the latest.

Kind Regards,
Kristl

[David Shaw]

What is meant by warm and moist, Kristl?
I have never deliberatly grown Helleborus from seed but their self sown seedlings are a regular item in my weeding bucket here in cold and wet Scotland.
Growers may get a better germination in warm,moist conditions but in my experience it is not 'necessary'.

[Staale]

My experiences are as follow:
Seed of Helleborus x hybridus, H. torquatus and H. niger have sprouted nicely in the first spring following sowing outside.  Seed from my own garden generally do not ripen til late juli, but do get a bit of warmth before autumn. Seed bought from England have been sown in late june (as far as I remember).
Seed from seed exchanges have been reluctant to grow when sown in january (from seed exchanges).

I have no way of telling if poor sprouting from seed exchanges is due to drying out or lack of initial warm period. Maybe others can give more detail on this.

[Kristl Walek]

Staale said:
Seed of Helleborus x hybridus, H. torquatus and H. niger have sprouted nicely in the first spring following sowing outside.  Seed from my own garden generally do not ripen til late juli, but do get a bit of warmth before autumn. Seed bought from England have been sown in late june (as far as I remember). This would follow the norm, of sowing fresh, and seeds receiving a period of about 8 or more weeks warm, before the cold. You keep your outside all winter after the initial warm, but I bring them inside usually in October sometime after first frosts (which keep getting later each year)...to another cool/cold spot---where they germinate by end of year/early new year.


Seed from seed exchanges have been reluctant to grow when sown in january (from seed exchanges). I have no way of telling if poor sprouting from seed exchanges is due to drying out or lack of initial warm period.
Having not done adequate testing myself of the actual life span of the seed when kept stored dry, it is hard to know. I do suspect, however, that seed from the exchanges (about 6-8 months old) if not moist-packed, would be dead. It is easy enough to test for this---simply apply moisture to old seed and watch what happens (if it rots or gets massively infected by fungi), seed is usually dead.


Kristl

[rob krejzl]

This would be why Elizabeth Town  (http://www.southcom.com.au/~hortus/index.htm) stratifies for six weeks prior to dispatch and suggests that the seed not be allowed to dry out.

[Kristl Walek]

Having gone to the ET website---they state they moist-pack the seed for a "minimum of 42 days."  So my guess of the 8 weeks initial warm/moist is probably not necessary (6 weeks will probably do it).

The seed I have in stock right now has been moist packed for over 3 months---this period, by the way, can be extended much longer (the seeds can be kept in suspended animation by being moist packed) and still be given their cold treatment, even 6 months later (a full 9 months after collection) and germinate in high percentages.

he only observation I have of extended moist packing of Hellebores is that at some point some percentage of them will germinate at the warm/moist, before ever making it to the cold.

It's as though their genetic impulses said "enough is enough....I need to sprout!!!" This happened last season in about January (when my zip lock bags were bursting with germinated seedlings). Luckily this is such a tough and adaptive genus, that they survived being transplanted into flats from the baggies, growing under lights all winter, and joining their comrades this spring in the garden.

Kristl

[rob krejzl]

Kristl,

Several people have mentioned Gardenbuddies here recently. The Hellebore thread there might be worth visiting to ask about this - several breeders and at least one of the authors of the latest Hellebore book hang out there.

[SueG]

I know when I've had seed from Ashford's in the UK they send it out fresh and it needs to be sown straight away - to keep it moist as you say - and it does come up like mustard and cress. I've never had much success with older seed, some I planted 12 months ago but nothing yet - it's got this winter then it's the compost heap if nothing is showing! I need the space! My feeling is it does need the winter but as to how cold that really is. . .
Sue