Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Specific Families and Genera => Hepatica => Topic started by: Norman Rigby on March 22, 2008, 10:39:35 AM
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I understand that Hepatica seeds need to be sown fresh and that now is the time . Does anyone have any spare seeds I could use -I am prepared to buy .
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Norman,
Yes, Hepatica seed is ephemeral and needs to be sown fresh. If you are interested in the North American species (I know there are nomenclature issues)....but mine would be what was once called H. americana (acutiloba), I am more than happy to send you some (gratis) when the time comes. Still buried in snow here, so it would not be for another few months. Let me know and send me your shipping address.
I routinely collect the seed and immediately moist-pack them in vermiculite to preserve viability.
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Dear Kristi
That is very kind of you and I would be interested in any seeds you can spare my address is 17 Nyes Close, Henfield,West Sussex.BN5 9JZ UK
Is there anything I can send in return
Thanks for the reply
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I have said it before, Norman, and I will say it again here---you really *don't* want "all the Hepatica seed I can spare"---but I will forward ridiculous amounts from mixed wild populations--the predominant colours are white to all shades of pink, with the occasional bluish clone. It is one of the earliest seed I collect (right after Dicentra cucullaria) but even at that, we are talking June in my part of the world. I am not needing anything in return.
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Now if anyone has any seed from their doubles or semi-doubles I'd love to beg, trade or buy some. I realise that the doubles only rarely produce seed or only after transplanting, but I thought I would still ask just in case. I figure that most of you who would get seed on their doubles would be sowing them yourselves, but Iit doesn't hurt to ask. Just in case!! ;D
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Norman,
I will try to remember you but if you really want some, send me a private mail mid-May. My memory is worse than a sieve.
Paul,
I have never had any seed on any double - not even on semi-doubles.
Göte
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Thanks for the reply, I will get back to you in may.
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Hi Norman, near my area of central Sweden we have large populations of H. nobilis in all kinds of colours from blue to purple-red-pink, rarely white. variations of size and shape of flowers as well. Inmost of my country they are usually blue. I grow some of these in my garden, as well as a few other species/kinds, and now they have bloomed and the seeds are growing. I could send you some in a few weeks, if you send me your address (my email is thomas.schultze@telia.com).
Kindly, ThomaS
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Thanks for your reply I have sent my reply by normal E mail
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Hello! I from Russia. We too grow up Hepatica. :)
Whether It is possible to ask for you a few seeds? I can offer an exchange of seeds. ;)
At us a greater collection of rare plants:
FRITILLARIA, GLAUCIDIUM, TRILLIUM, ERYTHRONIUM
I Shall be very glad, if you will respond to my request. I am sorry for illiteracy. I do not know English language. :-[
E-mail: ptaha-vorobey@mail.ru
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Hello, Anastasia. welcome to the Forum. We can understand your English quite well, thank you and I hopethat you will find here someone to send you some hepatica seeds.
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Thanks for kind words, Maggy! :)
It is I English language - is an electronic translator. ;D
But now I with you, and I shall be very glad to show you the plants and to exchange different seeds. :D
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Hepatica seed is ephemeral and needs to be sown fresh.
Hepatica seed is not a true ephemeral unlike, say, seed of willows, which requires that you place the seed flat under the tree so it is "sown" as soon as it ripens and falls. The word "ephemeral" is widely misused wrt seed these days. Much seed termed "ephemeral" is merely short-lived, or does not tolerate drying well, but will germinate with reasonable freedom if treated decently.
I have more than once had good results with hepatica seed from various exchanges. It appears that as long as it is fully ripened before collection, stored cold, and fully rehydrated by soaking before sowing, hepatica seed germinates satisfactorily. Exchange seed may take an extra year to germinate, but where does it say that gardening is a hobby for the impatient?
Nonetheless, if you are breeding doubles of H. japonica, it is important to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe. While not "ephemeral" by my definition, it is on the short-lived side and the finest plants will come from the weakest seedlings: the very ones where the seed is most prone to dying early, I suspect.
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Ephemeral or not, can Hepatica seed be sown while still green, but fully formed? In Iris, this tends to speed germination.
Also, is gibberelic acid of use or simply superfluous in this case?
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Jamie,
I have sown green seeds of hepatica once and they germinated fine. It is best with fresh seeds, but seeds from seed exchange germinate pretty good, but they must be in water a day or two before sowing.
I have never try Ga-3 on Hepatica seed.
Ulla
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I have some seeds from some Hepatica Nobilis (blue, white and pink flowered plants). Let me know if anyone wants me to send them some.
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Hello, Emma, good to "meet" you :D
Smart English bunny you have there, in your avatar, if you'll pardon the expression!
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I have returned to you! :)
And I again search for seeds of various versions Hepatica ;D
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Ephemeral or not, can Hepatica seed be sown while still green, but fully formed? In Iris, this tends to speed germination.
Also, is gibberelic acid of use or simply superfluous in this case?
Jamie,
The *ideal* time for collection is when the seed is getting ready to roll off the plant---not always an easy thing to time; unless you want to use various "seed catchers."
Often this is when the seed is going from green to beige. It is possible to collect it greener---but make sure the seed appears well formed (as you noted). It will look very plump (round in the center), and quite firm if you press it. If it is flat, or collapses when you press, it does not have a well-developed embryo.
Even experienced seed collectors can screw up Hepatica---last year I collected a lot of my seed in the wild too early (even though I know exactly when the time is right). The result: the underdeveloped seed rotted in moist packing, although the fully developed seed stayed fine.
GA-3 *is* wasted on Hepatica---this is it's germination habit: if sown fresh (or moist packed and kept at warm), the seed will germinate (radicle emergence only) after about 4 months. The above-ground cotyledons will emerge in spring after cold treatment. GA-3 does not alter this pattern, or speed anything along.
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Kristl,
thanks for the full story. I think I'm going to be fine with the seed I collected, but we'll know in some months for sure. Part of the learning curve.
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Hello, Emma, good to "meet" you :D
Smart English bunny you have there, in your avatar, if you'll pardon the expression!
Thanks for the welcome Maggi, I've been reading the site for ages - but haven't had anything to contribute before!
Anastasia and Stephen - the seeds will be ready to post in about a week (I think).
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I now have hepatica seed available. Several people have asked for it over the past few months. Can I ask anyone who is still interested to send me a pm now, with their email address in as I will send the list as an attachment.
It will need sowing immediately and I will include sowing instructions if required. I have quite a few varieties but some are in short supply, so I will try and deal with all requests fairly.
Diane
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No more requests please for my hepatica seed. It has now all been posted out, to all corners of the globe. Hope you all enjoy the results.
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hi all,
i have some H seed received not too long ago from Kristl, with instructions that it is best planted in situ, my problem is that i dont have a bed ready! which is why i have dragged my feet on getting them sown... can i sow in pots kept in conditions like where they will be grown? is transplanting out of the question?
edit --scratch the question below, i realise there are more subcategories in this section than i noticed at first, so i will read on before asking anything else!
btw, just how shady/sunny should the site be?
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Cohan,
I grow all my Hepaticas in pots, none in the ground. I don't trust the moisture content in the ground here with the drought at the moment. Too many things take too much water from other little delicate things. I've grown Heps from seed to flowering successfully..... I'm now thoroughly hooked. So I can at least guarantee that in my climate, growing them permanently in pots is not a problem. From a transplant point-of-view, I've had most success doing it just as they're breaking dormancy after completing at least 2 full seasons in their seed pots (i.e the first year with the pair of cotyledons and the second year when they produce their first true leaves. When transplanting, be very careful with watering, as they will easily rot until their roots get re-established. I'm now working on the principle that I water then in after transplanting, then don't again until they have leaves emerging, and then only sparingly. I'm definitely keeping the transplants on the drier side, to give their roots a chance to establish.
Is any of that useful information? ???
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I've bought them in pots, so transplanting is certainly not out of the question... ??? And, if you don't mind me commenting on the other question, I have them in complete shade through to almost full sun... they are not fussy or difficult here. (My mother grows them in zone 2... tough, hardy plants.)
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thanks, paul, and lori--
ANY information is useful information! i did gather that lots of people were growing them in pots after reading some more..certainly i wouldnt longterm, i hate watering!
i need to actually look at the seedlot now and decide if there are enough to warrant trying a couple of different things (some in pots, some straight into the ground)
-- i was thinking a bit more about where i want to plant them: the part of the yard where i had my old rock gardens and i have originally thought about new beds i realised this summer (when it was so dry) is the driest part of the property, being a bit higher..the other end, where i have never gardened, seems much moister--judging at least by grass growth which was almost non-existent at the one end--parts of it i never mowed this year, except to spot mow over big clumps of clover and poplar suckers! its not brown, things just didnt grow much there!
at the other end of the 'yard' there is a clearing with spruce around it that would get some overhead sun in summer, but be rather shady overall, and i think i could quite easily make a bed in there (just a few hours of digging roots ;)
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Cohan,
The main thing with Hep. seed is to sow it as fresh as possible, as soon as ripe. If I got it right, you're talking about this Spring's seed, if so, do try and get it into the ground (pots or ground) asap if it's not already too late... They won't germinate before next Spring, but that's normal.
Good luck !
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Cohan,
The main thing with Hep. seed is to sow it as fresh as possible, as soon as ripe. If I got it right, you're talking about this Spring's seed, if so, do try and get it into the ground (pots or ground) asap if it's not already too late... They won't germinate before next Spring, but that's normal.
Good luck !
thanks, luc, yes, it is this year's seed, but i havent had it since spring, only a couple of weeks ago i received it, (but it is moistpacked) and then i was undecided where to plant them so didnt get them in immediately..lol ..now we need some days without rain so i can go digging!! tomorrow i think is out of the question..