Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Hepatica => Topic started by: Carsten on May 05, 2019, 04:32:59 PM

Title: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on May 05, 2019, 04:32:59 PM
Hepatica seed is ripening these days and for the next few weeks. So I started to sow them now.

Best practise for me is to sow the seeds as soon as they are ripe and easily fall out of the seed heads. To prevent the seeds from disapearing between all my pots and to tell the different crossings on the same plant apart I use small gauze bags and connect it to a label with the data of the crossing.[attachimg=1]
A plastic pot is filled up with a mix of Seramis, pumice or zeolite, which is free draining and the seeds are easily pricked out when I seperate them some 2 years later.
Spread the seeds evenly and let them enough space to grow for a season or two. Then cover the seeds with +/- 10mm of finely chopped and composted pine needles.
[attachimg=2]  [attachimg=3]
I place the seed pots on the floor of my greenhouse and water regularly that the seeds never dry out.[attachimg=4]
Other composts and a cover of gravel will work as well but for me it´s easier to keep the seeds moist at any time but not water locked this way. I start feeding them when the seedlings clearly start to grow from April/May the following year. In the first season most seedlings only show their seed leaves but sometimes another 1 or 2 extra leaves appear. In this case you might be lucky to see the first flowers in the 2. season of their growth.
[attachimg=5]
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on May 05, 2019, 04:40:59 PM
Some seeds only germinate in the 2. year while I might be able harvesting seeds in the same pot. As many crossings only show interesting features in the F2 generation a flower in the 2. year after sowing is very valuable.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Herman Mylemans on May 05, 2019, 06:50:18 PM
Carsten, thank you for the interesting information!
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Pennine Wanderer on May 06, 2019, 08:31:42 AM
Very interesting Carsten.  It just shows you are never too old to learn.  Thanks. Dave
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 04:41:42 PM
Almost 3 years after sowing, it is now high time for repotting the Hepaticas. The pot is densely overgrown and well rooted.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 04:46:28 PM
The pure mineral substrate makes it very easy to seperate the seedlings without disturbing them too much.
Otherwise you might need to prick out the seedlings much ealier in their 2. year of growth.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 04:55:42 PM
12 seedlings out of 16 seeds is quite ok and more than enough to breed the F2 generation. Most plants already have flowerbuds und only need another week or two to start flourish.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 04:59:56 PM
Astonishing that they all had grown in a 10 x 10 x 9 cm pot and had roots up to almost 20 cm length.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 05:11:56 PM
The plants are potted into quite small containers 8 x 8 x 8,5 cm and will be repotted every year. I give them a drainage of 1/3 of the pot which is 4-8 mm gravel from pumice, lava and zeolith. They always root into the drainage and seem to 'like' it. The compost is made from each 1/3 of a standard soil (Einheitserde) based on peat, pumice and composted needle scattering. It is free draining and suitable for both, nobilis and japonicas.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Herman Mylemans on February 05, 2022, 05:33:11 PM
The plants are potted into quite small containers 8 x 8 x 8,5 cm and will be repotted every year. I give them a drainage of 1/3 of the pot which is 4-8 mm gravel from pumice, lava and zeolith. They always root into the drainage and seem to 'like' it. The compost is made from each 1/3 of a standard soil (Einheitserde) based on peat, pumice and composted needle scattering. It is free draining and suitable for both, nobilis and japonicas.
Carsten, very good results. Do you also cut the roots?
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 05, 2022, 06:23:09 PM
In most cases, yes. But not with this seedlings.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carolyn on February 05, 2022, 10:28:26 PM
Carsten, what do you feed your seedlings with, and how often? I wish my hepatica seedlings had such strong roots! Are they so healthy because of the good drainage/ gritty compost?
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on February 06, 2022, 07:33:57 AM
Carolyn, I feed with a 20-20-20 Peter's professional, highly diluted to 0,6-0,8% and try to do this as often as possible. As the mix in the seed pots is of pure mineral grit with a cover of composted pine needles you need to feed regularly. I guess any other balanced fertilizer will work, too. The mix is airy, holds some moisture und is free draining. This must be a great advantage for the roots in my view. But, there are many other ways to grow healthy seedlings ;-)
As a disadvantage, you must pay attention that this mix never drys out.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Leena on February 06, 2022, 09:10:02 AM
Your pictures show how well your system works for you! I am amazed how fast the seedlings have grown, it must be your feeding and the well draining soil which allows the roots to grow so well.
Thank you for showing how you do it. :)
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carolyn on February 06, 2022, 09:23:50 AM
Thanks, Carsten, I will try your method this year!
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Gabriela on February 06, 2022, 07:15:58 PM
Yes, wonderful results Carsten. The mix seems to work very well for your conditions.

Unfortunately in some parts of the world seramis, pumice, zeolite and lava rocks are not readily available, or are very expensive. I get by
with using coarse perlite and vermiculite in my Hepatica sowing and potting mix.

Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Starking007 on April 19, 2022, 04:48:24 AM
Passendes Material gibt es hier in Betrieben vom Garten- und Landschaftsbau,
manchmal auch als salzfreies Streugut in Baumärkten, Lava, Bims oder Bläschiefer.
Splitt in Streukästen an der Strasse, wobei man da sehr auch Salz achten muss.
Ich habe nebenan eine Sandgrube mit diversen Splitten......
Zeolith gibt es auch im Zoogeschäft, manchmal.
Notfalls kann man Seramis oder Blähton für Hydrokultur brechen,
oder sogar Ziegelsplitt selber klopfen.
In unserer Stadt ist ein Betrieb, der Tennisplatzbeläge herstellt, da gibt es Ziegelsplitt tonnenweise........
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: MarcR on April 20, 2022, 09:26:40 AM
Carsten,

Thank you for sharing how you grow them.  We have no pine in our area- will fir needles work?

Marc
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Carsten on April 21, 2022, 11:55:53 AM
Yes, fir will work, too. It needs to be composted for some time but still with good structure to be airy and moisture rententive.
Title: Re: Hepatica from seed
Post by: Starking007 on July 03, 2022, 03:57:46 PM
2022 was the first year in which I put quite a lot, maybe 100, seedlings, sections and young plants in pots.
In substrate with mostly mixed grain lava, similar to Carsten, placed in full shade.
They are always kept slightly moist.
After a few weeks, the first leaves turned pale, so I fertilized some liquid over the foliage.
Now they got darker, many even to a bronze hue, is that normal?
Since I constantly water the leaves, I have a lot of leaf stains, next time I would plan a flood tank.
The very dry ones in the garden, but shady, on the other hand, are spotless.
All in the pot are due to be released into the open soon, but for some that won't be until 2023...
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal