Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Seedy Subjects! => Seeds Wanted => Topic started by: Guff on August 07, 2021, 05:10:24 PM
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Wondering if anyone wants to trade some seeds in 2022?
I have a couple plants, all are white. Want to get different colors. I did buy two packets of both types from this site, haven't arrived yet. They are in stock, so if anyone is looking for fresh seeds chilled in USA
https://www.prairiemoon.com/search.html?Search=Hepatica
Have Crocus, Snowdrops, Cyclamen, Hellebore
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Seed packets have arrived. Thinking I'm going to make a new bed and sow outside and see what happens.
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It would be interesting to show if you can take pictures, how those chilled Hepatica seeds are looking Guff.
I never tried to keep them chilled right away after collecting, but I think Dr. Deno has tried to keep like this Trillium grandiflorum fresh seeds.
Despite what the above mentioned company is saying on its website, Hepatica seeds require for best germination first a slightly warm period (like it would happen in late summer/early fall) followed by a cold period (winter).
Your best bet is indeed to sow them right away. If they look dehydrated maybe soak them in water for a few hours before sowing (I have no idea what's inside those pkc., so I just speculate here).
If you would follow the Hepatica thread I think there is a lot of good info there.
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Sorry Gabriela , didn't take any pictures of the seeds. I did think about it(taking pics of seeds) , but they looked good as far as I could tell. Probably could have been soaked first, but I was in a hurry to get them planted.
Made a 2ft x 2ft, 1 1/2ft deep(1ft compost). I had dug down another 6 inches to loosen the clay and left it. Filled with screened leaf compost. Then a very fine screened leaf compost on top of seeds. Then topped it off with old pine needles, so heavy rains wouldn't erode the bed. Probably going to remove most of the needles in the Fall. I did mound up some clay around the bed, so it won't erode. Bed is on a sloped bank.
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I guess is as good as it gets Duff.
Don't forget to add a layer of leaves on top of it in late fall; it will help with the ground heave in the winter and early spring.
(I also recommend a mesh of some sort if you have garden critters around, they especially like to 'play' in freshly worked soil).
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Gabriela,
You are quite correct that Hepatica germinate best with 4-6 weeks at 20c followed by a move to 4C until germination occurs. I think the theory behind cold storage is that without the initial period at 20C, the seeds will not germinate in the cold.
Hepatica seeds are best planted fresh; and do NOT store well in warm temperatures. By putting them immediately into storage at 4C, one both keeps them from germinating and keeps them from spoiling.
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Was looking at my bed, and saw this. This a Hepatica?
Seeds that have germinated in the past usually have a dark brown/purple/green mix of colors to cotyledon
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Last year I had collected seeds and planted in another spot. These Hepatica seedlings?
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Yes Guff, I'd say so. For comparison, here are this year's seedlings of H. nobilis:
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Ashley thanks.
Under lights and cool temps will Hepatica seedlings continue to put up new leaves? Just wondering if it's worth trying to grow some through the winter in my basement with the next batch of seeds.
Thanks for info
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Probably Guff, although I've never tried it.
Here I just sow the seed in a cool shaded place as soon as it's ripe (normally May), then the seedlings appear the following spring.
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Ashley thanks.
Under lights and cool temps will Hepatica seedlings continue to put up new leaves? Just wondering if it's worth trying to grow some through the winter in my basement with the next batch of seeds.
Thanks for info
Guff - I sometimes transplant seedlings in February/March and grow them under lights in the garage (cool temp.) while outside is still too cold. Most develop new leaves by May when they can usually be put outdoors.
But in the end it doesn't matter much because Hepatica seedlings seem to have a 'predetermined' growth/year, meaning that at some point they stop growing new leaves. I only prick out seedlings so early sometime because it is when I have more free time.
I believe they develop/grow better in the natural light.
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Want to thank forums members that sent seed, thank you very much.
This is the bed that I made and had extended. At some point only Helleborus Thibetanus plants will be in this raised bed. I have another spot planned for the Hepatica seedlings, when they are big enough to dig and replant in a few years time.
I had Hellebore seedlings on the right side, and a few more to dig and replant still. Not sure if I will get to it this year, only because there are a couple thousand Snowdrop bulbs in there as well and I don't have the compost to dig and replant them.
Last picture, replanted Hellebore.
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Hellebores look very happy in that location.
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Jeff, there are 30 replanted. I would probably do more with Hellebore's, just don't have the compost like I used to for all my projects I have going. There are thousands of seedlings in other beds I made years ago..........just need to be dug, most die off from lack of light from the mother plants.
I am getting back to breeding Daylilies, Haven't done any crosses in 6 years. Decided to get back to work on my blue eyed crosses I made years ago.
First one really doesn't have a blue eye, but it does have Tetra Blue Baby as parent, and it has the shape i like.
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Guess it does have some blue colors to the eye. It was crossed both ways, hope I get pods to grow....
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OP pollinated seedlings can be difficult to suppress which is why I remove all flower buds before seed release.
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I did remove a lot of flowers this year so they wouldn't set seed. Hellebore are just too much work, esp cutting all those leaves off so you see a nice display of flowers each Spring. One two plants, ok , but try 50-100......
This is my favorite blue eyed seedling
Bella Sera x Palace Garden Beauty. Took picture this morning. First flower to open and it was also rained on. Pollen looks to be ruined as well. Colors are not vivid like it usually is. Will update later if the deer don't get to the buds before another flower opens.
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Removed the rest of the Hellebore seedlings.
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Far end, is where I have my Hepatica plants growing. Metal is to keep the deer from eating the leaves.
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Planted Thibetanus seeds.
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Next year I need to dig up all the Snowdrop bulbs that are in the bed, then replant these Thibetanus seedlings. Will probably have to make the bed bigger.
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As you know I am highly envious of your success with thibetanus.
Best of luck with the hepatica seed bed, waiting to see it in full bloom.
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Jeff thanks.
A couple hundred flowering Thibetanus would be nice. I like the fact they die back, and don't have to cut the leaves each Spring for a nice display of flowers.
As an experiment, I buried 10 foam cups and put one seed in each. Would be easier replanting them.
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Good approach, as long as the pots have drianage?
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It should work, plenty of holes punched into the foam cups. Years ago I started Tree Peonies this way. Dug up a spot, filled back in with compost. Placed cups with a seed in each and covered. Took two years to germinate outside. Inside is much faster, but if your doing a lot of seed, outside is probably the way to go.
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Ended up planting 49 plants. I will be doing some select Hellebore crosses, for seed trading Spring 2023.
If interested, message me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIGgFD2lNpc
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Some flowers
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Great sepal structure with the all the doubles.
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Thanks.
Few more
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All are great but the third double is close to my idea of a perfect double shape, rounded sepals often missing from most doubles. Is it from the same parentage as the 2 other spotted doubles?
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First and third are from seed you gave me, I believe.
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I am pleased that you have ended up with good forms from seed that I have sent, great to see the outcomes.
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Fertilizer arrived. Ful-power is suppose to help seeds germinate and help with nutrients uptake. I have some old Hellebore seeds that I have sitting around, probably 5 years or older. Going to soak them and plant them out and see what happens. I may even try soaking cyclamen seeds just to see if it makes a difference.
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Would be very interesting to see if soaking of old desiccated hellebore seed does trigger germination.
If so then this will be a huge bonus as seed dormancy is not easily reversed as the seed ages. Wolud also help with seed sent from a different hemisphere.
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Oops I put this in the wrong thread. Will re post it there, when I start to water the bed with fertilizer in a week or two.
Going to soak the hellebore seeds in the next couple of days, let soak until fully plump. Probably will take three days.
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I'm looking for red, purple and a dark purple single flowered Hepatica seed for Spring 2023. 10-15 seeds of each color. Willing to buy, if not interested in trading. Thanks.
If anyone knows a site where to purchased them send me a note. Thanks.