Growing Hostas from seed is much like growing other perennials and annuals from seed. One pod might make 30 or more seeds, although some might have only a few. Each seed is a small kernel at the end of a papery black wing. Sow them early. The pods will start to yellow after that, and eventually dry and split open. Start with easy seeds from H. Elegans or something similar. Then think about making crosses by transferring pollen from one hosta to another. The good stuff is at, It will take about 6-8 weeks from bloom (pollination) for each pod to ripen. 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. More than likely you will get some kind of plain green hosta. I love gathering seeds to grow new plants, sometimes successfully, sometimes not..and to share them with friends and family :), An interesting post. Loves it! Until germination, I just want to hold in moisture and humidity. And if you dont know the type of hosta, you could include a picture. Seeds from a white hosta are generally not viable at all, while variegated hosta is just a complete gamble. After four to eight weeks, the pods will become yellow as they dry out, then split open. The hosta plant that you grow from seed will most assuredly be very different than the hosta you harvested the seeds from. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. This process improves the germination rate for all perennials, but it isn't necessary. This one is 'June'. I will also be adding how to grow them from seed soon. excellent tips, I have 2 and wanted to try having some more in a differant area without cutting those I haveshall keep my eye on the ones I have for the seed pods forming. 6 years ago. I welcome links to my blog or to any of my articles, but please do not copy my photos or content. If you picked the pods, you can carefully split them open to reveal the six chambers holding the seeds. A short visit to the refrigerator for two or three weeks will fool the seeds into thinking they have gone through the freeze/thaw cycle. 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. Hosta blooms that get pollinated will start to form pods. Serious hybridizers may grow 10,000 new hostas each year, and have hybridizing programs that are several generations deep, before they decide on introducing a new plant. 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. If you let them dry a few days, you can rub off the papery wing, as it is easier to plant only the kernels. If you started hosta seeds in February, they should be ready to put outside in about May, still in their pots. How Many CFL 60 Watt Bulbs for Tomato Seedlings? All comments are moderated your email address will not be published. Recommendations to hedge your bets on germination. Here I just used stuff around the house. If you are an experienced seed grower, you will have no trouble raising Hosta seedlings. I too did not know what the seeds or even the pods looked like. Thats the fun part, though, because the seedlings are always a surprise. I examined each seed. Therefore, it is important to make sure all pots, flats, domes, and even the potting media are as close to sterile as possible. Thanks for the great instructions and the photo of the seeds. Thank you so much for your blog about planting hostas by seeds. Each seed is a small kernel at the end of a papery black wing. It is best to water the tray so they take up water from the bottom. Professional or serious home hybridizers sometimes bring their plants indoors to encourage pollination. In addition, whether your hosta sets seed or not depends on several factors, including the weather. A green hosta will more than likely produce a green hosta. For shop lights, they should be just a few inches above the leaves, which at first means almost touching your humidity domes. Lovely photos. Stratify the seeds before you sow them. Write It On Your Heart That Every Day is the Best Day in the Year. 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. When you plant hosta seeds, you never know what youre going to get! 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. This is mainly dependent on temperature. For practice, any seed will do. Previously used potting mix should ever be re-used with seeds or small seedlings. To gain knowledge, I'd suggest you buy books that pertain to one element of gardening; such as flowering shrubs. This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel. Germination takes from about 1020 days. I really want to give it a try! Hostas grow slowly at first. They don't need light to germinate, but as soon as you see the seedlings appear, provide strong light, either an actual grow light or just an LED shop light. After a few weeks, the pods will have dried enough so that some of the seeds will start to fall out of the pods, and the rest of the seeds can then be removed easily. Ramona, it really depends on the type of hosta. As a rule, early-emerging hostas take longer to fully ripen their seeds. Special mixes are not necessary, though, and a good quality, general purpose potting mix will work just as well. Guide to prevent invasive species being planted in Southern Ontario, A garden without wildlife is like a kiss without a squeeze. 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. To grow the seeds, you dont have to wait if you dont want to, although there is some evidence showing that a month in the fridge increases germination rates. I start mine in mid to late winter. Thoroughly wet the soil before sowing the seeds as not to dislodge them later. Entire contents copyright 2007-2022 by ChoosingVoluntarySimplicity.com, allrightsreserved, About This Blog (and About Me) - Contact Me - Privacy Policy. Places you could store them include: Did you make this project? One pod might make 30 or more seeds, although some might have only a few. After the seedlings have 4-6 leaves, you can feed with a weak water-soluble fertilizer, and take off the humidity domes. The stratification initiates the seed to germinate. Since the pods are always green when I collect them, I have found that the seeds are easier to remove if I let the pods dry in the envelopes first. 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. Do you think it would work to do winter sowing with hosta seeds? A flat can also be divided into sections using sticks, sections of Venetian blinds, or other common objects and planted with several types of seed. I love them. Whole societies are devoted to this beloved plant, which appears in Chinese documents as far back as the Han Dynasty, 206 BCE to 220 BCE, according to the American Hosta Society. I have over 500 varieties of hosta in my garden. The good stuff is at Part I. Hosta problems are at Part II. And finally a little one-question essay on growing hostas from seeds (scroll down for FAQs below). I was toying around with dividing or using the seeds? I have several grow lights set up with shelving and usually start seedlings between November and January. 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. Like maple keys, they have a winged portion and a seed tucked in the tip. Bottom watering is always preferred. If the pods fall off before they are ripe, then the seeds inside were probably not good. The trick to germination, is stratification when it comes to hostas. We hope you find this useful. It is usually easier, less expensive, and just as good to use a commercial potting mix. Seeds from a streaked hosta may give you streaked hosta babies. There are as many different planting media as there are Hosta hybridizers - maybe more! Since they can fit into an envelop, Im guessing that it might be easy to exchange them. I marked each roll with a dot, differentiating between the varieties of hosta seeds I collected. Seedlings at "up-cupping" stage to single plant per cup (discarded seedlings at left), and A little gentle help with a sharp pencil tip will help wayward roots get growing in the right direction. I do not have great lighting set up in my house, Oh How I wish I had a greenhouse! Now i realise only my Halcyon has seed pods anyway. Hybridizers may start culling their sprouts after only a few leaves are showing. For hostas, it's usually multiple genetic parents. That is the purpose of other components in planting mixes like perlite, bark, grit, and sand. USE FRESH SEEDS. Seeds from a green hosta will only produce a green seedling with the same or different characteristics. Home Growing Hostas How To Harvest Hosta Seeds. Lily, good luck with your hosta seedlings its really interesting to see how different they all are. I tied them together, so they don't collapse as easily. Thats the basis of growing any hosta seed. The seedlings will only be in the initial container for six to eight weeks, so they can tolerate being shoulder to shoulder. My Krosse Regal, in its 2nd year and lovely in a large container, has only just started to bloom (September) and am truly gutted that it is sterile. For a small scale hybridizing venture, fast food containers work great. This timing produces good-sized plants (sometimes already in bloom) by the time it is warm enough to move the hostas outside in early June. Most mixes are peat based. Only problem every time it rains, you get to sprinkle garlic powder again. Some hostas are completely pod sterile. Covering also helps to keep the seed from accidentally drying out. Hostas do not need light to germinate. Thanks for all the great info Heidi! When and How to Divide your Hosta Whether you want to divide your hostas for the healthy of the plants or to increase the hosta love Fertilizing Your Hosta Plants It's no surprise that hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennial plants in a variety First, it's important to remember that hostas will not come true from seed. But even more than growing the mature plants, I like the mystery and challenge of starting new hostas from seeds. Not all hostas will make seeds (see below), and even those that do might not make a pod from each bloom. The media should not be soggy. Germination takes from about 1020 days. (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. 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. Problems Encountered While Growing Hosta Seedlings, Hardening Off & Moving Seedlings Outdoors. This lets the seedlings drink up the water they need without the roots being dislodged by pouring from the top. Hosta seeds don't need light to germinate, but they will need good light once they do. To add greater humidity, I made a tiny greenhouse tent. The photos are my own. Discard. Personally, I prefer working with seedlings because it is so much fun to see the differences. The seeds will be black, dry, and papery when ready. Awesome Inc. theme. The seed is a small kernel attached to a papery black sleeve. Collect the seeds from the plants. Still others prefer to use appropriately sized pots. Some hybridizers set their seed flats on warm appliances like televisions and refrigerators for a little extra heat. Which is best? Part 2 of that video series shows you how. Hope this helps. Hi, thanks for the article! Make sure the envelopes are paper, don't use plastic. If you use plastic and the seeds are not completely dry then they will rot. Seeds from a blue or gold hosta produce blue, green and gold hosta seedlings. Any updates on these seedlings 2 yrs. Since most of you aren't keeping a calendar the easiest way to tell is if the top seed pods on a hosta are dry and start to crack open. Love those plants and would like to have more. Great blog! Seeds from a white hosta are not very viable at all. I left them in their little envelopes, in a sealed dry container in my little potting shed - outside all winter. I switch from constant light to 18 hours of light once they're growing well. After the first leaf appears, you can begin to gradually remove the cover for longer periods of time every day. Hostas are monocots, meaning a single leaf appears first. 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. If there is a specific hosta that you'd like to get seeds from, be sure to water it well throughout the season for its best chance at forming seeds. Having tried so many other repellents, this one works. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. Summer Holidays for Chicken (using Poor Man's Fibreglass). Aside from moisture, the other requirement for seed germination is heat. See pictures of seed-cleaning here. All hostas are hybrids, meaning that they are the result of at least two plants with different genetics. Shirley, Solving the Natural Peanut Butter Oil Separation Problem. Some adventurous hybridizers enjoy mixing their own potting mix, often adding exotic ingredients like Green Sand, bat guano, and coir. The reason is that hostas do not come true from seed. Hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennials in shady and party shady gardens. later? 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. But just because they are called weedlings, does not mean they are weeds, at least, not to the home gardener. This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel. Thanks, Ann! Potting mix should be heated to kill diseases and insects, even if it is supposed to be sterile already. The second attempt after stratifying the seeds, worked. The trick is adjusting your cultural practices to accommodate the properties of the medium. Once they begin to show a second or third leaf, I lightly fertilized them with a 7-7-7 water soluble. The only way to get a hosta of the same variety is to divide the hosta. Cold, wet days (below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and too-warm days (above 85 degrees F) discourage seed set. Thank you! What you never want to use to start seeds is top soil, soil from your garden, or compost. This instructable will show you how to collect and store seeds from hostas.
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