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helleborus from seed

Posted by sheryl_ontario ONT z5 (My Page) on
Sun, Aug 2, 09 at 6:58

I have received some fresh-off-the-plant helleborus seeds. I know these take a couple of months in damp warm and a couple of months in cold before they will sprout. I planted some in a container and am keeping them covered, damp and warm. I will put the container on the porch in the fall for a couple of months of cold, then bring it into my south seed window. Hopefully I will have some small plants to put out next spring.

The rest I planted in a seed bed but the only space I had was south facing. I am watering them every day, do you think they will germinate here and grow next spring? They should be in a shady damp spot, but I didn't have one. I am thinking of covering the bed with landscape fabric through the sunny warm months of Aug and Sept and continue watering it every day. Do you think that will help?


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: helleborus from seed

if the seed is covered with soil even though lightly then no problem.... this is how the seed germinated long befor man(woman) interfered (joined in) with the process.


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RE: helleborus from seed

You can go look at the Hellebore forum. They have quote a few postings on the seed germination issue. I hear that Hellebore does not necessarily have to be in the shade unless you live in a very warm climate.


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RE: helleborus from seed

Sheryl

I've grown them many times from seed. And as suggested above they would probably like a fair amount of sun in your area.

My method:
Place in ziplock bag with moist material (sphagnum, pot6ting soil, vermiculite, etc.) and place in butter compartment on door or in crisper of your refrigerator. When at least half of your seeds have grown a root, remove them and plant in pots at room temperature. Plant very shallow at about 1/8" (3 mm) and spread a layer of coarse sand on the surface about 1/4" (6 mm) deep.You can also remove them individually as each forms a good root and plant. Keep moist and warm till they appear and plant out when you want to. Some keep them in pots for 1-3 years but i generally plant in a seedling bed in garden after they get their first true leaf.

George.


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RE: helleborus from seed

  • Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
    Mon, Aug 3, 09 at 22:35

sheryl, you've sown them in pots already and your plan sounds fine. Just as a space saving step, I'll often put them into a tiny ziplock with about a tsp of moist vermiculite (will easily accomodate 40 or so seeds) and leave that on my desk for approx 2 or more months before sowing, exposing to chill. I normally do the chill outdoors here where my late Fall and Winter temps can often be a day/night average around 40F.

There's no need to cover with landscape fabric any seeds you've sown in the ground. If the plants had been your own and dropped ripe seed, they would have laid on the ground, been watered occasionally until Fall rains began, spent a winter outdoors and most likely have germinated for you in earliest Spring. IF birds or rodents hadn't carried them away :)

Just be sure not to cut your warm/moist or cold/moist periods too short, I try to give seeds at least 10 weeks in the second stage of cold/moist. I don't have a harsh winter like you do, but if you are bringing them in, how warm would your sunny window be? After warm/moist, cold/moist periods, germination begins for me while cool - in the 50 - 55F range.

I top with grit or vermiculite to discourage mosses or algae from forming (with any sown seed that will be with me a few months), the coarse sand mentioned by George would be good too.


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