If you let them dry a few days, you can rub off the papery wing, as it is easier to plant only the kernels. The seeds inside the pods will be black and papery, and viable seeds will have a noticeable bump on the end of the papery sleeve. Many of the hosta forums have seed exchanges sometime in the fall. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. Sometimes the pods that form in June aren't ready to harvest until September. D. Teager photographs. Proudly created withWix.com. I do this in the palm of one hand over a piece of waxed paper, as many as 20 at once. About: I am a library media supervisor and I love making fused glass and gardening. The easiest hosta to propagate by seed is Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans,' reports the Delaware Valley Hosta Society, along with Hosta Tokudama and Hosta ventricosa the latter can set seed without having been pollinated. 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. It's n WINTER SOWING 101 What is it and Why is it So Popular? 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. Seeds from a streaked hosta may give you streaked hosta babies. I do this in the palm of one hand over a piece of waxed paper, as many as 20 at once. If you are new to gardening, the best I find are the books that are simple. Special mixes are not necessary, though, and a good quality, general purpose potting mix will work just as well. With the blunt end of a skewer, I tucked them in just beneath the soil's surface. Next scatter the seed evenly over the surface of the moist mix. This process improves the germination rate for all perennials, but it isn't necessary. Therefore, it is important to make sure all pots, flats, domes, and even the potting media are as close to sterile as possible. Others like to use special heat mats. The stratification initiates the seed to germinate. And if your plant does get pollinated and forms pods, don't get too hopeful the pods may fall off before they are ripe, meaning that the seeds were likely not viable anyway. Like maple keys, they have a winged portion and a seed tucked in the tip. Wondering how long it would take to grow a hosta from seed to full size? Several pods have duds - these pale white seeds that have no embroinic component. About 30 days after pollination, the hosta seeds should be ready to harvest. Sometimes the seeds are not viable and will not germinate. After the first leaf appears, you can begin to gradually remove the cover for longer periods of time every day. You can crack open the other seed pods to collect the seeds. Having tried so many other repellents, this one works. If you don't know the names, not a big deal. Germination chamber constructed of rigid polystyrene insulation sheets with a heat mat in the bottom. This can be a simple as fluorescent (or LED) "shop lights," or could be more elaborate if you get really serious about it. I have hostas at the edge of my woods and have always removed the stalks after flowering because I thought it somehow taxed the plant If left on their own do they self seed? Germination takes from about 1020 days. Previously used potting mix should ever be re-used with seeds or small seedlings. Some hostas are completely pod sterile. Only problem every time it rains, you get to sprinkle garlic powder again. Gently tuck in any sprouts that push themselves out of the mix. I love them. Thank you so much for your blog about planting hostas by seeds. Most mixes are peat based. Great information here. Keep the lights going 24 hours a day until a few days before you are ready to move the plants outside. And finally a little one-question essay on growing hostas from seeds (scroll down for FAQs below). Sow the seeds shallowly in a sterile potting mix. Beautiful houseplants that also repel mosquitoes, cockroaches and other pests, Light Requirements When Germinating Marigold Seeds. This lets the seedlings drink up the water they need without the roots being dislodged by pouring from the top. Once the sprouts start to grow, you face the hard task of deciding which ones to keep. I put the seeds from each pod into a paper coin envelope labeled with the parent hosta(s), date, etc. A warm (75 F) place is best, or use a seed-starting heat mat. Seeds from a green hosta will only produce a green seedling with the same or different characteristics. Smaller batches can be microwaved for 10 minutes. Now i realise only my Halcyon has seed pods anyway. I left them in their little envelopes, in a sealed dry container in my little potting shed - outside all winter. A single container can hold a lot of seeds. Within each pod are six chambers that hold the seeds. 2014-2022 by Delaware Valley Hosta Society. Im sure that works well in a warmer climate, but here in the northeast, the seed pods never reach that stage before the first frost. Cold, wet days (below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and too-warm days (above 85 degrees F) discourage seed set. I switch from constant light to 18 hours of light once they're growing well. I thought the pod was the seed! The key is to keep them dry. 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. Once they begin to show a second or third leaf, I lightly fertilized them with a 7-7-7 water soluble. You can buy seeding trays with domes for this purpose, I just decided to use household items for the job. This old baking tray will do the trick. Grow the seed in a sterile seed-starting mix, just covering the seeds. Most can be used to grow Hostas. Thanks for the great instructions and the photo of the seeds. Great blog.. This one is 'June'. Powered by. A blog about finding balance in your life, connecting with who you are, and creating a lifestyle where you wake up each morning eagerly anticipating the day ahead. Viable seeds will have a noticeable bump on one end. How Many CFL 60 Watt Bulbs for Tomato Seedlings? Ill have to try this next year! One pod might make 30 or more seeds, although some might have only a few. Personally, I prefer working with seedlings because it is so much fun to see the differences. I have been looking for a site like this for some time. To mature, full size, up to four years depending on the variety of hosta. Thanks for the encouragement! Do you think it would work to do winter sowing with hosta seeds? Click on a header for main topic, or hover and click on one of the drop-down topics. The trick is adjusting your cultural practices to accommodate the properties of the medium. One innovative method hybridizers are now using is to make holes in the bottom of plastic drink cups (see below), which makes it easy to label each with the parent hosta(s); each cup can hold 15 seeds or so, and the cups fit easily into a tray for watering. Genetics also apparently play a role and seed from Hosta 'Dorothy Benedict' is said to take three weeks or more to germinate. Some adventurous hybridizers enjoy mixing their own potting mix, often adding exotic ingredients like Green Sand, bat guano, and coir. Any updates on these seedlings 2 yrs. Until germination, I just want to hold in moisture and humidity. See pictures of seed-cleaning. Then think about what interesting traits youre looking for, and grow hostas with those traits. Written by Shirley Filed Under: Growing Hostas. Thanks for your great post. Home Growing Hostas How To Harvest Hosta Seeds. USE FRESH SEEDS. Some form seeds and self-seed readily others not so much. Hosta seeds can be planted in just about anything. Lovely photos. A seed. Growing Hostas From Seed So you're wondering, can I grow a hosta from seed? To gain knowledge, I'd suggest you buy books that pertain to one element of gardening; such as flowering shrubs. Small lunch-sized paper bags work well too. Yes, Ive known of a lot of hosta seed exchanges. Love this info! Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment. I welcome links to my blog or to any of my articles, but please do not copy my photos or content. Love those plants and would like to have more. The only way to get a hosta of the same variety is to divide the hosta. later? That is so not true! Another idea sometimes hosta nurseries will leave seed pods on their hostas and are glad to let customers take them if they ask. These plants can go as high at $15.00 so I would love to grow and give to my family and friends. :). It is best to water the tray so they take up water from the bottom. I like your blog stuff, thanks for sharing this info! (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. I just placed them in paper envelopes and in a tin box. In a nutshell, winter sowing, or winter seed sowing, is sowing seeds indoors in t How to Clean Birdhouses, Birdbaths and Bird Feeders One of my favorite parts of being out in the garden is listening to the sounds of natu Epsom Salt for Rose and Bloomers You may have heard that Epsom Salt is a great, safe, effective and economical garden amendment for use on y What are Sun Tolerant Hostas? Thanks!! Seeds from a white hosta are not very viable at all. Hostas grow slowly at first. , Common Houseplant Pests Part 2 - Fungus Gnats, Springtails, Removing Lily Flower Anthers To Lengthen Bloom Time, Dividing Juncus effusus - Soft Rush for Ponds, Update - Overseeding Turf with White Clover, Plant Profile: Stolwijk Alpina Blue Clematis, Support FoodShare - Toronto Community Gardens, Dirr's Manual of Woody and Herbaceous Plants, Hardiness is a HUGE factor here in Canada. Recommendations to hedge your bets on germination. At that stage, the seedlings are more tolerant of short periods of dryness. If you buy the type that touch upon every aspect of gardening, you'll find they are great additions for the coffee table, as apposed to you learning a thing or two. Not every hosta will produce seed pods, some will produce them in large numbers, others produce pods but very few seeds. Hostas can also self-seed, called a "selfed" hybrid, usually with the help of bees, explains the Delaware Valley Hosta Society's "Hosta Lingo" page. Good luck! I too did not know what the seeds or even the pods looked like. Here I just used stuff around the house. I will try my luck at sowing my seeds. But just because they are called weedlings, does not mean they are weeds, at least, not to the home gardener. Could you tell me if youve ever stumbled upon a hosta seed exchange? The pods will start to yellow after that, and eventually dry and split open. Peat absorbs and holds a lot of water, which is essential for germinating seeds. I start mine in mid to late winter. I like to follow the heritage of the seedlings, so I label each group of seed pods. My first attempt had zero results. They might even bloom their first year! 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. The media should not be soggy. Has anyone ever used an aerogarden to start hostas? You can cover the seeds with 1/4 soil, or just gently tamp down the seeds so they connect to the soil. Do not fertilize the seedlings until the four-leaf stage, then every two weeks with fertilizer at one-fourth strength. Although hosta seedlings are easy to grow, they do require strong lighting and frequent watering. Hostas (Hosta spp.) Thanks, Ann! I tied them together, so they don't collapse as easily. Hostas rival roses as one of those perennials that kindle mystery and inspire passion in gardeners. Large amounts of seed can be sown directly into a standard flat. The ones that dont flower, but dont have any pods where the flowers were. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Yes, but First recognize that very few hostas will come true from seed (look like the parent plant). The hosta plant that you grow from seed will most assuredly be very different than the hosta you harvested the seeds from. Problems Encountered While Growing Hosta Seedlings, Hardening Off & Moving Seedlings Outdoors. Lastly, slowly introduce your hosta plants to the outside weather by gradually setting them outside for longer and longer periods over a few weeks. But the general rule is to leave them on the plant as long as you can. Hostas also need air around their root system. hosta 'Ventricosa' is one of the only hosta that comes true from seed. Some mixes are especially fine textured and intended specifically for starting seeds. Hosta seedlings thrive on frequent transplantings, so you can do this as much as you like until they're ready to go outside. First, consider your existing hosta variety, because some hostas are downright sterile, while some produce seed but it is not viable. Making sure they had a wing and a solid seed side. Make sure the envelopes are paper, don't use plastic. The pods will start to yellow after that, and eventually dry and split open. Gardening journal (where you learn from mistakes and remember what you've planted year to year), an absolute essential. I am in zone 4, cold MN winters, warm to hot summers. A green hosta will more than likely produce a green hosta. Hi, thanks for the article! One pod might make 30 or more seeds, although some might have only a few. This means, they must be cooled in storage before sowing. Use a fan on a light setting to strengthen the hosta seedlings' roots. 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. 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. Thats the fun part, though, because the seedlings are always a surprise. You're welcome! All my hostas are grown in containers as i only have a tiny garden. For shop lights, they should be just a few inches above the leaves, which at first means almost touching your humidity domes. The first year I tried growing seedlings, only a couple of my hostas had produced seed pods, and both hostas were a very common variety. Unauthorized reproduction of Heidihorticulture is prohibited. Tentative date for our fall banquet: October 22. At this point, you have a decision to make - to cover or not to cover the seeds with potting mix. Visit our website for great hostas at affordable prices! Hope this helps. 1/4 inch or less of mix over the seed will keep the tiny new roots where they belong. As a rule, early-emerging hostas take longer to fully ripen their seeds. How to Start White Swan Coneflower From a Seed. The seedlings will only be in the initial container for six to eight weeks, so they can tolerate being shoulder to shoulder. Each seed is a small kernel at the end of a papery black wing. If you let them dry a few days, you can rub off the papery wing, as it is easier to plant only the kernels. Moisten the mix until it is thoroughly moist to the touch. After the seedlings have 4-6 leaves, you can feed with a weak water-soluble fertilizer, and take off the humidity domes. Are Yellow Light Bulbs All Right for Seedlings? Karen, I dont think there is a best. If you want hostas identical to the hostas you have, then you will want to divide them. 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. It is especially important to recognize that seeds produced by variegated hostas will almost never grow into variegated plants. You are able to use the hosta seeds as soon as they're harvested. Aside from moisture, the other requirement for seed germination is heat. 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. Places you could store them include: Did you make this project? There are varieties that are rather reluctant pod producers with a few seeds that are viable. How Much Does It Cost to Feed YOUR Family? Thanks! Thank you! I'm so excited! I like so many things about hostas their differences in size, leaf texture, and color, how easy they are to grow, and how impressive they look all season long. This is best done in the early morning before bees and such can get to them. When you plant hosta seeds, you never know what youre going to get! How Long Does it Take for Columbine Seeds to Germinate. Can you tell me how to break up hostas that have gotten too big? 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. Having many deer in my area that love hosta I have found that sprinkling garlic powder on the plants does not damage the plants and the deer stay away. I have opened one of the pods and hurray! Summer Holidays for Chicken (using Poor Man's Fibreglass). One of the most common questions I hear about hostas is, can hostas handle sun? These are much too heavy to use as a seed starting media or for growing small seedlings. I will also be adding how to grow them from seed soon. Once the rolls are watered they can swell and fall apart, so I use string to keep them grouped. Blue hosta seeds may result in blue, green, or gold hostas. Many people will find one or more hostas that they like the characteristics of and try to force pollination of hosta seeds. At the four-leaf stage, you can transplant each one of your seedlings into a small two-ounce cup to grow on, then later into a four-ounce cup. The good stuff is at, It will take about 6-8 weeks from bloom (pollination) for each pod to ripen. You can, however, produce a large number of attractive plants in a short time. Hostas do not need light to germinate. Warmer temperatures will speed up germination, though. It is usually easier, less expensive, and just as good to use a commercial potting mix. These organisms are kept in check outdoors, but will wreak havoc on your Hosta seedlings indoors. Shelley has been writing and editing garden stories for 10 years, and has a Master Gardeners certificate in Oregon. They look sort of like tadpoles. If you use plastic and the seeds are not completely dry then they will rot. 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. Over the years, I have bought many books on gardening. I start mine in mid to late winter. Germination rates for hosta seeds are notoriously low. You can use coin envelopes, envelopes, your own homemade envelopes, etc. Taking the seed I placed them on the surface of the potting mix. This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel. Some illustrate the post others show our surroundings and the things we love about our version of simple living and voluntary simplicity. I find the tutorial by Josh Spece at In the Country Garden and Gifts to be the best source, with more technical information than above but not too hard to get through in terms of discussing plant genetics. Over half of hosta cultivars came from seed grown by home gardeners and by hybridizers. 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. Hostas are monocots, meaning a single leaf appears first. To prepare to sow your seeds, fill the sterilized planting container with planting media. Germination has been reported in as little as two to four days with potting mix temperatures in the 80 degree range. Within 4 weeks, they are now starting to look like mini hostas. I didnt know that the seeds were in the pod. These inadvertent seedlings are the result of uncontrolled, "open pollination," and are called "weedlings" to distinguish them from a hosta that has been purposely developed by a breeder. The disadvantage is that a few seedlings will have trouble getting their first root into the potting mix. Can you show me a few photos of how big the seedlings are at first? it has viable seeds. Start with easy seeds from H. Elegans or something similar. Hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennials in shady and party shady gardens. It is best to water the tray so they take up water from the bottom. Hit the "Follow" button on our Blog Home Page! Once the sprouts start to grow, you face the hard task of deciding which ones to keep. 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. One innovative method hybridizers are now using is to make holes in the bottom of plastic drink cups (see below), which makes it easy to label each with the parent hosta(s); each cup can hold 15 seeds or so, and the cups fit easily into a tray for watering. Most people cover them with a humidity dome, or, in the case of drink cups, a second smaller clear cup. Just remember that the hostas you start from seed will not look like the parent plant, and even seeds from the same hosta will produce very different looking hostas. Using the drink cup method, though, I find that I can grow 6-8 seedlings to good size in a cup before they need to be separated. The second attempt after stratifying the seeds, worked. 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. Thats the basis of growing any hosta seed. I was toying around with dividing or using the seeds? Ramona, it really depends on the type of hosta. That means that the hosta will more than likely not look like it's parent. You can either collect the seed pods themselves into envelopes or if they are open carefully shake the seeds into a paper envelope. 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. Great blog! Seeds from a white hosta are generally not viable at all, while variegated hosta is just a complete gamble. So exciting that you succeeded at harvesting and planting - and growing - Hosta seeds! Grow the seed in a sterile seed-starting mix, just covering the seeds. Slightly moistened mix can be baked in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for at least an hour. Green hosta plants result in, well, green hosta plants. See pictures of seed-cleaning here. How We Removed an Enormous Tree Stump or How We Saved $576. Thoroughly wet the soil before sowing the seeds as not to dislodge them later. Thanks for having such a great site and I want to check back on the recipes. Seed-starting images: Seedlings at 4-leaf stage (after first culls), Seedlings under humidity domes (different year/cups), In colder climates, though, the pods may not get to that point before the first frost. All hostas are hybrids, meaning that they are the result of at least two plants with different genetics. The usual advice is to let the seed pods dry on the stalk in the garden until the pod is somewhat dry and about to open. Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata hortensia). Seeds from a streaked or variegated hosta may give you a hosta with streaks but odds are they won't. More than likely you will get some kind of plain green hosta. For hostas, it's usually multiple genetic parents. I only had enough viable seeds to fill 16 half rolls. For a small scale hybridizing venture, fast food containers work great. Then, decrease the light to about 18 hours a day to get the hostas used to natural, outdoor lighting. If I harvest the seeds can I just toss them into my very good forest soil? I examined each seed. When the pod has turned brown or black and has dried out, the pods will begin to split lengthwise. Still, be aware that there are over 10,000 different named hostas out there, and youll have to work pretty hard to create something new and different. There are as many different planting media as there are Hosta hybridizers - maybe more! The good stuff is at Part I. Hosta problems are at Part II. I'm just thankful that I can easily split them up to get more.lol. Thanks for commenting and viewing my blog! However, pods that have stripes will have viable streaked seeds inside. Covering also helps to keep the seed from accidentally drying out. Hori-Hori Knife Great item for dividing perennials like hostas! Hosta seeds do not need light to germinate, so covering them is also acceptable. Share it with us! This lets you count the seeds more easily, as each wing may not have a seed kernel. If your hosta happens to throw out these seeds and a seedling appears in your garden bed somewhat uncommon but it does happen these also will not grow true to the parent. We've hit over a million visitors! i have 12 seeds in pots now. Seedlings (first- and second-year hybrids) planted in a raised bed. 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. If the wings are white, the seeds are not good. 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. Seedlings from a selfed hybrid won't exactly resemble the parent plant. Which is best? 2011-2022 All content is original. Loves it! The plastic, closeable containers make perfect miniature greenhouses and come in a range of shapes and sizes to accommodate varying amounts of seed. I waited to collect, until the seeds had matured on the stem. It may take over six weeks. A mix that holds moisture, yet is free draining and loose, is ideal for Hostas. One way to harvest the seeds in those climates is to collect the green pods and place them in a paper bag to further dry out. I have several grow lights set up with shelving and usually start seedlings between November and January. I label paper envelopes with the names of the hostas I am collecting seeds from. If your seed growing area maintains a constant temperature of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit, your Hosta seeds will germinate fine. Keep the soil barely moist. 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. I will do a follow up post, once they are fully leafed out. H :). 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. With such a centuries-long fascination, breeding hosta varieties has become an art. Cheers! I leave the pods on the hostas as long as the weather lets me, then bring the pods inside and put them in large white envelopes to dry. Great hosta information and pics. Very interesting post. For much, much more information, there are a few sites on the Internet giving guidance on growing seeds, and a few forums on Facebook and elsewhere for hybridizers. So happy to find a garden site from someone just a zone or two away! Sunset reports that seeds from blue or gold hostas produce blue, green or gold seedlings. I especially love the hosta information. Shirley, Solving the Natural Peanut Butter Oil Separation Problem. I love gathering seeds to grow new plants, sometimes successfully, sometimes not..and to share them with friends and family :), An interesting post. The photos are my own.
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