Professional or serious home hybridizers sometimes bring their plants indoors to encourage pollination. Many people will find one or more hostas that they like the characteristics of and try to force pollination of hosta seeds. Could you tell me if youve ever stumbled upon a hosta seed exchange? Problems Encountered While Growing Hosta Seedlings, Hardening Off & Moving Seedlings Outdoors. hostas spring come I examined each seed. Then with a small spade or garden shovel loosen the dirt around this section and left out. 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. Seed-starting images: Seedlings at 4-leaf stage (after first culls), Seedlings under humidity domes (different year/cups), Hori-Hori Knife Great item for dividing perennials like hostas! (The rest are sports, or mutations, of other hostas.) Next scatter the seed evenly over the surface of the moist mix. Growing Hostas from seed is much like growing other perennials and annuals from seed. Loves it! In colder climates, though, the pods may not get to that point before the first frost.

Ramona, it really depends on the type of hosta. The good stuff is at, It will take about 6-8 weeks from bloom (pollination) for each pod to ripen. Proudly created withWix.com. 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. Then, decrease the light to about 18 hours a day to get the hostas used to natural, outdoor lighting. 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. All comments are moderated your email address will not be published. Shirley, Solving the Natural Peanut Butter Oil Separation Problem. However, pods that have stripes will have viable streaked seeds inside. Growing Hostas From Seed So you're wondering, can I grow a hosta from seed? They are still small, but no colouration. Lastly, slowly introduce your hosta plants to the outside weather by gradually setting them outside for longer and longer periods over a few weeks. Love this info! How Many Servings of Fruit and Vegetables Should Your Family Eat? If you harvest the seeds when they are mature and toss them on the soil, you should get some plants although not as many as if they self-seed or if you start plants inside. 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. 1/4 inch or less of mix over the seed will keep the tiny new roots where they belong. One pod might make 30 or more seeds, although some might have only a few. Aside from moisture, the other requirement for seed germination is heat. Some hybridizers just press the seeds firmly onto the media to ensure good contact and leave it at that. When the pod has turned brown or black and has dried out, the pods will begin to split lengthwise. Cold, wet days (below 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and too-warm days (above 85 degrees F) discourage seed set. I too did not know what the seeds or even the pods looked like. The only way to get a hosta of the same variety is to divide the hosta. The trick to germination, is stratification when it comes to hostas. Once they begin to show a second or third leaf, I lightly fertilized them with a 7-7-7 water soluble. Many people insist that hosta seedlings started from seeds from ordinary hostas will all turn out to be the plain green variety. Sow them early. 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. The pods will start to yellow after that, and eventually dry and split open. And finally a little one-question essay on growing hostas from seeds (scroll down for FAQs below). Great hosta information and pics. Lovely photos. Click on a header for main topic, or hover and click on one of the drop-down topics. Collect the seeds from the plants. 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.

Keep the lights going 24 hours a day until a few days before you are ready to move the plants outside. To prepare to sow your seeds, fill the sterilized planting container with planting media. This is best done in the early morning before bees and such can get to them. I used to loosen the dirt around the whole large plant with a large shove, lift the plant up, and then cut the sections out but that was a pain to do. Potting mix should be heated to kill diseases and insects, even if it is supposed to be sterile already. Seedlings from a selfed hybrid won't exactly resemble the parent plant. The primary trait that is unlikely to be retained in an open-pollinated hosta seedling is variegation, but you can still grow beautiful hostas. 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. But just because they are called weedlings, does not mean they are weeds, at least, not to the home gardener. 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. I thinned out the germinated plants, leaving the stronger, healthier baby hostas - 1 per each roll.

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? Seedlings (first- and second-year hybrids) planted in a raised bed. Over half of hosta cultivars came from seed grown by home gardeners and by hybridizers. Hostas also need air around their root system. Keep the soil barely moist. A warm (75 F) place is best, or use a seed-starting heat mat. 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. Only problem every time it rains, you get to sprinkle garlic powder again. 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. That means that the hosta will more than likely not look like it's parent. 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? If you are new to gardening, the best I find are the books that are simple. The plastic, closeable containers make perfect miniature greenhouses and come in a range of shapes and sizes to accommodate varying amounts of seed. These are much too heavy to use as a seed starting media or for growing small seedlings. How Long Does it Take for Columbine Seeds to Germinate. Unauthorized reproduction of Heidihorticulture is prohibited. Some hybridizers set their seed flats on warm appliances like televisions and refrigerators for a little extra heat. Youll want to pick the pods before that happens, or tie a mesh (organza) bag over the pod to catch the seeds. Then think about making crosses by transferring pollen from one hosta to another. These organisms are kept in check outdoors, but will wreak havoc on your Hosta seedlings indoors. Cutting toilet rolls in half, I filled them with potting mix. Youll want to pick the pods before that happens, or tie a mesh (organza) bag over the pod to catch the seeds. Seeds from a blue or gold hosta produce blue, green and gold hosta seedlings. Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success. As a rule, early-emerging hostas take longer to fully ripen their seeds. Hostas continue to be one of the most popular perennials in shady and party shady gardens. Heat. So if you want a hosta just like the one you have taken the seeds from, there is no way to do that from seed. i have 12 seeds in pots now. I decided to plant some of the seed anyway, and now (many years later) those first seedlings have grown into giant hostas with the most pebbly leaves I have ever seen, miniature hostas, hostas with shiny leaves or round leaves or long pointed leaves, hostas with rippled-edged and twisted leaves, blue hostas, golden hostas, and even some hostas with variegation! Home Growing Hostas How To Harvest Hosta Seeds. Here I just used stuff around the house. Awesome Inc. theme. 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. Green pods growing at the end of the hosta stem means that the flower has been pollinated. Thank you! There are as many different planting media as there are Hosta hybridizers - maybe more! Grow the seed in a sterile seed-starting mix, just covering the seeds. 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. If you are an experienced seed grower, you will have no trouble raising Hosta seedlings. More importantly, these are infested with bacteria, fungi, weed seeds, and insects. Thanks for having such a great site and I want to check back on the recipes. I put the seeds from each pod into a paper coin envelope labeled with the parent hosta(s), date, etc. Several pods have duds - these pale white seeds that have no embroinic component. Thanks for all the great info Heidi! Within 4 weeks, they are now starting to look like mini hostas. Very interesting post. To gain knowledge, I'd suggest you buy books that pertain to one element of gardening; such as flowering shrubs. 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. Now i realise only my Halcyon has seed pods anyway. Until germination, I just want to hold in moisture and humidity. Thanks!! It is still possible, though, to collect the seed, because as long as the seeds in the pods are well-developed and have turned black, they will probably produce seedlings. Wondering how long it would take to grow a hosta from seed to full size? If youve ever grown tomatoes from seed, its not very different. Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. You can cover the seeds with 1/4 soil, or just gently tamp down the seeds so they connect to the soil. I do this in the palm of one hand over a piece of waxed paper, as many as 20 at once. In particular, Hosta Undulata and Hosta lancifolia rarely set seed, and white hostas might generate pods but the seed is not viable. Grow the seed in a sterile seed-starting mix, just covering the seeds. Thoroughly wet the soil before sowing the seeds as not to dislodge them later. Some hybridizers find that leaving the domes over Hosta seedlings causes no problems and reduces the need to water frequently.

Once the sprouts start to grow, you face the hard task of deciding which ones to keep.

This is especially important if you are recycling used pots and flats. I waited to collect, until the seeds had matured on the stem. The second attempt after stratifying the seeds, worked. Hosta blooms that get pollinated will start to form pods. The trick is adjusting your cultural practices to accommodate the properties of the medium. So exciting that you succeeded at harvesting and planting - and growing - Hosta seeds! Seed-starting images: Seedlings at 4-leaf stage (after first culls), Seedlings under humidity domes (different year/cups), 2014-2022 by Delaware Valley Hosta Society. The reason is that hostas do not come true from seed. When you plant hosta seeds, you never know what youre going to get! Making sure they had a wing and a solid seed side. 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. After four to eight weeks, the pods will become yellow as they dry out, then split open. Although hosta seedlings are easy to grow, they do require strong lighting and frequent watering. I start mine in mid to late winter. Not every hosta will produce seed pods, some will produce them in large numbers, others produce pods but very few seeds. It will take about 6-8 weeks from bloom (pollination) for each pod to ripen. This means, they must be cooled in storage before sowing. (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. To mature, full size, up to four years depending on the variety of hosta. Part 2 of that video series shows you how. Compacting the soil tightly in the rolls. Discard. Thanks for the great instructions and the photo of the seeds. You can either collect the seed pods themselves into envelopes or if they are open carefully shake the seeds into a paper envelope. How Much Does It Cost to Feed YOUR Family? I tied them together, so they don't collapse as easily. The photos are my own. Hosta seedlings thrive on frequent transplantings, so you can do this as much as you like until they're ready to go outside. Monetizing Your Homestead to Market Success by Lance Cody-Valdez Youve got a homestead you can be proud of and have plenty of homemade prod Use of Epsom Salt on Hostas! Does Frugality Mean You Shouldnt Have Nice Things? Germination takes from about 1020 days. 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. Once the rolls are watered they can swell and fall apart, so I use string to keep them grouped. If I harvest the seeds can I just toss them into my very good forest soil? About 30 days after pollination, the hosta seeds should be ready to harvest. 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.

But even more than growing the mature plants, I like the mystery and challenge of starting new hostas from seeds.

Continue to keep the soil moist but not wet. I put the seeds from each pod into a paper coin envelope labeled with the parent hosta(s), date, etc.

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