I am new to breeding Daylilies and I was wondering approxamently how long it takes from the time of pollination to when seeds are ready to harvest. I have one that was pollinated on June 27 and the top of seed pod is starting to crack slightly, is it ready?

They should be ready if it's cracking open. I always give mine a light squeeze, and if the pod makes a cracking noise, I harvest them. If the top is opening, you better grab them because they can easily fall out.

Thanks Natalie!!

I typed this over an hour ago and didn't hit finished, oops

Hey Paula,

I think you mean pollinate not germinate
Germination is what happens after you plant the seed.

It takes 30-60 days for the pods to ripen, they are all different. Yours are ready if the tops are starting to crack. I usually walk around and pinch my pods to see if the tops will crack slightly and if they do I take the pods.

Exactly what I do too

Thanks Michelle and Cindy!!

So you cant crack them open at will and take the seeds?

I wouldn't. You have to make sure they are ripe. If the pod is turning yellow and brown just gently squeeze it. If it cracks open, they are ready to harvest.

You can crack them open ONLY if they are far enough along. I do different things.

I pinch to see if they crack on their own. (early in harvesting season)

When I'm tired of checking pods every day (late in harvesting season) I take them if I think they are far enough along and crack open myself. Some pods seem to never want to open on their own. I've had some that I know were more than 60 days along but were green as can be with no signs of being ready anytime soon so I took them and the seeds were ready. I've only had a couple that actually weren't ready out of about 1000.

Once you've done this for a little while you'll know when you can and when you cannot do something.

Exactly. You get to know your plants and how their pods mature and when.

I missed some bee pods on 3 Stellas a couple of weeks ago. By the time I noticed that they were there, they had already cracked open and it looks like most of the seeds spilled out. Just what I don't need! I was so worried about the 4 other pods that I have growing that I was paying no attention to the little Stellas! I sure hope I don't get a bunch of babies growing!

Well, since patience isnt one of my virtues....

Has anyone ever noticed that a pod that you've managed to miss or for whatever reason you don't get to it before it does really crack open, it will look like some of the seeds are missing from the pod??? Sure, now, where do the seeds go?? I've looked for years, and have not found the first one on the ground or in my case, in a pot. Those little green men must get them because I darn sure can't ever find any of them. I've found the empty pod that sure looks like it had a bunch of fat seeds in it and nothing nowhere. Any ideas???

I like the little green men theory!

Mona, you are onto something there! I've searched and searched, and can't find the seeds that fell out of the three pods that were on Stella! It will be so much easier looking for little green men! I've no hope of finding those little black seeds in the dark brown mulch! I think I'll leave them cookies, like I always do for Santa, and tell them to help themselves to any Stella seeds that they may find!

I think once the pods split open, the Goldfinches get some of the seeds. Never saw one sitting on a pod that was not split. The goldfinches like my flower beds. I leave a lot of coneflower seed heads, and lots of other plants for them, so I can't blame them!

The only plant I have ever had that spewed seeds and they grew is Stella.

I know the goldfinches love to eat my catnip seeds. As soon as the catnup starts seeding they are all over it, so are the purple finches.

I've never seen a goldfinch sitting on one of my daylilies. It's probably because I've got so many other flowers that I save for them. This year, it's lawn weeds that they are really enjoying. I'd like to say that that wasn't really happening, but my lawn is torn up bad from the dogs this year, and about the only thing thriving are the weeds and the birds.

Juli, did the Stella seedlings turn out nice? I'm really worried about not finding the seeds! The clump of Stella is right in the middle of my good daylilies. I didn't move them when I was redoing that bed because I couldn't remember what they were. Now that I know what they are, they are getting moved to the front yard, or down the street maybe, and those darn seeds are somewhere!

I have heard that Stella reseeds so easily, that few people actually have the actual Stella. Between tissue culture and seedlings

My experience is when Stella sets seed with itself, the resulting seedlings look just like Stella. But, some of them did not rebloom, or bloomed in the foliage.

I figured they were seedlings because the were several inches from the clump, and none of the roots were intermixed, or connected.

I went out last night and had another look. I don't know why I was worried. Those little Stellas are right in the middle of all my good daylilies, but if a seedling does pop up, I suspect that I'll be able to tell which one it is, just by the foliage. All of the good daylilies in there have really large foliage in comparison to Stella. Not that a Stella seedling couldn't do something weird, but I'm no longer worried about finding the seeds. With this heat, they would have cooked by now anyway!