Oh Ann!!!!

Some of my smaller seedlings

early 2013 from 'September Sun'


early 2013 from 'Fire Island'


A couple from 2012 from 'Korean Snow'. The leaves may have some ruffling.



early 2013 from 'Lakeside Cranberry Relish

early 2013 from 'Neat Splash' - I have one other, but I think it has too much white and is not likely to survive.


2012 (I think) seedling from 'Salute'


A couple 2013 seedlings from 'Spilt Milk'. The first one appears to have a tiny green margin and the second has some white streaking on one leaf.

Nice!

Nice seedlings Ann. I hope your 'Spilt Milk' seedling keeps the streaking as it matures.

Thanks, Rose. I do to, but if it doesn't I should have quite a few seeds this year. We'll try again.

Love seeing all the seedlings!

So---???
What is the best way of germinating Hosta seeds?
I could do them under lights or as a winter sow?
Or do the seeds need some chilling?

I usually just WS them. Works for me.

I'm am starting some indoors. Have done it this way before. I just get some seedling starting mix. Make certain it is nice and moist. Fill your planting container. Sprinkle on seeds and cover with a little more soil. Water lightly and put in a sealable plastic bad and place where it is nice and warm. I put them on top of the cupboard. Mine are taking about a month to germinate. Then I grow them on in a sunny window or under lights. If you get lots of little plants be prepared to do some culling. I have seedlings of Victory and Silver Star up.

Since our growing season is so short---I think I'll go with the warm start.
But good to know that a WS works too.

What is WS?

winter-sow

http://www.wintersown.org/

I've had reasonable success germinating seeds in a damp paper towel enclosed in a sandwich bag. But one must be careful not to damage roots when planting them. Usually I just put several seeds in soil in small yogurt tubs that I've saved and drilled holes in the bottom. Didn't have much success when I did winter sowing a few years back.

And has anyone tried germinating hosta seed by the moist vermiculite method?
Could be a WS or a warm start?

I grew a bunch of Hostas from seed, they all looked alike, all 'Plain Jane' but I still like them and have made a border using them plus filled in a empty spots with them. They are three years old now.



I for sure will be trying more if any of my hosta make seed pods this year.

They look like seedlings I dug from around the yard. Funny how they all look the same, have they bloomed? What color are the flowers?

Not all hostas have viable seeds, if you see one with pods look it up first so you do not waste your time. If not viable then just leave them on the plant for the birds.

http://mainehosta.com/hosta_se...

I've read somewhere that white pods will not produce viable seeds. Not sure how true that is. I also think there are exceptions. Where do you suggest we look up the viability of the seed? I didn't see it mentioned on the site you shared.

I know I've had very good success with seeds from 'Summer Breeze', 'Last Dance' and likely that whole family.
I've also had good seedlings from 'Touch of Class' (a nice yellow one that I'm watching), from 'Deja Blu' (a nice solid blue that I'm watching), from 'September Sun'. Not so good results, but somewhat uneven from most of the 'June' family. 'Cherry Berry' produces fatal white seedlings, but one never knows when there might be an exception.

virginiarose,
Nope, non of these "Plain Janes" have bloomed, maybe this year. The plants I got the seed from were very large "Plain Janes" also.