Hallson Gardens

I have never grown hosta from seed before, and would like to give it a try, but have no clue how to go about it. Several of my hostas have produced seed pods this year. When and how do I harvest the seed? Do the seeds need to be started indoors? If I just leave the pods on the plants, what are the chances of them self-seeding? Hope I don't sound as clueless as I feel. Thanks for any tips.

Hello Gloria. I'm fairly new to hosta seeds myself but I did sprout and grow some seeds last year. There is some good information at http://www.hostalibrary.org/hyb/index.html . You sort of have to read through it to find the parts you want since it's directed at people who want to hybridize.
I know that some people get volunteers that have self seeded but I don't know if that works as well as planting them yourself.

MollyD

If you sow them in October, under lights, you'll have pretty nice sized seedling plants by planting-out time in May. (About the size of a one year old nursery plant.) Sowing outside, in the ground, takes a lot longer -- probably it'll be the third year before you'd have a plant the size of your October-May seedling. There is a site with detailed directions for growing from seed, but I don't know where it is. Maybe someone else remembers how to find it. Phyllis

Read the FAQ post and it was very detailed! One question: Do you need the special grow-bulbs or is an ordinary light from a lamp enough? I'm thinking of just trying a six-pack of seeds the first time to see how it goes.

I used shop lights w/ a 40W flourescent bulb, I think.

ademink wrote:I used shop lights w/ a 40W flourescent bulb, I think.

Ditto for me...it works the best I have found.

Thanks everyone, for your tips. I will give it a shot this winter. My Komodo Dragon, Great Expectations, Gold Drop, Gold Edger, and Frances Williams all have pods this year.

Gloria,
growing hosta seed is an enjoyable hobby for the winter months.
If you are looking for more information you can checkout my website to see a few methods and ideas from hybridizers.

good luck and happy growing, hostarod

I've grown hostas from seed for two years now, thanks to all the advice here, and it really is a nice diversion in Winter. It's fun to see what comes up!

If you try just a six-pack, one thing to remember is that you won't usually get 100% germination - not every seed will sprout. So if you just do six, you might want to double up and put a couple of seeds in each cell. That way you'll have a better chance of getting six.

Matt

I agree that it is great to grow seedlings in the winter. Gives me a bit of springtime inside when it is too cold to go outside. Plus it is a blast to watch them grow. Another good thing is that by starting them inside under lights you can more or less force them to grow faster. Get a years growth in just a couple of months!
Art