Babies - well Baby! Now what?

20 years ago

Hope you understand my need to tell someone! I planted hellebore seeds (about 45 of them from Thompson & Morgan) for the first time in July 2003 and today I finally found one uncurling just above the soil...my husband's in France but he doesn't get excited about these things anyway and the kids just roll their eyes! thank heavens none of them was home to see me dancing round the garage where I have had the seeds for a while as they weren't doing anything in the basement.

I planted the seeds in peat pellets and put them in a tray with a clear dome. Now what do I do with the one that is growing?

I do have lights set up in the basement. Should I put the pellet (without the plastic casing) in a 3 1/2" pot with a growing medium, put that in a tray with a domed cover and place under lights? Repeating the process for each seed that germinates?

I have some more seeds, and I will be planting them, per the many suggestions I found in this forum, AFTER I made my first attempts. Perhaps I'll have more, and quicker, success.

I fell in love with hellebores while I was living in England, it almost did me in having to wait to grow them till we came back here - the nurseries over there are to die for! I would go off on day trips with nursery addresses as my destination - my family didn't understand but I saw some wonderful things! Oh and the gardens I saw...thank heavens for my digital camera - at least I can get a sense of the wonders! (Sorry - I get carried away sometimes - the gardening bug struck me late and I've got a lot of catching up to do!

Anyway, your thoughts on my new little baby would be most helpful! Thanks Wacky Jakki

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Comments (5)

Terry_NY
20 years ago
Hi Jakki!
We can all fully understand your excitement. I learned from the many postings that hellebores grow root system more than the plant you see, so a good size (deep) pot is what you need. You may consider a large one. When you transplant make sure you handle only by the leaf as you will kill the plant if you handle by the stem. Someone else with far more exerience than mine could tell you about putting them under lights. You may be getting your germination starting because they have cycled through a warm/cold period and as it warms up more you will get more seeds germinating. With the little experience I have I would say to leave them where they are and as the weather warms up you can put the pots out in a protected spot over summer. Depending on how large they grow and how severe your winters are in your part of CT, you may either bring them back in to the basement for another winter or plant out in the garden in fall.

Congratulations and keep dancing!
Terry
morz8 - Washington Coast
20 years ago
Hi Jakki....I understand your excitement too....

When my first seedling from my Elizabeth Town seeds appeared last year I did the same dance. We went to a retirement party that same night and I'm sure I bored everyone there with news of my tiny hellebore; looking back I don't think any of them were gardeners...

I wish I knew to tell you what to do with it/them, but my climate is so much milder mine germinate uncovered in pots outdoors. I potted mine individually when about 3-4 weeks had passed without any further germination; in the deeper seed pots, they separated easily.
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goswimmin
20 years ago
I would wait till you get your second set of leaves before you transplant them.
I live in zone 7, so I am not sure what to do with yours, but there are lots of people on here from zones similar to yours that will help out I am sure.
Have fun!!!
Mary
Greenmanplants
20 years ago
Wait at least a month and see how many more you get, let them get to first proper leaf size before attempting anything, they'll have about 4" of root by then. Prick them out taking care not to damage the stem, ie handle by leaves only and pot them up making sure the root is pointing downwards in the hole. Deep pots or in open garden in deep rih soil, moisture retentive but not wet.

In the meantime, you can keep them out but put them somewhere sheltered to avoid the worst of the weather, I wouldn't bring them in unless to a cold, very well daylight lit spot, in the warmth they will grow soft in too dark they will grow leggy, either way they will become doubly susceptible to stem damage when you prick them out. A cold frame is ideal if you have one, if not...in a shettered spot.

See the chain on "How do you grow your Hellebore seed", there are lots of good ways, and pitfalls to avoid, plenty of advice there. Above all, enjoy them, I suspect these are the first of many.

Cheers Greenmanplants.
woadwoman
20 years ago
Dear Jakki,

Congratulations on the new arrival! And I hope you have many more seedlings by now.

Isn't it wonderful to find such happiness in little things?

Maybe when your family sees all the beautiful flowers that you will have, they will be more excited. And, if not, there's always us!

Best,
Elizabeth