The Hosta Seed Growers group is a group you have to get a password to see the contents. . To keep the site safe and spammers out. The site gets alot of robots trying to join in each day.

Please contact one of the members if you have trouble getting in. At one time I got an email from someone who didnt get an email back from the site, to get a password

If you need a contact person to get ahold of please email me.

Dont remember who is was. If that person could email me again. I will try and help.

Lots of photos and info on the HSG's site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Seed Growers forum

I tried a new method this year, using open-pollinated seed. I sowed them in November in flats. The flats are now outside under the snow. I figure if hosta will self-sow through the gardens, then this method will work.
If the seeds don't germinate, I'm not out much in time or materials.
I'll be curious in spring to see what my germination rates are.
I have done this successfully with lots of perennials.

I just purchased some seeds from a couple of streaked plants on e-bay last night, Ice Age Trail and Sharon's Choice. I also am looking at others on there too. I told my DW she could get me a couple of 72 cell germination stations on amazon for Christmas. One for Hostas and the other for garden plants.

The former AHS president Doug Beilstein sells seeds for little money at his website hostaworks.com.

There will possibly be more hosta seeds available on the American Hosta Society Auction coming up in Jan. or Feb.

Also First Look Auction will possibly have hosta seeds too!

bernd-thanks for the link, I will definitely be buying some seeds from him next year. I am going to see if my Grandfather would like to start some seeds in his house this year. He has been talking about filling in the places under his trees with Hostas. I should have 50-75 seeds coming for this winter and I only paid $9 with shipping, although my FIL just told me he would make room in their basement for me.

'He has been talking about filling in the places under his trees with Hostas'.

Excellent enabling, Devon. Sounds like your Grandfather may be a Hostaholic in the near future. : )

Don B.

Yes, Don, he is a little, but he has Orchids on his brain, it is nothing for him to spend over a $100 for one he really wants and he has a 12' x 20' greenhouse filled with them. He is 87 and has some that he says he may never see bloom, because it may be 3-5 years before they do. He also has one of he largest clomps of Guacamole growing up against his house that I have personally seen. He is also really into the minis.

Well. I couldn't wait until next year to buy seeds from Doug Beilstein, I went ahead and order 4 different kinds. I will have 2-72 cell trays full of seedlings started after the first of the year. As far as the enabling goes, I am definitely passing it on, we are getting my GF a 72 cell starter kit for Christmas and I am going to share the seeds from the 7 varieties that I have now purchased.

Our local W-M has 4 packs of CFLs on sale, 60W equivalent for $1.88. They put out almost as many lumens as a regular tube light. I have been changing all my old CFLs for these daylights, it makes a world of difference going from a yellow hued light to white.

after almost a month I have 1 single seedling come up..there from a streaked parent so I hope it shows somthing good

Mike, most of my streaked seedlings came up between 1 and 2 weeks, 90% germination, mostly 1/4 or more streaked. But 'Outrageous' came up after 3 weeks, 50% germination, so there is hope for you. That is at 80 dgrs and high humidity in a seed tray with closed dome, sprayed with a mist with a little fungicide every day. Seeds kept in a refrigerator or freezer in a paper envelope and then in a plastic bag germinate fine. I bought some 2 years ago which germinated poorly, were probably old and/or dried up. This year I used seeds from my own crosses and from Dan. One envelope I bought. Now I will plant the seeds from the recent auction. Bernd

Here is my little grow room I built for next to nothing, thanks to my FIL being a pack rat. All of the foil backed insulation board was scrap pieces from my FILs barn. The light hood I built for $12.00. I installed a box with a double outlet and a dimmer switch to control the heat pad temps. In total it is 4' x 16" x 16" on the inside. I have two 72 cell trays full of seeds. I am using 4 75W CFL sunlight bulbs. My DW helped me get them all started yesterday while the kids where napping.

smith, make sure that you monitor the actual temperature on the soil. I use aquarium thermometers which you can buy at Walmart i.e.. The temperature at soil level should be between 76 and 80 dgrs. You are exposing the seeds to several heat sources, that is the heating pad and the four fluorescent light bulbs of 4x75=300 W, In case you overheat the seeds you have to vary the setup. The heating pad and the bulbs might cook your seeds, if the growing chamber is fully closed.

I.e. I had started an extra setup of half a tray (20x5 inch) for seeds I recently got, put it under a single 4ft shop light of 40 W, added a heating pad. That in one setup created 85 dgrs. So I placed 1/2 inch plywood between the heating pad and the tray, moved the light bulb 2 inch above the dome, and now have 78 dgrs. That setup has no enclosure now.

In my main setup I have two 20x10 trays with 4+ leaf seedlings under domes. There is no heating pad, I have one shoplight with two 40W fluorescent bulbs 1 inch above the domes. Note that I only put 80 W into it, yours is perhaps 5 times as much. The setup is enclosed on 2 sides by walls, the other 2 sides with corrugated cardboard sheets covered with aluminum foil, there is some natural ventilation. Soil temperature is 78 dgrs. Room temperature is 61 dgrs. I can move the shoplight up/down via 2 chains.

After your seeds have germinated you have to experiment with the lights for growing the seedlings. 40 W fluorescent light bulbs should be about 1 inch above leaves or domes. You have 4 light bulbs which might not have even lighting as these long shop light type bulbs have. A shop light with 2 light bulbs at Home Depot costs around $20, aquarium thermometers cost perhaps $3 at W.
Good luck! Bernd

I have an indoor/outdoor thermometer in the enclosure. I ran the wire for the outside between the mat and the tray.

I ran it for a couple of days before I put seeds in it to make sure my temps were staying consistent. I have been able to keep it between 85 and 95. I have an exhaust fan running at all times and 3 slots in the front bottom to provide the same amount of air in as what is taken out. With all the lights on, it stays about 87.

MikeT, It took many of mine a month to come up last year. It may have been older seed that had to rehydrate before sprouting or it may be that we keep our house quite cold so it just took longer. I still got many hostas including a couple streaked ones, that I kept.

Beverly

Smith, you are measuring air temperature in there which would be accurate when you heat with lights. But when you also heat with a heating pad, the temperature at the soil surface and roots would be different. I put these aquarium thermometers horizontally on the surface to measure temperature there. 85 to 95 is much too high.

Mike, did you always spray the seeds? Was your surface temp around 78 dgrs, not 90? I have the medium soaked with water and still spray the surface daily. I planted about 250 to 300 seeds, and have left over now 100+ good streaked seedlings, just counted them. I had bought one pack of 25+ streaked seeds which produced only 2 not so good seedlings, and they are very slow to grow, so there is variability. I am not an expert, but this is now my 3rd year growing streakers, this year hybrids. Bernd

Once I figured my total wattage used I am not up very high. With everything running at full I am only using about 90W. I changed the 75W lights out for 60W equivalents, using 14W each and the mats are 17W a piece. The mats are on a dimmer and it is set to about 1/4 output, so I am probably closer to 65W total usage. I am only using about $0.11 daily to run it. With the 60W bulbs and adding two more vents to the sides, I can easily maintain high 70's inside with it closed up.

try to replicate.. the weather when hosta sprout outdoors ... replicate nature ...

so.. i would offer.. that they sprout long before 90 degrees ... and what you get with heat to high.. is soil problems ... molds.. mildews .. damp off.. etc .... BTW.. did you sterilize your media prior to use????

i suspect... as time goes by.. you are way to warm.. if not down right hot ...

i am talking about when you have plants.. not germination ...

i doubt you will need it to be fully enclosed.. down the line ... unless its to keep the kids away ....

listen to me.. whatever works works.. and i am just giving you observation of things that cross my mind ... not that i am the be all and end all of your project ...

if you dont get more germination in the next week.. call up doug B and tell him ken marek told him to send you more seed ... but offer to pay postage ...

as an aside... did you know.. that extreme heat... make bees lazy [actually its to hot for them to fly around, not to mention the flowers themselves might not be receptive when they finally get to the flower] ... and though pods form.. the seed may not be viable .... did you clean your seed.. and actually note hard seed kernels????

you know.. they grow in the cracks of driveways .... your setup is sublime ... but might be overkill on some level .... think about your variables.. and simplify .... after all.. they arent orchids.. lol .. [i think of orchids as semitropical ... as compared to driveway plants ....so a growing chamber comparing between the two types .... would be wildly different]

ken

ps: is there any protection for the dresser.. should water get on such ....oh man.. are you living my prior life????... a seed hut.. and a stack of diapers???? next to it next to it.. lol .. what a hoot ... been there.. done that ... listen kid.. i love you dearly.. but we are growing hosta in your room ... lol ...

I actually did sterilize my media, twice!

The first time, when I thought I was going to be receiving my germination stations from a company on Amazon within a couple of days of ordering and wouldn't you know, they only sent two 72 cell trays and the order slip said that it was complete. After a little research about the company, it looked like they did this kind of thing to others. So, needless to say, I got my money back and ordered them from Amazon Prime. That all took two weeks and I thought I should sterilize my media again, just to be on the safe side.

I am not sure how accurate my outdoor thermometer is that I am using, though. To the touch it doesn't feel like it should be close to 90 degrees and I haven't had that since I changed to 60W bulbs. Once we get back to what was normal, before the 11" of snow, -11 degree temps and the loss of electricity for 12 hours, I am going to get some of those aquarium thermometers.

All in all, I am pretty happy with my set up. I am planning on leaving it open as much as is possible, after all the advice from here and the seed growers forum I have received.

Ken, I really do look forward to your advice. It also always makes me feel like I know what I am doing when I have already done some of the things you have suggested, sterilize the soil, sort the seeds...and also thank you for lending me your name for getting replacement seeds, if need be. What is the time frame for seeds to germinate? I got them started on Jan. 3.

Bernd, thank you for all of your advice and the knowledge of Hosta Works.

Something funny happened the other day. I stopped by the library on Saturday to pick up the Hostas Encyclopedia that they had on hold for me. I had our daughter, Lucy, with me and didn't want to spend the day there, because we were heading to my parents house, so I ran in and picked it up and when I got back in the truck, she wanted to see what I got and after she looked through it briefly she proclaimed I got a book for her and I, because she likes Hostas too. Then later that night, as she was leafing through it, she would ask if I had certain ones, if I said no, she would tell me I need to get it and she was tickled pink to find one that had her name in it.

p.s. the kid remark, always cracks me up, I am actually 41 and with the life my DW and I have had in the last 2.5 years with our youngest, I feel more like 61 and am looking more like Santa every day, as far as the white hair goes!

... listen kid.. i love you dearly.. but we are growing hosta in your room ... lol ...

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!

Don B.

Smith, 41 year old with a 2.5 year old kid, that's normal! You will survive it. We are 74 and 69 and have an active 10 yr old boy living with us. But he keeps us young, and I am still able to grow 100 hosta seedlings in our basement, plus he became a gardener too. Continue to have fun! Bernd

On a really good note, I have been able to keep the temps around 78, even during our 15 hour power outage!

Don-that made me laugh out loud when I read it too!

Bernd-Our life is anything but normal, because Dravet Syndrome sucks!!! I try to make it as close as possible, though and I tell my wife all the time that if Logan is never able to go out and get a real job, he will just have to work for me, growing Hostas. I already have our daughter hooked and she is only 4.

overkill on the sterilization ... i do it once... in the oven.. dollar store alum turkey pan ... filled over the top with damp media ... covered like a jiffy pop .... couple holes poked in the top ... take it out as soon as it steams ... left under the plant stand for two years.. using what i needed for up-potting ... etc ...

germination of good seed ... should be 7 to 10 days.. as long as a month ...

i am thinking that much heat will kill babes ... its usually a water issue ... one day sopping wet.. then life gets in the way for a day or two.. and they go bone dry ...

i dont understand the reflectors .... it serves two purposed.. increase light ... which is good .. but basically.. you have created an oven ... and that has potential to be not good .... i think ... i started.. tenting in plastic.. with the ballasts inside.. and ended up rigging it.. so the lights were inside.. but the ballast outside.. and moderated temps that way .... many ways to do it ...

the seeds do NOT need light to germ ... but the warmth .. 24/7 helps ... i had some trouble with the furnace kicking down at might.. so soil temps were good during the day.. and soggy cold at night [soggy cold is real bad] .. so i ran the lights at night ... but there was no kid sleeping in the room by that time.. the stand was in the basement ...

doug is a good guy .. i was state of the art.. in 95 or so ... doug and ron livingston/stuart asch... made pilgrimages to see my set up .... and a few others... they actually ran with the ball.. and made money off of it all .... i lost interest ... due to the time investment ... re: kids and all ... [is doug still pres of the AHS???]

it was suggested .. god knows by who ... 16 hours on.. 8 off.. with one on/off cycle during the off cycle ... confuses the plnat into thinking the lights are on 24/7 .... this is easy with a basic timer .... i think the flash cycle was 15 mins or so .. nothign fancy on my timer.. dont think i mean it has to flash off/on ...

when the plants get to about an inch big.. time to pot them into 6 oz solo cups .... and when the roots get to the bottom of those.. up to an 8 oz cup ... then 16 oz.. if you planted way to early .... as you can imagine.. if you are wildly successful ... you will outgrow your chamber rather quickly ... FORCING you to cull plain old green babes.. which led me to one of my obscure sayings.. fear your success ... lol ...

once germinated.. i used about 1/4 teaspoon of generic water fert per gallon of water.. and used that all the time... with kids you have enough gallon milk jugs ... 10% bleach ... wash out 2 or 3 ... fill with water.. and ALWAYS use it room temp ... cycling thru the 3 of them .... letting tap water stand is always good.. plants dont need fluoride nor chlorine.. and it off gasses standing around ...

coffee is kicking in.. i dont recall your question .. lol.. and i am not sure that i answered it.. and my eyeballs are vibrating.. lol ... so this is it for now ....

ken

ps:.. from memory.. in the great green room .. there was .... aaaaaa .. and aaaa .. and a cow jumping over the moon ... [but now there are hosta in the room ...lol]

Here is a link that might be useful: very important link ....

In a couple of months you might have some that look like this.

Steve

Steve-If only I can be so lucky as to have that kind of success on my first try at this.

I added another fan for exhaust and am much happier with my temperatures now. It is keep the air temps to 75 and my soil temps around 77. I took the domes off because I was getting some white fuzzys in a couple of cells. I figured in nature there are no domes. I am just checking them a few times a day, so they don't go completely dry. Now as long as I don't have to spend any extended amount of time away from the house.

Ken-we actually have that book.

of course you have the book.. the question is.. do you have it memorized yet.. lol ...

white fuzzies means you didnt sterilize the media ... or not well enough ...

when you up pot.. DO SO!!! ...

with all the ABC post activity .. this falls down the list quite fast.. if you ever ask a question ... and dont get an answer.. use my members page to send me a link back to this topic.. so i can see it ...

yes... one of the reasons i quit seeds.. was the fact 5.. that prekids.. we actually went tropic some time in winter.. and i couldnt get anyone to water a couple hundred plants... lol ...

ken

I buy pre-sterilized (all are) seed starting mixes and add some Perlite to it. They sell these at nurseries now, HD did not have it yet. I reuse seed starting trays and cell packs, but soak and wash those in a 10% bleach solution. For good measure I put a little fungicide (Captan) into the water which I use to soak the seed starting mix with and spray the seeds with. I only had mold when I used bone meal on top, which was wrong because it is not sterilized. For fertilizer I use 1/4 strength tomato fertilizer after seedlings had 2 leaves. Bernd

I used bone meal too! I think I read that on the Hosta library somewhere, to sprinkle a little on the seeds. I know I sterilized my media well. I have Captan for after they sprout. Is it safe to use before they do?

Another thought: white fuzzies can be from seed that is not cleaned well even if the soil is sterile. Check to see if its the soil, bone meal or seed that is causing the fuzzy. If the seed is fuzzy and and you have plenty remove the fuzzy one so it doesn't spread.

3 years ago I sprinkled bone meal on the soil and seeds and had white mold. I read that same reference, but someone on the Hosta Seed Growers Forum wrote that she puts bone meal into the middle of the soil instead. I tried to buy steril bone meal and could not find it. Someone should fix that writeup.
I always mix a little bit of Captan on one tine of a plastic fork with the water in a small spray bottle, also before germination, never had any mold, except above.

Where is the write up of sprinkling bonemeal on the top of the soiless mix?

I do used bonemeal, but only in the middle of the pot when up cupping seedlings that have 3-4 leaves. Not when I sow seeds.

It is towards the bottom of the page

Here is a link that might be useful: Bone Meal

Oh the bonemeal line is on an article in the Hosta Library. Thought it was in the HSG's forum.

It looks like an article By Bill Nash quite a few years back.

I have actually been able to control the white fuzzies. I took the domes off and added another exhaust fan. Keeping air temps around 78, top soil temps 75, and heat mats 80. I have had to spray water the tops a couple of times a day, though, but no fuzz in the past two days. The way I have the air intakes, it pulls it across the trays and circulates inside the enclosure. Now, if I actually get some sprouts, I will be a very happy camper!

Trudy, that writeup is from Bill Nash. And my comment about putting bone meal into the middle of the pot I think I got from you at the Hosta Seed Growers Forum when I asked how to cope with white fungus my seeds experienced. No doubt there is a benefit of using bone meal on most plants.
don_r copied Bill Nash's article with that advice in his Hosta Hybridizer's Manual.
Bernd

As with any article it is meant to be a suggestion.

Everyone's experiences in seed growing of any type are different, so are the growing conditions.

I just couldn't help myself, I had to see if anything was happening, so I uncovered one of my seeds. I was hoping that I wasn't having a total failure, since I have been learning so much, after I planted.

luckily, there is a little root started on the one I uncovered.

That makes me feel better.

I officially have some growth going on, so it is not a total failure! Temps are staying below 78, got good air circulation and plenty of light.

Hi Bernd,

I just want to clarify...Bill Nash's article is included in the Hosta Hybridizer's Manual along with many others by various authors. Bill offers some good practical advice on growing hosta seedlings. However, I don't personally recommend using bone meal on hosta seedlings. From what I've seen, it's too easy to burn the roots right off those little seedlings when bone meal is applied. Perhaps other hybridizers have used bone meal successfully and can testify to the positive benefits which have resulted. Feel free to chime right in...

By the way, I've donated a copy of the Hosta Hybridizer's Manual to the American Hosta Society auction, so it's available to the highest bidder. A very practical and helpful resource for anyone who is interested in growing hosta seedlings...

American Hosta Society online auction is here.

The Hosta Hybridizer's Manual is here.

Hi Don, I do not want to criticize here anyone. I actually liked Bill Nash's article a lot, learned from it. Thanks for your Hybrizer Manual, read it also twice. I am now set in my rules in growing seedlings and hybridizing on a very small scale. In respect to fertilizing seedlings, I only use a little tomato fertilizer and plants grow nicely. I should use more bone meal outside in my garden though.
Bernd

oh crikey peeps ... i will yell

THEY GROW IN CRACKS IN THE DRIVEWAY ....

why in the heck you would waste money .. time.. and effort.. on going all foo foo.. and adding things like bone meal.. is beyond me ...

bernd ... no problem with reusing media... but i recommend simply sterilization in the oven or microwave over adding chemicals ... why expose yourself... using chems as a wash rinse????

bill nash .. gotta love him.. is a rebel ... and he will try anything ... good for him ... but i would take anything with a grain of salt.. as to whether it is necessary.. or requisite.. rather than one of his experiments... surely.. whatever works.. works..

but what i have found.. is when you reduce your variables to A,B,C .... such as light, temp and water ... you can make the process so easy;.. and repeatable.. that it is fun ...

when you start adding.. topic A, subsect 1, indent sub 3a .... you are making it all so complicated ... and adding so many variables.. that you are making it all to easy.. to screw up one of the variables.. causing problems ...

bernd again ... i cant find a link.. but i think bone meal is made super steaming bone ... and then crushing it ... one might suggest that the production itself is a sterilization process ... hence the reason.. you couldnt find sterilized BM ... crikey.. lol ... i flashed back to being a kid ...

as always.. whatever works works ... just dont make your life too complicated ...

ken

'Foo foo...' Heh heh heh...

Don B.

I agree! My process is simple too. Buy sterilized starting mix and add a little fungicide and lateron tomato fertilizer to the water. Seeds and seedlings then grow by themselves.
Bernd

Let me get this out of the way first...I love going all foo, foo! Sometimes the more foo, foo, the better! Sometimes I have so much foo, foo I get sick from it, then I don't want any more foo, foo for a long time!

There I said it!

Now, let me just say, next time will be a lot easier! I have A, B & C down pat and I won't be adding any extras to the equation. My problem was I read the Bill Nash article first and went down that path.

I just want to say thanks to all for opening my eyes to the actual ease of growing hosta seeds.

and here is the first one to emerge and I have decided I am going to keep it, no matter what it looks like

Congratulation, that's a good start of a seedling, all roots are inside the medium. Lateron you will have a forest of seedlings. First it is slow, and 2 months later they start to get too big. Bernd

should i mention.. that you are using some great POTTING MEDIA for growing your seeds ...

did you consider... or even know.. there is actually seed starting medias ...

and that might be the root of having to water your media 3 or 4 times per day ...

seed media is finer ground .. this is a next year variable ...

that said.. they are hosta.. grow the seeds in the driveway cracks next time ...

did you get the FOO out of your system.. lol ...

also ... if your 'oven' is pulling all the water.. out of your media.. due to high heat ... what about adding a cup of water .... so that it is pulled into the air.. rather than out of your media ...

you are going to have a big problem.. with needing to water.. every 8 hours... should you wish to go somewhere overnight.. or some emergency ... you need to even out the water need ... w/o screwing up your success...

finally.. is the ballast or fixture of your light inside the oven.. if so.. you can reduce heat by figuring out.. how to get it outside the structure ...

ken

I have definitely got the foo out of my system for this project. Now that I have some popping up, I am rethinking my lighting. I am going to work on 4' bulbs with the ballast on the outside of my oven.

What you are seeing for media is not what I started with, that is just the top layer that I covered my seeds with when I seen some roots starting. It seemed that the seeds had floated to the top and I thought they needed to be covered, so I used what I had at the time. The majority of the mix is peat, perlite and bark fines at 5:1:1. I probably didn't need or should have used bark fines, but it has been a learn as I go kind of thing. I now have a bag of actual seed starting mix for future use.

As far as going overnight anywhere, I haven't been away from the house or my kids for more than 6 hours at a time in the past 2.5 years, unless I have been in PICU with the boy. Luckily my in-laws live no more than 60' away and our daughter stays with them when that happens, so I have someone to keep an eye on them for me.

Currently I could go every 12 hours on watering, but I enjoy looking in on them. It is a very relaxing and rewarding hobby.

I just wish I would have started this thread before I started my seeds!

Caution about using bone meal outdoors ---- if you have a dog/dogs, they absolutely will dig anywhere you put bone meal.

They will also do with if you use a organic fertilizer.

You should name that first seedling 'Foo Foo' Devon. So you'll always remember this thread. : )

Don B.

Don-that's a great idea, especially since it is from the bonus pack I received from Hostaworks, so I don't know what they came from.

Here is a pic from today

and I now have about 30 up!