Seeds from Trudy and Reldon are already in the cups and on the heat mat. Pretty soon they'll look like these guys.

One of my Epsom Derby seedlings crossed with Stingray.

Steve

they do NOT need cold treatment ...

so there is no reason to put them in the freezer ..

but they remain viable thru my z5 winter. so i doubt it will hurt them ... just not necessary ...

i am missing why those growing in your yard ... would fail due to your heat ... though i did NOT read whatever article you are referring to ...

i do know.. that high heat.. makes the bees and the plant lazy [i think the pollen doesnt mature properly] ... and that you will get a failure.. in the pod.. of seed to develop ... but i find it hard to believe.. once made.. that your heat .. would be enough to sterilize a viable seed ... i mean really ... though you are in z9 AL ... it isnt the glovebox of a sealed car in august on a blacktop for 8 hours .... or the surface of the sun ...

but what do i know .. well.. nothing about doing this in AL .. lol ..

ken

ps: they have found viable seed near the pyramid.. i think hops.. and it sprouted 3000 years later.. and you aint egypt ... lol ... and hops aint hosta ...

Any streaker seedlings you should start as soon as possible because they will take a long time to grow. I had mine on a heating mat at 80 degrees, reached that by placing a plywood piece between mat and tray. They germinated in 1 week.
Without a heat mat you can also put a shop light with two fluorescent bulbs just above the dome, that brings 76 degrees on the surface. After germination you would turn off the heat mat anyway and place the tray under light.

I also received H 'Gone Fishin' seeds from Trudy, thanks. I am waiting for one seed pack from Jeff Miller.
Good luck! Bernd

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Wed, Dec 12, 12 at 8:20

So I will need a heat mat. How thick was your plywood, Bernd?
I have all the starting medium and some cups but my cups do not look like Steve's. What kind of cups are those Steve?
And how many holes do you punch in the bottom or sides. I think I'll choose to perf the vertical portion of the bottom to make sure nothing gets blocked from draining.

This has gotta be a big adventure.

And Ken, any time you feel the urge to GO SOUTH, just find your way to I-65 and keep on truckin/ until you reach I-10 East. On I-10 going East, get off at the next exit going SOUTH on AL-163 (aka Dauphin Island Parkway), roll down your window and holler for me. I can probably hear you, since I am about a mile from that point. I'm going to redo the guest room when we have the kitchen and floors and roof redone, so you'll be welcome any time.

I'll look up that paper on AHS Journal online and reference it for you. I would prefer my own home-grown baby hosta, but if it is too difficult, then adopting is okay.

Moccasin, my DH and I went through your neck of the woods a few years back while traveling from Pensacola to Biloxi. Along the way we stopped and toured the USS Alabama. That was before Katrina. Old battleships are so interesting.

Deb

moccasin, I have my 2 trays under one shop light in the basement with room temperature at 65. This little setup is between two plywood shelves. I had placed the first tray initially directly on the heat mat and surface temperature of mix (under dome) was around 82. So I put a 1/2 thick piece of plywood between mat and tray, and temperature went to 80.

But now with the second tray I did not bother with the heat mat, simply put the domed tray under the light, propped up by another piece of plywood to reach the light, and temperature is steady at 78 degrees, good for germination of 'Gone Fishin' in a week or so.
Bernd

Glad everyone is liking there seed packets! Good luck to everyone.......
Good looking seedlings, Steve!
On growing tips check out the Hosta Seed Growers site, lots of good info and photos.

I have known a few hosta seed growers how have over cooked seeds using a heat mat. I would advise against using one. Many growers grow hosta seeds very well without a heat mat.
Interesting Bernd, using plywood.

Also steer clear of using styrofoam, as the moisture is difficult to control. Plastic cups are much better if you want to use cups for growing hosta seed.

Here is a peek into my trays.

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

do you have any real clue.. where you are going with this.. or are you just going to wing the whole thing.. lol ...

there is a link at the hosta library main page.. bob did a big thing on seed growing..

you do NOT need a heat mat ... it sure helps up north here.. where my house goes down to 65 at night ...

i am sure you know how to grow random seeds.. you spread them on the soil.. and when the soil get around 70.. things start growing..

if for 16 hours of a MI day.. the soil in the tray is 65 degrees.. then it will take longer to germinate.. that is all the heat mat is about ... is your house ever 65 in z9 all ?? .. i ran the heat mat at night.. when the heat kicked down ...

regardless.. beer making/hydroponics stores sell a mat for germinating hops or barley ... i think.. 72 degree mat ... wafer thin.... you do NOT need to spend extra for one with a thermostat ... see link .. fitty bucks

6 oz solo.. use a razor to cut the bottom edge.. you will NEVER punch or drill into those cups..a i tried a million ways.. and simply destroyed a lot of cups.. lol .. didnt i tell you this??

pix of solo cups below

ken
the heat mat is actually below the bottom shelf .. pix are dated 1/25 .. and note the transplant size ... 4 leaf.. little finger sized ... i remember.. these size cups from the dentist office ... you will find them in the cup aisle at the store ... and on the 2nd pic.. KV daddy cup.. the edge has been cut at 7 o'clock .. and you can see it on a few others ...

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Here is a link that might be useful: link

I think the attached link to Hosta Seed Growing per the Hosta Library page is what Ken meant.
One comment to bone meal. One other article, more about Hybridizing, mentions that it is good to dust the surface with bone meal, which is fine when you can find sterilized bone meal. I found some non-sterilized bone meal at Home Depot, spread it not knowing better, that then led to a fungus on the surface, not good.
Bernd

Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta Seed Growing

FYI.....Many seed growers have had mold/fungus problems when sprinkling bone meal on top of the soiless mix.

An easy way to cut holes in the bottom of a plastic cup is to use nippers from Dollar Tree. Cut at least three holes in the cups.

exactly trudy ... perfect picture ... i bet a single edged razor blade is easier.. but whatever works ..

in a perfect world.. you should be up-potting every 6 weeks.. if your plants are growing vigorous enough to need such ...

tray ==> to 6 solo ===>> to 8 oz solo ===>> to 16 oz solo ... [better have culled out a lot of them when you are filling large 16 oz cups ... space too becomes an issue]

bare rooting and fresh soil each time..

1/4 teaspoon to gal of water of water sol fert at each watering ...

bernie.. there is no reason to amend potting media.. since it is never around long enough to decay ...

and as you noted.. once you add things to a sterile potting media ... life gets hard ... see link for sterilizing media .. as you really dont want fungus gnats in jan/feb ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

great to your seeds arrived. No matter what method you use to get them growing just remember to have fun and enjoy this wholesome hobby.

Jeff

The last HSG Auction win arrived Friday. It was the LOTG seeds of H. 'Old Rough House' crossed with H. 'Empress WU'
It stated in the auction description the objective was to wind up with a bigger 'Old Rough House'....

...and my objective was to finally get some part of an Empress WU in my garden. I look forward to having the seeds show their stuff next year!

Looking forward to seeing your seedlings....maybe you will be one who calls them 'Babies' alot of folks do.
Not me. They are seedlings to me.

Also wanted to mention the DB seeds I sent to Mocassin were seeds from an OP seedling of DB. OS DB no pods this year. Maybe next year.

Have fun everyone when growing the hosta seeds.
Question, check out the Hosta Seed Growers Fourm.

Up potting every six weeks......
So if I put them in the little pots tomorrow, at the end of January I'd be up potting at least some of them.

I considered that I wasted a lot of nursery trays and pots taking them back to my local nursery, but now I realize that is NOT the route to go, with used supplies. Just as well I cleared out those items, and now have more space to line up my trays of fresh seeds.

Actually, I'll be taking many of my questions to the HSG Forum, until they need a break, then I'll post here for a while. You folks are accustomed to newbies such as moi who manage to hang around for a whole year and not kill every hosta purchased.

I always have contended that "Ignorance is bliss," and things don't go wrong until you know better.