If neither of those are possible, you can rig or buy a light system and grow them on in a cool room or basement. Standard shop lights with regular daylight fluorescent lamps will work fine, providing they can be moved with the growth of the plants. You will need to feed potted seedlings. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer at half or quarter strength with every watering or some time release fertilizer, like Ozmacote®
Next time, I'm going to share some pretty marvelous Hellebores with you. See ya' later!
More Information
- Of all the resources for growing from seed on the web, I think Tom Clothier's site has the most comprehensive information. His pages are a gold mine for new and old seed growers. The section on seed growing is only a small part of this fascinating site...do poke around while you're there, you'll be glad you did.
He tells you about collecting, saving and trading seed. He tells you about seed germination, with notes on seed viability; the effects of soil temperature on germination and mixes for media for germinating seeds, plus a seed starting schedule database and method of computing weeks before the last frost.
Not only that, he's got very good databases with specific requirements for hundreds of plants - annuals, bienniels, perennials and woodies. If that weren't enough, there's that marvelous article on genetics for seed savers by Rick A. Grazzini and Tom's recently developed a taxonomic index to Norm C. Deno's tomes on germinating seed, plus a new page of information on seed envelopes, with patterns you can print off the web or download to your computer.
On top of all this, he hosts the marvelous propagation series done by former Suite Editor, Amber Hearn, which covers propagation by seed and cuttings.
- If the plant you're interested in isn't on Tom's databases, check out Duncan McAlpine's Seed Germination Database. He's compiled information from the valuable Successful Seed Raising Guide published by Thompson &Morgan several years ago. I've got about a dozen of the series and wish I had them all.
- Duncan's also put up a searchable germination database, sponsored by cyber Seeds with 810 species on it.
- If you're particularly interested in prairie species, the findings of the Students in Horticulture 320 "Plant Propagation" at Ohio State seed germination experiment might be useful. Their database lists the species used, methods and number of seeds germinated after 14 days.
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