Define: Most impressive
If you try to grow mini's, a magnificent 2 ft seedling will not be "impressive".
What is your goal ?
My "most impressive" seedling has extremely red petioles with an upright growing habit, so the petioles can be seen at their best. But I guess for many people this doesn't match the description "impressive".

By impressive, I mean unusual. Streaked, ruffled, anything but the common green hosta that usually comes from the seeds.

I haven't started OP seeds in quite a few years. It was fun but you were always looking for the 'diamond in the rough'. IMO if you want some fun with seedlings start pollinating with a purpose. Decide what direction you want to go,( substance, ruffles, streakers,etc) and select the two plants that have what you're looking for. Manually pollinate them and wait. It becomes alot more exciting when you find alot more of your seedlings are more of what you're looking for.
Impressive seedlings still need at least 5years in the ground before you really know what they're going to be as mature plants,and even then they may not make the cut. I'm running out of friends who have room for my culls!! Lol

Dave

Mildred Seaver introduced a great many very popular varieties that were all OP. It was all she did.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remembering Mildred Seaver

Hello Leaflover,

You've answered my question and at the same time did what Dave suggests:

Set a goal for a plant you want to breed: plant size, plant shape, density; leaf size, color(s), shape, substance, finish, ...; petiole length, size, color, finish. Include growing speed, as you will want a good garden plant.
Then check if it doesn't excist already.

Surf the internet for anything you can find on hybrizing hosta, to learn what would be great material to start with.
Make your crosses, and then sit back and wait for the seedlings to grow.
It's not how Mildred Seaver did it; this way is a bit more labor intensive in the beginning, but it will give you better results with less seedlings (I don't even wanna guess how many seedlings Mildred Seaver had to cull to get her results).

Here's a seedling I really like. It's William Lachman x OP. It has a different form and leaf shape than any other seeding that germinated.

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It's got a little bit of red on the pets and some streaking. Here is an overhead shot.
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It would be cool to get the red well up into those pets. Then it would show off really well.

Here's a few others. William Lachman gave about 60% streakers.

This is LS Breeder #4 x OP. Really subtle colors in this streaking and thus far it's vigorous. One of the larger seedlings I have.
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Here's one that looks to be a keeper. It's Epsom Derby x OP. Good streaking, good form, good substance and a bad photo.
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This is another William Lachman x OP. I was surprised to see ripples in the leaves this early.
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Same as above. Overhead shot.
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Here's the whole bunch of them.
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I'll try to get better photos later in the Spring when I can get them outside.

Steve

Hello Steve,

Very nice seedlings indeed.
They are very young and especially leaf shape and growth habit will change considerably over the years.
I've seen that pointy, narrow leaf shape in a lot of seedlings that turned out completely different in the end.
The first one has a nice upright growth habit, that will hopefully (and probably) remain.
A couple of friends of mine are into breeding variegated cultivars and their main problem is, especially with OP seedlings, they mostly get the same leaf shape and plant form as the mother plant. In the end the streaking settles and they grow into nice plants that almost always closely resemble an excisting cultivar.
IMHO to get "impressive" variegated new cultivars, it's very important to get some interesting features by choosing the right pollen plant.

Greetings,

Rob

Nice seedlings Steve, I really like your LS Breeder #4 x OP. How tall is you tallest? When did sow them?

Linda

The only seedlings from my own plants I raised were from June, and they are disappointing.

But I bought a few seed packets, and got a lot of seeds from people at the Hosta Seed growers forum. Thanks to them!! I grew seedlings this year to have something interesting to do with gardening in our long winter. I have only 3 trays, but with seedlings of 19 open pollinated varieties or hybrids. Basically I noted, that to get a certain looking hosta it seems to be simpler, more certain and less expensive to buy it from a nursery. But growing seedlings is fun.

These following seedlings were started December 7. I have not seen yet any variegation, but see waves. Variegation usually starts only the second year, waves might become pie crust. One Uncle Albert has red petioles. The following is a yellow Starboard Light, behind it War Paint (no paint yet).

Here are several Sally & Bob & Uncle Albert :

I learned that streaked seedlings are very slow growers due to the white in their leaves, and I should have sown them in October to have to show something now. I started them only on January 12. Today see below. They are under 24/7 light with a weak fertilizer.

I will start again streaked seedlings but this time coming October and variegated and blue ones coming Thanksgiving, have seeds already in the freezer, might add from own Brother Stefan and others, will be fun.
Bernd

Nice seedlings, Bernd. I got some streakers that have a little to much cream/white for my liking. I doubt that those will be able to handle the sun, but we'll see.

Linda, I sowed my seed just before Christmas and they germinated just after the first of the year. Most of them have been "upcupped" to 9 oz red solo cups. The largest ones are about 4 inches tall. I didn't want seedlings that were too big by this time of year because I only have a limited amount of space that I can give them. Once I'm sure that no frost or freeze is possible, I'll gradually get them used to the outside. It's not the cold, but the ultraviolet rays of sunlight that they have to get used to. Last year I prepared a small bed next to my deck that only gets an hour of sun a day for these little ones. Hopefully they'll be able to winter over next year.

Rob, I agree that goal setting and being ruthless in targeting that goal is a much better way of proceeding. But right now I'm just playing with this stuff. I think the goal setting will come later. Right now I wouldn't know how to set a goal or the first steps in attempting to achieve it.

Steve

I have some very nice OP seedlings from my Cinnamon Sticks plant that don't look anything like the mother plant. They are blue-green with puckered leaves,and waay bigger than the mother plant. Then,I also have some others from the same plant that look just like the mother,with the red petioles. Also right now,I have a couple seedlings that came from OP Korean Snow that are a lot bigger than the mother plant,and they are sorta gold/light green with puckering that Korean Snow doesn't get. I like to keep all my seedlings(I have plenty of room),just to see what they will look like in the future. Hey,they're free! Phil

Leaflover, Your question is difficult to answer partially because I am so easily impressed. A couple of years ago I crossed a very large seedling with H.Steve Moldovan trying to get a giant blue. That first year seedling by the end of summer was over 15" tall with 9 " leaves. The second year I was so excited to see how it would be growing only to have it crushed by a basketball. It put on a new flush of leaves and by fall was looking very blue but was setback by the crushing This year the excitment is back again. The feeling I get from growing seeds is not much different than what most would get from doing a job from start to finish and feeling proud of a job well done. It really does not matter what anyone else thinks as long as you like it. Rob

Steve, you have nice seedlings. I wish my streakers (third picture) would grow faster. Mine are now 2 months after sprouting.

Your streaking plants in your pictures probably grew as fast as all-green ones because their streaks includes a lot of green. How are your streakers with more white and yellow doing? Are they as slow as mine?

I just closed up the chamber on that shelf again to increase warmth a little and also lowered the lights a 1/2 inch, might help. I would hate to put outside in May then 2 inch tall plants.
Bernd

Yes, the ones with more white are slower. I culled one yesterday, because of its size and lack of substance. Gives me more room for the good ones. Once you get past your last frost date, I don't think it matters what size they are at that point. Just put them in little 3 inch pots and slowly get them outside in a protected area.

BTW, I switched from the Tomato fert that was recommended to one that I like better. I'm now using Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro plant food. It's a 9-3-6 with essential minerals and micro-nutrients. I like the ratio of 3-1-2. The Tomato fert I was using had no micro-nutrients in it. I use it at 1/4 strength with every watering. This is the fert that I use with a lot of my container plants. It was recommended by the peeps on the GW container forum. YMMV.

Steve

roblksd:
thanks for your response. You're right, whatever Im impressed with or excites me is what I'm seeding for. I just wondered what parent to use next year. I wasn't interested in cross-pollinating myself because I don't feel intelligent enough to be successful. I read about it and it sounds difficult.

Leaflover, It is not that difficult. Once you start you will see how easy it is. If the parents are good plants you will likely be pleased with some of the offspring. I mostly use seedlings ( plants unique to me ) for the pod parent and then cross many different plants onto them.I also use my seedlings as pollen donors on more common plants. If you are looking for tall upright plants use Sagae or other offsping from it. Just have fun with it and let your imagination go wild. Rob

Steve, I just ordered a container of the Foliage-Pro, if those Container Forum folks recommend it, it has to be good.

With my selection of hosta, I'm hoping that a couple of them will get together on their own and make a good cross. I do not mind having little green baby plants, but make em shiny and frilly and maybe a white back, standing up showing red petioles that continue as a red margin on the leaf. I think Bob Solberg has something great with H.'Beet Salad' which has a teeny narrow red outline around the leaves, which may one day morph into a more substantial red border.

I read the book BOTANY OF DESIRE, and think the hosta are outwitting us to their advantage. Look how we are helping them to take over the garden, giving space to their progeny, helping them grow in circumstances they previously could not. Yeah, I do believe plants have survival strategies. I noted some recent item in the NYTimes about them remembering the light levels etc, but forgot to go back and read it....that's not quite LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, but it is interesting. Maybe one day we'll be looking for the SMARTEST HOSTA.

As I mentioned I am growing open pollinated seedlings, in 2-3 weeks they will be culled again and outside.

I just bought Don Rawson's Hosta Hybridizer's Manual from him for $25 plus $6 shipping. He accumulated many valuable articles by people who have much experience with hybridizing, added his own advice and printed this Manual. He does not make any money from it, it is simply the cost of copying and binding the sheets of this manual. This manual gives very good guidance even I as a hybrizing novice can follow.

I am reading this manual now, some articles I read on the internet, others I did not see before, it is very good, all needed information is in one book. To order this manual, find the ordering information by Googleing 'Hosta Library Auction', then select Hostas, then scroll to the bottom. You will have to send him an Email, followed by a letter with the $31.

Bernd

this is this lil fellas second year.
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Great toddler picture there, Y!

Bernd, I've thought about the Hybridizers Manual, and will soon take action--cannot afford to wait too long to begin a new project at my age, not if I intend to see the results.

thank you i only wish i knew what seed it was from...that was back when i thought that using a sharpie aka permanent marker meant it was permanent and then you go back to look and it is faded.

moccasin that is sad for you to say that...you may live to be a 105...not sure how old you are but lets think on the positive side and that you are going to be a active gardener at 105 :)

The foliage pro was recommended to me by al on the houseplant forum and i really love it!!!

i do have a question though...do people only fertilize their container hosta's or do you guys fertilize your others as well?

ymaddox, I think there are postings here about fertilizing hostas. Personally I grow hostas in pots only a few weeks, then plant them into soil. I fertilize hostas in pots every 2 weeks with a liquid fertilizer. In the ground I apply 10-10-10 in April before hostas unfold, then also give a balanced liquid fertilizer to give them a fast start. In June I plan to give some more granular fertilizer. On some problem hostas I also apply a granular fertilizer with a systemic insecticide (with 'Merit').

My seedlings in pots I provide with a very weak liquid tomato fertilizer at every watering.
Bernd

thanks bernd that is very helpful information...i have only grown from seed in pots but i am getting some new mini's for mothers day and that is very helpful information on caring for them...i know my conifers are not recommended to be fertilized once they are in ground unless there is a nutrient deficiency. so just making sure as i have never really fertilized my hostas and they have always grown well. but i am getting in to a few specific named varieties that makes me a bit more curious of the proper care...thanks again :)