Planted Streaked Seedlings

14 years ago

Growing seedlings over winter is easy. You need a shelf in the basement with a fluorescent light over it, that's how I did it and will do it again starting Thanksgiving. I did not use my own seeds, but wanted to use seeds from new plants. Streaked plants sounded exciting to me. So I got seeds donated from Hosta Seed Growers Forum people, also bought some. The streaked plants I show below are from open pollinated seeds I got from Trudy (who also posts here) and Mr Hosta (the owner of Land of the Giants). LotG hosta farm web site will sell seeds this year, last year it was on a separate web site at $6 per pack, had very good germination rates).

So I spent time in my basement looking at the seeds and then the seedlings, sometimes several times a day, with that had hosta gardening experience when only conifers showed interest in the landscape.

I just came around to plant the hosta seedlings I started last winter. Single color seedlings germinated the middle of December, streaked seeds I planted the end of January with germination in February after 3 weeks. The plants are now 7 months old. After culling I have about 10 single-color and 20 streaked hosta seedlings left. One green H. 'Uncle Albert' actually has now 2 eyes already and bloomed, one H. 'War Paint' also bloomed. I saved several good looking yellow plants. Some single color plants had very long roots. Some plants I grew in 7 or 8 months are the size of plants I got via mail order in the past.

Here are 7 streakers. The 3 plants in the right back are 'mix'ed streakers from seeds from Trudy, the fourth on the right counting from the bottom is 12 H x 12 inches wide. Streaked seedlings grow slower because of the white in the leaves. The four plants at the bottom of the picture are from H. 'Dorthy Benedict", 'Topo Giglio' and 'Fickle Blue Genes' from seeds from Mr.Hosta.

Here is a seedling of Hosta 'Blue Lightning', size 10 inches high X 12 inches wide, grown from seeds provided by Mr. Hosta.

I am looking forward to see these hostas grow up and become mature, and see into which leaf design they will stabilize.

You also should have this fun in winter and next year!

Bernd

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Comments (9)

Jon 6a SE MA
14 years ago
Great hobby and fine looking hostas.

Jon
trudy_gw
14 years ago
Nice job on getting your seedlings planted, Bernd! Happy to see you were able to get a few seedlings of the seeds we shared with you.
I remember the first year someone shared streaked seeds with me...was Alnitro who also posts on this forum. Thanks Jeff! We have so many seedlings from generous folks who have shared their love of hosta seed growing, when we walk by the seedling we think of the person who shared!
I am looking forward to the hosta seed growing season!
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in ny zone5
Original Author
14 years ago
Trudy, thanks for the seeds and for replying. I did not think I should post in the Hosta Seed Growers Forum, the people there have really superior hybrids, and I am only establishing hopefully some breeder plants. Here people might want to have some hosta fun over winter, and showing these kind of nice plants I grew in 7 months might want others to do it too. I also got a H.'Powder Keg' from Jeff M., thanks Jeff! It also got planted. Next year I should have some bloom, should then apply some pollen to them.
Bernd
Steve Massachusetts
14 years ago
Very nice, indeed Bernd. Can you give us a close up of the third one from the bottom on the right. I really like the leaf curl and shape on that one.

I have a number of seedlings that I've been growing this year also. Here's a few pics.

Epsom Derby x OP seeds a gift from Rick Goodenough. Really nice streaking of blue, gold and cream.
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Leaf closeup
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This is also Epsom Derby x OP but a completely different leaf shape. It's either cupped or domed.
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Lakeside Breeder #4 x OP seeds from M&M. If I can keep the cut worms off this one, it might look good.
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William Lachman x OP also from M&M. This one has taken off and it's huge. 2 feet in diameter and a foot tall and it germinated on January 4th!
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Lakeside Knickknack x OP also from M&M. This one has 4 eyes. It's going to be a small/medium but extremely vigorous.
{{gwi:1087715}}

Slower growing but beautiful is Dorothy Benedict x OP. Seed came from Hosta Works. This is a second year seedling. Soft blue and gold streaks and beautiful leaf and clump shape. Obvious sieboldiana heritage it's likely a DB selfed seedling.
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You haven't seen half of them, but these are my favorites. Several have bloomed this year and I've crossed them. More next winter!

Steve
Cher
14 years ago
You both have some beautiful streakers there. You've both done a great job.
Cher
sidney1515
14 years ago
Beautiful babies. . this kind of thing always makes the winter pass faster, too. Great job guys!
Jon 6a SE MA
14 years ago
Steve that DB x OP is definitely worth propogating.

I even would suggest SM's Uzumaki as a name. Uzumaki is Japanese for spiral.

Jon
trudy_gw
14 years ago
Bernd, you could post the pix in the HSG's. Dont be so shy...LOL The folks over at that forum love streaked seedlings. Steve, awesome seedlings from Rick G.s seeds. Always enjoy the blue streaked seedlings, looks like good substance also.
Thanks for sharing your seedlings guys!
in ny zone5
Original Author
14 years ago
Trudy, I did this post to show others here my results from last winter, they should try it too. And obviously Steve is very successful. I have fun and that's important for me.

Steve, I missed it last year when Rick G. asked if anyone would like to have some of his seeds. I also missed his presentation at our local Hosta Society, 2 times bad. But you have a lot of very good looking hostas with that leaf design as his blue streakers have in the last Hosta Journal. Congratulations. Mine also might be younger for a month.

Some of my seedlings have waves on the leaf edges, a good sign for next year!

Here is that seedling, 3rd up on the right of my original pictures, from Judy's Streaker Mix seeds.

And another from Judy's streaker mix seeds, it is the 4th up on the right.

I always wanted to have a H.'Big John', here I got two BJ seedlings on the top and right, one green and one yellow. On the left is a H.'Starboard Light' seedling. All of these should be stunning when mature. Bernd