Butterfly Bushes and Hardy Hibiscus
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Posted: May/02/2008 8:14 PM PST
Well... I'm still waiting for my hibiscus to make its debut this spring. Thanks to the great advice I got here -- I am waiting patiently for her. I have heard some people grow impatient and dig up their hibiscus too early because it has not bloomed... I think she's down there, just waiting for the right time  Meanwhile... I have ordered 4 sets of seeds: Lilac Butterfly Bush Golden (yellow flowering) Butterfly Bush Cherry (hardy) Hibiscus Hardy Hibiscus Mix Talk to me as if I am in kindergarden, people  I'm not certain if now is the best time to plant these, but I'm going to give it a shot, as this was our first week with warm weather... maybe it isn't too late. I plan to plant these guys in egg cartons to start out with. I don't have any special soil -- should I buy a medium from Lowe's that is "soil-less" in order to offer these seedlings a sanitary start? My intention was to keep them covered with a bit of plastic wrap until germination and keep them here in my basement (its nice and warm and there is a heater in the workshop area where they will be) I have heard to soak the hibiscus seeds overnight -- OR -- to gently grind them between fine sand paper in order to help them germinate a bit more quickly -- yay? nay? After they germinate -- my intention was to place them up on the front porch so that they could have a bit of filtered sun and experience the elements (unless we get a very windy day, then I'd move them inside and back under light.) Would that be too harsh for them, do you think? I have been doing research but have gotten quite a bit of contradictory advice with both of these plants. Any first hand advice would be of great help! I'm in zone 6 |
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Posted: May/03/2008 3:20 AM PST
When we had lots of hardy hibiscus, we'd collect the seeds. We would just throw them on the ground and they'd come up fine. No pampering. If we felt a little more ambitious, we might just scratch them in a bit. I checked mine yesterday. It's finally showing some green. I used the spot that I was going to transplant it to for something else yesterday, now I don't know where I can move it. Maybe someone else can tell you the best way to start them. |
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Posted: May/03/2008 7:32 AM PST
Thanks Witt Sounds like they might not be so sensitive then I bought the seeds from EBay and the "mother" plants that the seeds came from are very beautiful and healthy looking (and not hybrids) She'll be shipping them to me today, so I have a couple of days to get prepared... I'll keep looking for info. I have not had luck starting from seed in the past, but I have never really researched it well and given it a *real* chance. I think because at the time, I was in a rental home and wasn't quite as concerned whether the plants were going to come up... because I knew I'd be moving within the year (I had tried sowing them right into the ground). Now, I'll be here permanently and would really like to fill in a lot of the sparse areas in my yard -- so I'm looking forward to some new plants with these seeds
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Posted: May/03/2008 8:45 AM PST
I don't know about Hibiscus, but butterfly bush seeds need light to germinate. So, surface sow, or just barely cover with soil, and provide a light source--either outdoor or florescent. Also, they do better if they are cold stratified for about 4 weeks. Perhaps the company you bought them from has prepared them in this way already. And they can take a long time to germinate. Edit: Oops, this isn't first hand advice, it's just from what I have read.
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Posted: May/03/2008 1:03 PM PST
Caroline That's ok!! I appreciate the input!!I have been doing further reading and see that the Butterfly Bush seeds do need to have a cold/dormant season before they will germinate and that germination itself could take up to 90 days. I've emailed the seller to ask her if the seeds were collected last year (and if they were cold stored) or if I will need to hang on to them and do some winter-sowing with them next December. |
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Posted: May/04/2008 12:00 AM PST
She said that the seeds were collected in 2007 and have been stored properly over the winter and are ready for me to plant
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Posted: May/04/2008 3:08 AM PST
Great. My butterfly bush just sows herself when she takes a notion. It's so much easier to just make cuttings and have a little bush in no time. |
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Posted: May/04/2008 11:36 AM PST
Witt I might try that also -- trying to grow another plant from the cuttings. I only have the white colored butterfly bush, they didn't have any different varieties here in my area and so the seeds I ordered are for the lilac one and the yellow one I'd love to have butterfly bushes in loads of different colors!! |
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Posted: May/06/2008 3:14 PM PST
Well, I have them in their planters... I covered them up with saran wrap but there is still some room for ventilation. I saved the planter flats that some of my annuals came in this year so I could use them. I put the on the sidewalk along the back of the house where they do get sun, because I know those butterfly bushes will need light to germinate. I'll keep them nice and moist and they should be plenty warm out there -- if it looks like rain I'm going to have to bring them into the laundry room though. I haven't ever been successful growing anything from seed, and so I'm hoping that I've done it right this time
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Posted: May/12/2008 10:56 PM PST
Let's see... May 12 -- so only 6 days. Too early to expect any germination, but as they sit I'm wondering if I used the best medium. I used basic potting soil and it seems to have some small woodchips or chuncks in it which are now all at the surface. I'm not sure how deep the seeds are (I put the butterfly bush seeds directly on top of the soil) I have them inside currently -- on top of the dryer and with a flourescent light on them for 12-14 hours a day and it's plenty warm in there. We shall see
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