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Helebores from seed, how long to flower ?

*Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 307
in Plants
Hello !  As the title, I’ve grown quite a few helebores from seed I collected about 18 months / 2 years ago, they are nice little plants now looking healthy and are in 6cm pots, I just wanted to know how long it takes for them to flower? I know they may be odd colours I don’t mind, I’m just happy I’ve managed to keep them all alive through the summer!
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  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    That depends on how well grown they are. 6cm. pots seem a bit on the small side. Mine, from this years seed are all ready in 13cm. pots and ready to go up another size if I can find some potting compost. I would expect mine to flower next year or at the latest the year after.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    when did they germinate?, 6cm pots still seems very small, maybe they haven't got enough root depth 


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • *Astrantia**Astrantia* Posts: 307
    I can’t remember when I sowed them exactly as the label has faded annoyingly, they are about 12/18 months old I think prob nearer 12. The roots are coming out the bottom of the pots so ready to pot on. They’ve been outside in a shady spot all the time. 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    That does seem slow. I just let mine self-seed so I don't know how long it takes to flower but I have to weed youngsters out, there are so many of them and loads of flowers. I never pot them up.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Ithink it takes about three years from a seedling to the first flowering stem.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Plant them out in the soil, either in a row in the veg patch or where you want them. They flower at 3 to 4 years , but won't flower in little pots.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    3 to 4 years for mine as well.  
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    They rarely come true from saved seeds,  they’re usually a drab white/pinky/grey shade.  I’ve had a couple of decent ones but not many. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I have two growing near each other they were a present purchased from Ashwood Nurseries. One is peach the other a white picotee. I noticed a seedling nearby a few years ago. I left it to grow it flowered this year, white with the same wine coloured picotee edge but it was a little paler. 
    Dirty plum is more often the case, also they don't show up as well against the soil.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    They self seeded all over our last garden and I ended up with a huge number of different coloured forms, including one yellow upward facing one. But, yes there were a lot of muddy pink ones too which were removed.
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