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Hellebore seedlings

alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
in Plants
Is there any point in potting up Hellebore seedlings or is it true that the colours are likely to end up "muddy "?
The parent plant is purple if that is relevant. Thank you. 
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Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Having never potted on seedlings...we just let them seed in our garden and thank for the new flowers
  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    I often pot up my hellebore seedlings. Admittedly not all survive, and some get forgotten, but many have gone on to be transplanted in other parts of the garden, and even more have had new lives in other parts of the country. 

    I've not been aware of the colours ending up "muddy". We seem to get so many each year, and it's such an easy way to multiply the stock at practically no cost.
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    The seedlings have pitched up in the gravel on drive but the look quite healthy.
    Perhaps I'll pot up half a dozen and see how they go.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They will cross, so you can get some rather nondescript shades, but you can certainly pot them up - easy when they're small, and then wait to see what they're like.
    I personally dislike those muddy, wishy washy pink ones that you often get, but if you have an empty area, they're very handy for ground cover, and you might get something that you love  :)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    Thanks @Fairygirl. We have plenty of places they could go and they seem to get left alone by creatures which I'm always appreciative of.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - they're pretty 'everything' proof  :)

    I get the odd bit of weevil damage, but it's not a major problem ,and since the foliage gets removed anyway, it's fairly short lived. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    edited March 2023
    Be very careful when digging them up and re-potting. the stems are every, very delicate and once bruied they do not survive. Handle only with the leaves. Also do not allow the seedlings roots to dry out , that kills them too. Strangely once potted up they do not like very wet compost either. I usually grow a few dozen each year and they take about 2 years to flower. Good ones are kept and poor ones composted.
  • alfharris8alfharris8 Posts: 513
    Thanks @Palustris.
    They sound a bit diva ish.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited March 2023
    @alfharris8 I have an area of my garden where there are just white ones and the seedlings are different shades of white. The plum/ purple colours carry the dominant gene. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Some of the more exotic recent introductions are sterile.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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