Advice needed for germinating hepatica seeds

[Lori S.]

Helen,
"Wintersowing" is just some new-fangled term for an age-old method, which, to me, is nothing more than planting seeds in pots and setting the pots outside for the winter to let the temperature fluctuations (and moisture and time and whatever else) do the seed conditioning for me.   I cover the trays with a clear plastic lid, when I think of it, only to prevent raising huge crops of birch seedlings that would otherwise fall into the pots in spring.  (I only do this fall/winter though.)

I haven't grown hepaticas from seed, but since you asked, to plant up the seeds now, the methods already described by some ("some gravel on top the top; open air; keep moist") sound practical, convenient and easy.   (That's what I'd do, in other words, for what it's worth! 

[Rodger Whitlock]

Helen:

What you need is a cold frame for your pots of seeds awaiting germination. In fact, two or more cold frames wouldn't hurt: one for ungerminated pots and another for those which have germinated.

I've had cold frames of various designs for many years; my experience suggests the following are what you want in one:

1. Siting: north side of a wall with good overhead light. Little or no direct sun thereby. At my old house, there was a range of shallow frames at the foot of my house's north wall, 15' from the neighbor's south wall, so there was a lot of diffuse reflected light.

2. Size, back to front: kneel and reach out your arm and measure how far you can reach. That's the front-to-back depth you want.

3. The floor of the cold frame should be sand. Ideally you plunge your pots (both terra cotta and plastic) but even resting the pots on sand will help because the sand will wick away excess moisture, as long as the soil in the pot is in capillary contact with the sand.

4. Glass is superior to any plastic as a cover. Old window sash are often recommended, but what happens when one of the covers breaks? You need to plan ahead to repair or replace breakage asap.

5. You should be able to fasten the covers down securely so they don't blow away in a gale, but at the same time even when fastened down, you should be able to crack them open for ventilation. In mild weather, you should be able to prop the covers open without them being prone to blowing away if the wind gets up.

6. Be sure that your frames won't be crushed or broken by snow sliding off a roof.

7. Seed frames need only be a little deeper than the pots you use, as the pots will be moved to another frame as soon as germination occurs.

8. Your frames should be convenient to get at and convenient to kneel down in front of, even if onlookers think you have become a devotee to some new religion.

9. Wood frames eventually rot and fall to pieces, so give a little thought to how you will replace them when they finally die.

A very simple frame is more than adequate. Their main purpose is to keep excess water off the pots.

[Paul T]

Rodger,

A good, simple outline for preparing something like that.  Nicely done.  In my climate I don't really need one, although I have thought about it from time to time anyway for those that like a bit more winter warmth and protection.  You make it sound much easier than I had thought it being.

Thanks.

[arisaema]

I agree, a really good explanation. However, due to the capillary action, if you're not plunging then isn't it better to use a peat based mix on the floor of the frame?

[maggiepie]

Rodger, thanks for the information and taking the time to write it.
The only drawback about making and using a coldframe at the back of my house ( north) is that for most of winter it is under 3-6 feet of snow.
There's no way I could monitor it during winter and not sure how much weight the glass could sustain.
This year for instance, the snow was still there until mid april, same last year.
I can't get to my little greenhouse during winter either.

[Rodger Whitlock]

Rodger, thanks for the information and taking the time to write it.
The only drawback about making and using a coldframe at the back of my house ( north) is that for most of winter it is under 3-6 feet of snow.

Well, I guess you'll just have to inform your nearest and dearest that you are moving to Vancouver Island. And, presumably, that they are welcome to tag along with you.

Joking aside, that is an interesting problem and one for which I cannot offer a solution.

No, wait, there *is* a solution. When the snow starts in the fall, as soon as there's a few inches' accumulation that you expect to last until spring, open all the frames, put the covers away, and fill the frames with snow. At my old house, if we had a decent snow (yes, it does snow in Victoria once in a while), I'd go out and shovel the stuff into my frames, to the mystification of my neighbors. Snow persuades many kinds of seed to germinate more freely than otherwise.

Since you are asking specifically about hepatica seeds, a warning: be a little more careful of the Japanese forms. I can't find any web page that says it in just so many words, but it appears that Hepatica nobilis japonica is slightly tender, and dislikes excessive winter moisture.