Fertilizing Hepatica

[Diane Whitehead]

What a lovely hellebore flower!

Why didn't you continue with your accelerated program?  Just too much time and effort for the results?

[Guff]

Diane

I tend to move from one type of plant to another, then go back again at some point.... Mostly a time factor thing and space, and waiting out the time to flower.

Just an example, I haven't hybridized any daylilies in 6 years and this Summer I did some select crosses. So this winter I will have 100+ daylily seedlings growing under lights.

When I was hybridizing daylilies, I was only interested in blue eyes and Halloween themed daylilies.

Two of my best blue eyed seedlings.

[Guff]

Been looking for organic water soluble fertilizer of the 10-3-3 or 8-3-3 and can't find any with those numbers. There are pellet type fertilizer that you sprinkle about your lawn grass or area with those numbers.

Probably going to go with Bat Guano and make a tea. Thinking that I would make 5 gallon batch and keep it bubbling through the week and use. Haven't decided on the amount, but thinking 1 tablespoon in 5 gallons of water would probably be ok.

[Guff]

Interesting that the seedlings put down a root to pull them down to the soil. I did add some compost around the seedlings after taking the pictures.

Hopefully some of the seedlings first true leaf grow come Spring. Then I can try getting that first true leaf to grow to thumbnail in size.




10/24/2022 Update on seedling above with the root.




11/2/2022 Same seedling as above with the root. Looks like there is green growth coming out of the top? Roots HPK and the BioAG have made those buds grow in size.




11/9/2022 Might do one more feeding if it warms back up next week. Starting to get cold here, mid 20's last night.

Interesting that the stem of the seed leaves flatten out as the bud gets bigger.




11/16/2022

[Guff]

Watered in the seed bed today, will continue once a week until end of October. If the weather stays decent maybe mid November+.

Decided to give my flowering plants more room to grow. Thinking they will be taking off with the fertilizing I'm doing. Past years , I just tossed down some bone meal and some organic pellet fertilizer.

[Guff]

Was looking through past threads and was wondering about the root growing in my above post. The seedling above that one, doesn't have this  root growing down. My question is, is it this root that decides that it's time for the first true leaf to start growing?

I know that the instructions in my first post says get the leaves as big as possible, but could it be this root growing down is what triggers, the first true leaf to grow? I'm wondering if you should make sure there is compost around the seedling if it's too far above the soil line?

Better picture of the seedling with no root growing down. I had it covered with compost, it has rained since.




This is the picture that made me think maybe it's the root and not the size of the leaves? The leaves look to be the same size even though one is a year older
https://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17578.0;attach=678185;image

[Guff]

Fertilized my flowering plants and seedlings Friday. Took the first picture Wednesday. Second picture is from today. The leaf bud has changed shape and has grown.





Maybe the goal is to get the leaf bud as big as possible and the size of the leaves and root growing down doesn't trigger the true leaf to grow.

First I had thought the root that grew was to pull the seedling down to the soil, which is probably the case......guess I will find out come Spring.

[Guff]

Finished up the bed today. Put down some bird netting to keep the leaves out and the animals from digging. Right side I have sticks to keep animals from digging up the Helleborus thibetanus seed that was planted. The raised bed is being expanded next Summer, so didn't want to mess with chicken wire this year.

[Guff]

Wondering if this growth is a leaf starting to form? I had thought the first leaf comes from the bud, but maybe it doesn't?  Having never really looked up close to see how Hepatica grow. It's hard trying to get an in focus picture.



Week later 10/21/2022. Upped the Roots HPK to 1 1/2 tablespoons with 2 gallons of water last feeding.



10/29/2022



11/4/2022



Seems the leaves grow from under the bud, so the growth is probably a leaf forming.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/65196/65196-h/images/fig5big.jpg

I went with the Bat Guano. Will probably add a small amount of the Roots HPK to bring up the Bat Guano potash from 1 to 3, when I start to fertilize in the Spring.

[Guff]

Same seedling as the above post.




Next week, night temps will be in the mid 20's, so I'm probably done fertilizing for this year. Will update in the Spring, when I start fertilizing with the Bat Guano.

11/17/2022




11/23/2022 



12/3/2022



12/10/2022
Plumped up some, will do an update in March or April. Don't think there will be much of a change until Spring.

[Diane Whitehead]

I wonder who crawls around in caves collecting bat guano.  And how many bat caves do you have over there?

The Wikipedia article on Guano (from both seabirds and bats ) is very interesting.

[Guff]

I have tried the Bat Guano on some cyclamen seedlings, and so far they are looking good. 1 teaspoon Bat Guano, 1 teaspoon Roots HPK and 1 teaspoon BioAg Ful-Power to 2 gallons of water. Probably going to use that amount with the Hepatica seedlings in the Spring.

[Guff]

Seedling with the root. Upheaval pushed the root out of the soil. Covered the root back up with some compost.



Thanksgiving day I was able to fertilize the seedlings. Temps for 4-5 days were above 40 degrees at night and the soil wasn't frozen. Just 4 days later....

11/28/2022



12/8/2022
Seedlings are first Spring so 8-9 months old. If anyone has 8-9 months old seedlings that aren't being fertilized, post a picture, thanks. Would be interesting to see if there is any difference.



12/29/2022
Plumped up some. Was bitter cold for 3-4 days with 50 mph wind gusts. Back up into the 50's temps. Next week is suppose to be close to 60.



1/6/2023

[Jeffnz]

Morning
Did we ever resolve the dogwood confusion?
Regards
Jeff

[fermi de Sousa]

Morning
Did we ever resolve the dogwood confusion?
Regards
Jeff

I think that was a different thread (or so far back on this one that I couldn't find it).
The fruit were most likely "Cornelian Cherries" - Cornus mas
cheers
fermi