Vera,

My first year ever sowing seeds, before I discovered WSing, I started some hardy hibiscus indoors, and they came up right away, so I'm pretty sure they don't need cold stratification. Your first year expect to get about a foot-long stick with leaves, but no flowers. Anyway, I think you'll be fine with putting them out now. It's neither too late nor too early. Hope that makes sense.

Alison

Thanks!

Last year I had no luck...something germinated but found it to be a weed. I started them in the end of January.
Did you have to do anything special to the seed like nick or soak? I might try a few indoors this year too.

Vera

Sorry Vera no help from me but just letting you know I indoor sowed the tropical kind about three weeks ago (not hardy to my area) but nothing yet.

Vera
It helps to soak the seed over night. I indoor sow them also and have pretty much luck with them. Being perennial, I will tell you they are one of the last things to come up yearly in my area, but I know they are there so I just wait patiently.
Alberta

Vera, I wintersowed them successfully a couple of years ago, but I don't know when. (Must have been one that I forgot to put in my spreadsheet). They put out a few blossoms late in their first year, near fall.

Karen

Vera,
I winter sowed them a few years back and they came up fine. Problem is they've never bloomed. I've seen buds, but I think our summers are too 'cool' for them. I'll probably yank them this summer.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll go ahead and start some tomorrow. I just want a few container plantings :D

Tiffy, that is sooooooo sad! What type is it?

Vera

Vera: Place the seedlings in full sun. I put a couple of my seedlings in part shade the first year, thinking that would be better for tiny seedlings. Only the one in full sun bloomed the first year.

Karen

Vera, You can soak them for 24-36 hours until the tail (radical) comes out, then plant them inside. On the Ws ones, don't soak or they'll rot. Just let them do their thing at their own pace.

Lime

Tiffy "Yank them up' LOL I have some that covered a spot about 3 foot in diameter. We had to dig about 4-5 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep to get all the rhizones out. And I'm waiting to see if we left anything in the ground. I love them but wanted them moved to a different spot. Of course mine had been in the ground for years so I don't know how resistent new ones are. As far as planting seeds. Pop them in your soil. They will come up quick and be fine.

I on the cold side of Z5 and sow HH every winter indoors. They always bloom the first season for me. This will be the first year I WS'd some. The ones I planted inside in January are up and growing and I never soaked them.

It will be interesting to see if the winter sowed ones come up and if they bloom as quickly as the ones started indoors.

I WS'd some Hibiscus Militaris last year. I didn't sow a lot of seeds, so I only got one seedling, but it did fantastic, and bloomed the first year. I remember reading hardy hibiscus neat cold stratification, but I could be mistaken. I WS'd seed from last year's plant, but no sprouts yet.

Ok thanks :D

Mo_girl,
That is what I was wondering about....whether they needed cold stratification or not. I will do it both ways as we still will have plenty of nights that are cool, but containers are not freezing anymore...maybe on the surface, but quickly thaw by day. I'll pre-soak the ones I start indoors this morning and pot up tomorrow.

OMG proudgm_3!

I take it container growing isn't recommended? LOL!

Vera: I've done it two ways, and am trying a 3rd this year. Hardy Hibiscus (H.H.) Seeds in ground, takes 2 years for flowers, but will grow stems/stalks (Luna Blush H.H.) year 1. Made up some soiless mix early spring last year and planted 6 H.H. seeds in 4 different 5 gal pails, and had to give them away as I had no place to put them. Planted them in ground when 14" high in full sun, and got flowers (no seeds however) and they were Disco Belles-Red...very breathtaking! This year, I've sown 4 Disco Belles (violet) for W.S. in gal. milk jug one month ago, so time will tell if I get anything. Will again do the 5 gal. pails with soiless mix in early spring too. I love experimenting...do plant in ground ONLY in full sun. Can give tons of Luna Blush seeds to whoever may want them so let me know.. about 5' in final height.

Vera make sure you nick them before soaking, a few I didnt nick sat there while the ones I nicked popped up within a couple days,after nicking those ones, they came right up! :) I actually filed mine,tiny and a real pain but I have a bad habit of over nicking! ;)

I did Luna and others. My other problem might be that these are heavy feeders?? Are they?

Proudgm,

Thanks for the warning!!

Vera, you can WS those right now. It's true they don't need cold-scarification to germinate, but having the hardier seedlings is a big plus over anything started indoors. Hibiscus may or may not bloom their first year from seed regardless of when or how you sprout them. I think the "Belle" series may be ones you could expect to bloom first year.

Last year I winter sowed hardy hibiscus on 3-06, 3-21, and 4-09. Didn't do anything to prepare the seeds. All germinated the first part of May. LOL, I think every seed germinated, gave away many plants and will have some second year plants for the plant sale. None of mine bloomed but I was slow to get them transplanted to larger pots. Hibiscus is slow to emerge here so will not know until June how they wintered over. We had good snow coverage all winter so am expecting good results.

Oh shoot. I didn't nick before I soaked them! Oh well, they are getting potted up regardless and more seeds will be wintersowed sometime today. Where do you nick anyways? Would that be on the opposite side of the eye?

As far as what series I have I don't know...trades just labeled H.H.; description 1. Pink w/red eye 2. white w/red eye. The seed in description (1) look like miniature kiwi fruits with that reddish/bronze outer fuzz LOL! Any idea?

Last year I had some H.H red and those are the ones that never germinated for me. I thought I had some left to try this year but apparently I don't :(

Vera

....ok, now I'm scared.

I just read about the 'float test' when soaking seeds. Is it true that only the viable seed will sink and the other's float? If that is true than I only have a 3 that sunk out of the white w/red eye and none of the pink w/red eye!!

Help!

Vera,mine floated at first and than they sank after they absorbed the moisture. It isn't too late to nick them,I nicked mine on the roundest part of the seed,not near the eye. I am sure you will have much success! :)

Ok cool. These have been soaking since around 10 am yesterday and it's just about 3pm now. Gonna go ahead and give'em a nick this evening.

I almost goofed again today when I potted up my geranium cuttings without letting them callous over...good grief! So I guess I'll re-stick the cuttings and nick the seeds at the same time LOL!

Thanks,

Vera

Ok guys....just my update to the indoor sown Hibiscus
I did soak and then nick my 2 varieties and sowed them on Mar. 30. No germination yet. Today I am wintersowing some other Hibiscus I received last week and also trying some indoors. I REALLY want these now. Wish me luck :D

Vera

Hi Vera! :)
Maybe nick these ones before soaking so that they absorb the moisture before sowing. Good Luck,I am sure you will be very successful! :)

Just an update to the wintersown Hibiscus on April 6th...never did start any of these new seed indoors.
As of about 10 minutes ago I potted up a total of 8 seedlings in the seed leaf stage and 2 in the radical stage in standard 4" and a few in 4" azalea pots. Gave 2 to my neighbor :D
These came from Disco Bell and germination started April 20th. I did not even soak or nick because I spaced it LOL! None of the ones labeled as Cherry Red have started yet but too early to give up yet!
How much growth can I expect from these this season? I'll need to keep bigger containers handy I'm sure, but I'd like to plant them out in fall if that's ok?

Thanks,

Vera

My only experience with hibiscus is Hibiscus Militaris, so I don't know if its growth habit is the same as Disco Bell. My plant grew so quickly. I potted it up early in the season, then planted out in June or July, and it grew maybe five feet tall and 3 feet wide. It was around a foot tall when I transplanted it from the pot into the ground. The plant bloomed the first year, but the germination date may have been earlier than this year.

I sowed a second sowing of hibiscus, and they came up nicely without the cold stratification. Now I know it's not necessary to sow so early.

I hope your Cherry Red germinate. Red Hibiscus is gorgeous. Maybe I'll try next year.

Weather is once again improving...lows in the 10 day forecast are low to mid 40's and highs 60's....I see a 70 in my future LOL! Hopefully I'll get to see that Hibiscus after all :D

Vera

Apparently I have to pot them up in the radical stage vs seed leaf stage! They all still looked good yesterday when I watered the pots yesterday afternoon, but this morning it looks like all the seedlings died that were in the seed leaf stage except 1.... maybe 2. I put the 3 that were in the radical stage in one container and they are about to expand their seed leaves now. Now of course I'm going to be scared to pot up these guys when they do!!
Do Hibiscus seedlings need to wait until they are in their 1st-2nd true leaf stages?? Do them all in radial stage?

I'm sorry Vera :( I have no idea about the right time to pot them up, but that's a bummer. I don't remember when I transplanted last year, but I guess I'll wait a while longer now to be sure.

How many survived?

Only 1 in the seed leaf stage and 3 that were still radical stage on the verge of shedding the seed to expose the seed leaves. I feel really bad because I gave a few of these to my neighbor...hers croaked by the next morning and mine croaked by the following morning. Still waiting for those red ones...maybe I'll get a 2nd chance to get it right LOL! I'll doing some research...if I find the answer I'll let ya know :D

Vera