Post a reply

Image
Jul 15, 2014 11:03 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Angie
Concord, NC (zone 7)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Region: North Carolina Daylilies Roses Clematis
Butterflies Cat Lover Birds Hummingbirder Seed Starter
So I'm new to the world of hibiscus and have inherited what some of you have identified as "Fireball" in my new
garden. I have collected the several seed pods and need to know about them. Dry them? Don't dry? Plant now?
Plant next spring? Help! (And thanks)
I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day. ~F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace

Image
Jul 15, 2014 2:32 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Angie, you don't want to harvest the seeds until the pods are brown and cracking - then remove the seeds and let them dry a bit further before you bag them. The aggravating thing about Hardy Hibiscus seeds is that invariably you'll be finding little bitty bugs in the bag a few days or weeks later .. that's because there are insects that lay their eggs inside the forming seeds and they'll hatch out after eating the innards of the seeds leaving large holes in the seed coat. You won't know if the seed is infested til they hatch. I always dust my seeds with Diatomaceous Earth before I bag them. That will kill any bugs that hatch and it's totally inorganic and non poisonous.

Hardy Hibiscus seeds will remain viable for years ... I've successfully germinated seed that were 8 years old.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
Image
Jul 23, 2014 8:46 AM CST
Name: Peggy
Missouri (Zone 6a)
Pied Piper of Weeds
Bee Lover Plant and/or Seed Trader Roses Keeper of Poultry Permaculture Peonies
Lilies Irises Dragonflies Daylilies Cottage Gardener Winter Sowing
I winter sowed mine.
http://www.wintersown.org/
If you would have a mind at peace, a heart that cannot harden, go find a door that opens wide upon a lovely garden.
https://www.facebook.com/pages...
Image
Jul 23, 2014 10:07 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Angie
Concord, NC (zone 7)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Region: North Carolina Daylilies Roses Clematis
Butterflies Cat Lover Birds Hummingbirder Seed Starter
Hazeleyes: Thanks for your tip because I love wintersowing! Good to have yet another seed that I can germinate
by this method.
I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day. ~F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace

Image
Jul 23, 2014 12:19 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
Xeramtheum said:The aggravating thing about Hardy Hibiscus seeds is that invariably you'll be finding little bitty bugs in the bag a few days or weeks later .. that's because there are insects that lay their eggs inside the forming seeds and they'll hatch out after eating the innards of the seeds leaving large holes in the seed coat. You won't know if the seed is infested til they hatch. I always dust my seeds with Diatomaceous Earth before I bag them. That will kill any bugs that hatch and it's totally inorganic and non poisonous.

Hardy Hibiscus seeds will remain viable for years ... I've successfully germinated seed that were 8 years old.

Althaeus hibisci beetle.
https://www.google.com/search?...
wildflowersoftexas.com



Image
Jul 23, 2014 1:32 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Yep .. those are the guys! I'm trying something new this year to see if it helps ... I'm hand pollinating flowers then bagging them with organza bags immediately after pollinating. I'm leaving the bags on until they are ready for harvest. It will be interesting to see if I get bugs in these seeds.

Thumb of 2014-07-23/Xeramtheum/b641dc
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
Image
Jul 23, 2014 1:48 PM CST
Name: Jay
Nederland, Texas (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Region: Gulf Coast Charter ATP Member I helped beta test the first seed swap I helped plan and beta test the plant database. I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Tip Photographer Garden Sages Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus
I thought about trying that also. But by the time I get out there, I see the beetles already crawling in the flower and by then it's to late. With the thousands of seeds produced by each plant, there is more than enough viable seed left, even after the beetles hatch. But I like sharing seed and hate the idea of sending seed with larva in them.
wildflowersoftexas.com



Image
Jul 23, 2014 3:18 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
Any hardy hib seeds I send I also make sure they are dusted with the DE and certainly tell the receiver what the yellow powder is for. I'll usually wait a month or two before I offer and usually by then the bugs have hatched out.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
Image
Jul 23, 2014 7:51 PM CST
Name: James
Fabens,TX (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Hibiscus Plumerias Roses
Anne, thanks for the info. on the DE. I lost so many seeds last year was not even going to try to collect this year.
Image
Jul 23, 2014 8:04 PM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
You're welcome ... what I do is put the seeds in a small plastic condiment cup with about a teaspoon of DE then put the lid on and shake until they are all good and coated then I dump it all in a small strainer to get most of the loose DE off the seeds then bag the seeds.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
Image
Jul 25, 2014 10:12 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Angie
Concord, NC (zone 7)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member Region: North Carolina Daylilies Roses Clematis
Butterflies Cat Lover Birds Hummingbirder Seed Starter
Anne and all: Good tips and I appreciate it all. Gotta get some DE and get moving before I lose all my seeds.
I think that if ever a mortal heard the voice of God it would be in a garden at the cool of the day. ~F. Frankfort Moore, A Garden of Peace

Image
Jul 29, 2014 8:36 PM CST
Name: Ron
Naples, Florida (Zone 10a)
Region: Florida Hummingbirder Butterflies Adeniums Bromeliad Hibiscus
Foliage Fan Plant and/or Seed Trader Xeriscape Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Level 1 Plant Identifier
Thanks, Jay for the link.

I saw a spectacular H. coccineus in Kettering OH when I was up there last summer [probably a H. coccineus x H. moscheutos cross]. I really wanted this Hibiscus, so absconded with a ripe seed pod from one of the plants. Back in Florida, I found I had 25-30 seed. I packed them away in a clear plastic pouch. About a month or so later, going through some seed, I discovered the H. coccineus (Kettering) pouch was filled with these beetles.

Now I know what they are. I killed the beetles (and luckily still ended up with three viable seed).

In reading up on these Hibiscus seed beetles, I read that the adults feed on the pollen (which explains there presence in new blooms), and lay eggs on developing seed pods. So, Anne, you should be safe with your hand pollinating program. Way too early for the adults to lay eggs before the seed pod is even developing.

But let us know how you fare!
[He] decided that if a few quiet beers wouldn't allow him to see things in a different light, then a few more probably would. - Terry Pratchett
You must first create a username and login before you can reply to this thread.
Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )