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Avatar for tinahartman64
Nov 23, 2015 8:05 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tina Hartman
Illinois (Zone 5b)
Last year I tried to winter sow my daylily seeds with zero luck. I grew about 20 weeds! LOL This year I have used the pearlite method with great success and now have many seedlings happily growing on a shelf by the window. I still have a few hundred seeds left and am running out of room. I am wondering if anyone has had any luck winter sowing daylily seeds

Thanks!
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Nov 23, 2015 6:34 PM CST
Name: Cynthia (Cindy)
Melvindale, Mi (Zone 5b)
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I tried winter sowing outdoors one year and I had a very low yield. Most did not germinate.
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Nov 23, 2015 7:05 PM CST
Name: Rob Laffin
Mariaville, Maine (Zone 4b)
Hi Tina,
I haven't sown seeds outdoors because I am in Zone 4 and I'm a bit concerned about losing them. But I know Curt Hanson, who is in Zone 5, sows all his seeds outdoors - about 12,000 of them. He usually plants about now - late enough so they won't germinate before the ground freezes, and says he gets 90+% germination.
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Nov 23, 2015 7:30 PM CST
Name: Peter
Allentown PA (Zone 6b)
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Dan bachman winter sows also... With a 50% germination rate. He plants Late november, early December.
Avatar for tinahartman64
Nov 24, 2015 7:27 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tina Hartman
Illinois (Zone 5b)
Thanks guys! I guess I will try another round this year and see what happens. Thumbs up
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Nov 24, 2015 10:55 PM CST
Name: Glen Ingram
Macleay Is, Qld, Australia (Zone 12a)
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@tinahartman64 Tina what is the pearlite method?
The problem is that when you are young your life it is ruined by your parents. When you are older it is ruined by your children.
Avatar for tinahartman64
Nov 28, 2015 6:07 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Tina Hartman
Illinois (Zone 5b)
The pearlite method is where you place seeds in a Ziploc bag with enough pearlite to cover seeds. dampen with hydrogen peroxide water (16 oz H20 bottle - add one capful of hydrogen peroxide).

You only need enough H20 to dampen, do not allow it to pool at the bottom of the bag. Place in indirect sunlight for about 4 days. I then place the bag in direct sunlight and watch your seeds sprout!

I have had great results with this. Probably about an 80% rate and I am thinking that the ones that haven't germinated are bad seeds.

Some seeds take more time to germinate (3-5 weeks) and others take a week or two. I just leave them in the bag until there is about a 1/2" - 1" seedling and then plant them in a mix of seedling soil and potting mix.

Here is the youtube link: https://youtu.be/_BzxaaSNsDs

and some photos.


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Nov 28, 2015 6:24 AM CST
Name: Vickie
southern Indiana (Zone 6b)
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I can't say I have winter sowed, but I started some in the house in late August 2014 that I received from @profesora, (Thanks again, Gerry!). Of the 26 seeds from the cross 'Emerald Toucanet' x Malachite Sunbird' I only lost 3. They had already been soaked and fridged, so I just put them in potting soil and set the tray next to the French doors with a light above them. It was fun to watch the baby seedlings grow all winter.

I realize that August is 3 months before what you are talking about, but by starting in fall or winter and then putting daylilies out in the spring, it's a great way to get earlier blooms. I didn't want to wait 3 years for blooms so I am really hoping my seedlings will be blooming next year. They did very well this summer in the garden plot.
May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown
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