Propagation: 2015 Seed Starting, Part 5, 2 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
You are talking to the anal one. I took notes!

I started by putting four seeds on each of four APS cells, so 16. My final yield, into the ground, was seven plants. This was in 2009, and all the plants are still with me. They were from seed purchased in 2008. Some have been divided.

I hope you don't mind my cutting and pasting from my log:

January 19, 2009
16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) 4 to 4 cells, surface

January 30, 2009

2 of 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) germinated (11 days)

January 31, 2009
5 of 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) germinated (12 days)

February 1, 2009
6 of 16 Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly (J.L. Hudson) germinated (13 days)

March 14, 2009
Potted up four Heuchera Firefly into four of a six cell seedling pack

I judged them fit to go into the ground on April 19. The last one was installed on May 19.

They worked out so well I did it again the next year, and ended up with nine plants total. I was more careful about watering the second year so yields were better - with older seed! They were large enough that last year I divided one of the ones I brought with me into three plants.

The nice thing about Firefly is that even if it heaves, it doesn't die. If it heaved the first few years I simply packed the area that was heaved with compost to raise the plant without digging it up. It worked. Last year I actually dug most of them up and planted them deeper (which gives you a nice opportunity to divide them.

Every other heuchera I purchased heaved and died. I paid as much as $13.99 for some of them.

They are so tough that I threw one into a pot and left it in the garage all winter, and when I hauled it out it looked like the first picture. I started to toss it.

A year later, it looked like the second picture - yes, the same plant!

The third pic is from 2012. I had been here less than six months and was starting over. Look how it lights up the shade! (And that's my Ursula's Red, by the way).

I am starting them for my client and, well, I want even more. I am trying to get about 20 and throw them everywhere, since they rebloom and can take anything from a good deal of sun (I had them on the west and north in Lake county, and mostly north and east here).

They really are easy. Let me know if you need to know more.

I love them!