Seeds

Since I can't get the plants up here I opted to buy some seeds of a good cross. I got 5 seeds...5 precious, very expensive seeds.

No directions...HELP!!! I gotta get these guys to grow, how do I get Tropical Hibiscus seeds to grow, any special requirements???

Hi threegardeners, for tropical hibiscus I nick the seeds and then plant them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in vermiculite. When they get two or three "true" leaves I move them up to a 4 inch pot. Here's a couple of links and a picture of some of my babies...
http://www.sethson.com/how-to-plant-hibiscus-seeds-and-grow-hibiscus-flowers/
http://www.internationalhibiscussociety.org/wmvfiles/MOVIE4.wmv
Good luck,
Dave

Thank you Dave! I hate nicking seeds...I really do. Would a good overnight soak work? At almost $5.00 a seed I'm afraid of going anywhere near them with a knife.

A soak would probably work just fine, I think people nick them to (supposedly) get a faster and more even germination rate.

Btw, you mentioned a "good cross", who are the parents?

Whew...I'll soak them then...thanks ^_^

The cross is Cherry Cola x Nightfire

Oooh...they should make some pretty babies! You'll have to post some pics for us when they bloom!

I will!!

OK, I have them soaking now, will plant them in the am, plan on keeping them on top of the fridge where it stays nice and warm.

Wish me luck!

Did you buy them to a ebay seller (jueluo orchids) from Singapore? If so, can you take a clear picture of the seeds you bought?.
I am not even sure you bought rosa-sinensis seeds. I am afraid this is the same fake seller that appears from time to time

Regards

Carlos

I bought them from someone in Florida, might even be a DG'er, I had the seller tagged and was watching for them...they're cute little fuzzy seeds...

Those are goods news then. I googled "Cherry Cola x Nighfire" and ebay. What I got were two links to that seller although the information did not appear.
That seller has many hibiscus seeds to sell but I discovered that some are photoshop modifications of pictures that belong to other named hibiscus and obviously other owners.

Regards

Carlos

Ooops, sorry, a last question. By fuzzy seed do you mean this? (I did not find a better pic)
http://www.infojardin.com/fotos/albums/userpics/semilla%20hibiscus%20syriacus.jpg

To be a rosa-sinensis seed should be like this one
http://www.infojardin.com/fotos/albums/userpics/semillas1.jpg

Regards

Carlos

I finally got a decent pic. I think, from looking at yours, that they are the right ones!

I never saw a rosa-sinensis seed with those hairs. Time will say what you have.

Regards

Carlos

Don't say that!! Too hairy? I got em planted this am so we will soon see.

Hi Everyone,

Threegardners if they came from florida your safe. I saw them on Ebay and almost bid on them. I just had so many already I decided not to. Carlos makes a good point about the singapore seller. He is a fake. The seeds you have resemble many we had here. We just planted 349 seeds. Wishing all will take and all be beautiful new blooms to add to our collection. But the reality is if we get just a few keepers we will be happy!!! Ike smushed our seedling house and only 26 or so survived, only 4 of which have bloomed. 3 of them I love the other well let's just say it went way of the west and I tossed it. Good luck on your seeds. They are both beautiful parents so I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!!

Outstanding info Dave. It's good to see IHS is helping like this. And it's good to see you are on top of it. Did you get the info on grafting that you needed?

Take Care,
Robert

Hi threegardeners, Your seeds look ok to me,I have seen them that fuzzy before.I wish you luck on your new babies.

Robert, My grafts are doing very well, I ended up putting 3 cv's on one plant! Wow, 349 seeds is a lot of work, are all those your crosses? Best of luck for some new beauties.... :~)

Heres a seedpod That I harvested yesterday, It took about 10 weeks to ripen on the plant. The cross is Gator Pride X Cherry appaloosa.

Dave

I remember seeing those seeds on E Bay also last week threegardeners and was going to bid closer to the closing time, but forgot to. I do remember it sounded like an interesting cross for sure. I have just 3 seedlings growing right now that were planted last September so I guess they're still about 6 months away from blooming. They are about 9 inches tall right now and I've never grown any from seed before so I have a question. Do I just let them continue to grow or should I "pinch" them??? I have no idea and any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jonathan

Guess what...
You bought your seeds from me. ;-)
No, I'm not the photoshopper with the purple striped, polka dotted, rainbow, speckled, glitter encrusted hibiscus. LOL!!!
I'm the guy with named cultivars and photos (I try my best ) of the plants from my own botanical garden here in Gulfport, Florida USA.

Your seeds are from hand pollinated flowers. When the seed is ready, it is dried for seven days, then quickly posted on eBay for sale. They're so fresh, you should slap them immediately!
No special treatment required - just moist, sterile sprouting mix, plant 1/4"deep, scant soil to cover. They should sprout within two weeks if temps are between 70 - 80 degrees.

Best wishes. I hope they become something special for you.

Here's my Cherry Cola. Your seed's mom. :-)

Hi!!!
Thank you for popping in!

I knew you were a DG'er but couldn't remember which one. Do you know how long I have been trying to buy your seeds? This time I had my mind made up that I was going to win so I put in a ridiculously high amount and let E-bay do the bidding for me...LOL

I'll let you know how they turn out, I'll be such a proud Hibiscus Mom you'll see the pictures everywhere!

Here's your seed's dad. ;-)

Thank YOU! There will be more coming, hopefully.

Hi Jonathan, as to pinching your seedlings...
If you are evaluating hundreds (or more) of seedlings,
most growers usually do not pinch them due to space limitations.
However, if you have the space.. I would pinch the plant to develop
a nice bush characteristic. This will delay slightly your time to a first bloom, however you may have more blooms in the long run from a nice bush.Hope this helps...

Dave

Thanks for the info Dave. That all makes perfect sense. I'll be pinching since I only have a few seedlings.

Jon

I was told that it takes 3 years for a hibiscus to mature and bloom from seed....
Can anyone tell me if this is true as I have a couple babies growing...
Thanks

Hi Lilsista59
Some can take that long but in my experience here in zone 9 it's usually as early as 6 to 9 months depending on the growing conditions, Climate etc...

Robert

wow those are gonna be some nice seeds that cherry cola is sooo nice the name is fantastic