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Re: Helleborus seeds

Dear medit-gardeners,
This was a private letter but I have decided to send it generally, in case
the other seed gathers want the information.   I hope you don't mind.

There is always difficulty with seeds from our different sides of the world.
But we have managed to seed quite a few things from England with the same
problem.
Helleborus seeds naturally by the seeds falling from their capsules [I did
this for you by putting the capsules into a brown paper bag for a few weeks]
in middle of summer.  They then germinate the following winter.  You could
hang off for a while, keeping the seed in a dark cool place or you could try
and artificially create those conditions.   They need quite a cool place to
germinate.  I would use a pine bark kind of medium and sow on top spacing
them out with a point of a pencil.   Then use about a 1/4inch of grit to
cover them and move them to a cool green house kind of position.   When they
germinate, and show the first real leaves, prick them out into individual
pots.   A few weak waterings with a liquid feed will keep them growing well
and they should be ready to plant the following summer.
I am glad our Helleborus are so fertile and I don't have to try and cheat
the seasons!
Helleborus are winter flowering here [although I noticed a few plants are
already opening their flowers] and don't mind quite deep shade but medium
shade is better.  They probably do better in damp conditions [so water the
little seedlings but not too much, just watch them] but they are very easy
plants and I have quite a few that have seeded into fairly dry conditions,
one into the trunk of a man fern that is now qite a large flowering plant!
Isn't Nature marvellous,
Hope this is not too daunting for you, 
Good luck!
Gay Klok, 2 Red Chapel Ave, Hobart, Tasmania - "Kibbenjelok", Middleton,
Tasmania
http://members.tripod.com/~klok/WRINKLY_.HTM 
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