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Attempting to grow a hebe from seed

Lena NLena N Posts: 189

Hello

My neighbour has a beautiful hot pink / purple hebe (no idea what type it is). She gave me a few cuttings last year but I wasn't able to get them to root so in late summer / early autumn I tried sowing some of its seeds instead in a pot outdoors. I forgot about them over the winter and then noticed today that I have some seedlings growing now! No idea if they are mini hebes or just weeds though! image

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  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Hebes, successimage

    Might not be quite like the parent plant though so you could try some more cuttings.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Lena NLena N Posts: 189

    Yay! Thanks nutcutlet image I honestly didn't think they would germinate so that's a nice surprise!

    It was really nice of her to give me the cuttings last year and I'd feel cheeky asking for more, but it will be lovely to tell her I've had some success with the seeds image

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    I'm no good with cuttings. When I'm given cuttings I like them pre-rootredimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Hebes are best taken from softwood cuttings in late spring or semi ripe cuttings from mid summer to early autumn. (5-10cm long, take off all of the leaves up to the last 2 pairs and take out any flowering tip). I have done loads with variable success initially but I have found that my success rate has improve more recently when I:

    Use a 50:50 mix of sterile compost and grit/perlite.

    Use rooting hormone

    Keep the media moist but not overly wet

    Use a closed case propagator with bottom heat. They need bottom heat and humid conditions for a week or two and bottom heat with the top open for another couple. This is the most important step.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    It's an old thread Robin, so your advice mya nt be noted, but I find hebes sometimes seed into their surroundings if they're suitable.

    I also find cuttings quite easy, but I just stick bits in pots with gritty compost in early to late summer. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698

    I've got a tray of compost in a shady spot by the hedge (waiting for aquilegia seedlings to come up). Next to it I've got a hebe in a pot, which I trim over with scissors every so often. The other day I noticed tiny hebe plants growing in the compost. I picked them out to pot on, and it does appear that they are little 'cuttings' of bits of trimmed hebe foliage which have rooted themselves, rather than seedlings.

    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    I've got one that's now in a 5 inch pot Will - it seeded into the gravel path from one of the three clay pots I have with Hebe vernicosa in them. It's probably taken a couple of years to get to that size, although I expect if I'd potted it on when I should have, it would be bigger by now!

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364

    Well between you  you have asked all the questions I was going to.   

    I need to aquire the hebe of my choice. Any one with any seeds or cuttings? 




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364
    Well I now have some seeds and I am going to just put the seeds in a pot and see if mine will do what Lena 10's did.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.



    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • MikekallyMikekally Posts: 13
    Iamweedy said:
    Well I now have some seeds and I am going to just put the seeds in a pot and see if mine will do what Lena 10's did.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
    Let me know how you go, @Iamweedy, I'm just putting down some Hebe seeds myself 😊
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