hellebore niger seeds

Hi, I remember reading somewhere "sow the seeds when the seed pod splits", this i did back in april, and have yet to see any germinate, in plants on this web site it says sow in autumn. Has anyone raised hellebores from seed, whens the best time to sow, and how long do they take to germinate, any answers would be gratefully received, thanks

You can sow them at any time. Sow on the surface of the compost, covering with a very little fine leaf mould. It's then recommended to cover with a sheet of glass and place in a coldframe in a sheltered spot. Germination can be very slow - up to 18 months.

Hi Alina, thanks, covered with a little vermiculite but ok, just didn't know it would take that long, how long till they flower

About three to four years - they're quite a long term project.

Patience is the name of the game, hope i get a few oddities, thanks

Hi Pash,

You may have been better to leave the seed pods to do their own thing.  At this time of year, if you look under the leaves of your Helleobre, you will see lots of little seedlings which you can then pot up and bring on.  I collected these little fellas day before yesterday all huddled together under one of my plants.  Sometimes nature does it better.

 I'll be out there collecting more as soon as it stops raining - if ever.

Hi, left some of the pods so keeping an eye out, but between the weeds that seem to be on steroids and the cat that's found the perfect spot, think he brings a shovel, not holding a lot of hope. but thanks for the photo, i now know exactly what i'm looking for.