I couldn't decide whether to start this thread here, or "plants and flowers" and as you can see, decided here since it is a seed question.
As I'm sure you have gathered, I'm new at "seeds". So I'm ot real sure how to gather them, from various flowers. Seems I may have a newfound hobby!
My question is - I have a hardy Hibiscus (potted)in my front courtyard (pink). I know the seeds are taken from the flower after it blooms, and dies. Not sure when to do this. I tried letting the dried bud fall to ground, but I really didn't see a seed inside.
Here are several pics of the dried flower remains.
Here's another pic in the drying stage. Should I pick it at this point?
posted
Stephanine, in the first picture it's too early to pick the seed pod, but in the second picture the seed pods look dry and brown so that would be the time to pick the pod. I've found if you wait until the seed pod falls to the ground there's a good chance you'll lose the seeds, so you need to remove it after it has dried and turned brown, but before it falls to the ground.
Stephanie, do you know the name of your hardy Hibiscus? Are you sure it is a hardy Hibiscus? Maybe it's just your camera or the lighting but the leaves on your Hibiscus appear to be very shiny and I'm used to the leaves of the hardy Hibiscus being more dull in color. I thought the leaves on yours looked more like a Tropical Hibiscus, but I really can't say for sure!
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.142
tcmers
guest
posted
Stephanie, I typically wait until the pods are brown and actually starting to open (It's easier to get the seeds and I know they are definetely ready). I agree with patches...Are you certain your hibiscus is a hardy and not tropical? The pods look a bit different too. I have one tropical that is good to like 20 degrees, so it's possible that you have one that will survive the winters.
Seeded: 67.142.130.28
posted
Hi patches1414 I picked the seeds pods since this post, they have dried and discovered these seeds are VERY small if at all. Now I'm not sure my front potted hibiscus is hardy, probably tropical as you suggested. I recently purchased two potted perennial hibiscus, their leaves are dull, their stems or red, hummm.
tcmes,hi thanks for your input as well!
Can someone be kind enough to post pictures of hardy hibiscus, tropical hibiscus and perennial hibiscus?
posted
Stephanie, my hardy Hibiscus seeds are always a pretty decent size and you can certainly see them! Geesh, I can even see them without my glasses!
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.134
tcmers
guest
posted
Here are a few pictures of mine.
I can take a pic of the tropical too, if you want.
Seeded: 67.142.130.39
posted
Stephaine, here's some pictures of two of my hardy Hibiscus, 'Kopper King' and 'Blue River II'.
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.117
quote:I can see that the leaves are not shiney. So, shiney denotes tropical?
Thanks, Staphanie! Yes, in my experience I've found the hardy hibisucs leaves to be very dull, while the tropical hibiscus leaves seem smoother and more shiney looking.
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.114
tcmers
guest
posted
Hi again. Here's a picture of my tropical Hibiscus. I wish it would have been in bloom. It's really quite beautiful. When I bought it, it had yellow single blooms on it, but after I planted it, and it started blooming again, I noticed it also gets red double blooms on it....It's really cool to see two different flowers of contrasting colors on the same plant. At first I thought I had two plants in the same pot, but that's not the case. It is definitely the same plant.
Seeded: 66.82.9.47
posted
Tcmers, boy, that's really a healthy looking plant and it's bushed out nicely. Are you going to bring it in this winter? If it's a Tropical Hibiscus, I don't think it's going to survive your Indiana winters. What zone are you in? I didn't think there was any zone in Indiana that would be warm enough to support a Tropical Hibiscus over the winter!
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.133
tcmers
guest
posted
The tag on it says that it can live down to 30 degrees (thought it said 20 degrees, but was wrong.) I'm wondering if I should try to mulch it well and see how it does...It's had a pretty good start so the roots should be well established. I'm in Zone 5 so I'm not certain how well it will do with just mulching. I may bring it into the garage. I have a brug that has to come in too....My house is going to be full again! lol!
Seeded: 67.142.130.32
posted
Hi tcmers Thanks for showing your tropical hibiscus. Sounds like a really cool plant, with red double blooms and single yellows. Wow! I would hate to hear that you loose your plant during winter.
I have several potted tropicals (now I know ) hibiscus in my garden. Of course I live in zone 9 so we don't see hard freezes. Last winter we did not even see one freeeze! Who knows what this winter will bring though. I've noticed milder winters down in ole New Orleans area! I cover when the temps go below 28 degrees, and cut stems back. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.
posted
Tcmers, I'm in zone 6a here near St. Louis and I know the tropical hibiscus just won't survive our winters. We still get some pretty hard freezes here.
* * * * "Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!" Plants: 6492 | From: Illinois | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 199.217.139.101
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I've found if you wait until the seed pod falls to the ground there's a good chance you'll lose the seeds, ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
so you need to remove it after it has dried and turned brown, but before it falls to the ground. ![[dunno]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
Are you sure it is a hardy Hibiscus? 
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Yes, in my experience I've found the hardy hibisucs leaves to be very dull, while the tropical hibiscus leaves seem smoother and more shiney looking. 
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Are you going to bring it in this winter? ![[Love]](graemlins/love.gif)
Who knows what this winter will bring though. I've noticed milder winters down in ole New Orleans area! I cover when the temps go below 28 degrees, and cut stems back. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.
Printer-friendly view of this garden