kniphofia uvaria seeds worth harvesting?

I cannot find nor Google information about saving seeds from red hot poker plants. Most information says propagate by division. Before I cut my stalks, is it best to wait and allow the seed pods to ripen? I don't want to wait too long before cutting the stalk and sacrifice additional blooms.

Deborah, I recieved some red poker seed, as a token gift, maybe 8, or so, I planted them, and have 3 nice plants comming along. I plan on doing this again, so I'm into saving the seed. Mike

Good, Mike. I haven't cut the stalks off yet. The pods are still green. I'll wait until they turn brown I guess.
Anyone harvested seeds on red hot pokers?

Hi,
Kniphofia seed pods are fairly small, maybe pea sized. If your plant is setting seed, you will see the pods developing on the spike. They split into three sections when they ripen, so harvest them just as they are showing signs of splitting. You can pick individual pods as they start to mature, or cut the whole spike once the lower pods start to split, and dry over newspaper. The seeds are angular, sort of like some aloe seeds.
Seed germinates fairly easily in a couple of weeks. Plants may bloom second year, or even first year in a climate with a long growing season like yours.
Hope this helps,
Ernie

Thanks for info, Ernie. I have three plants and would like to harvest the seeds from them. I'll keep an eye out signs of splitting.

My 3 Yr. old plants still are just folage, and yours is in bloom??What am I doing wrong!! I had blooms late last year, and lasted till fall.I have only had them 3 Yrs. and had never had them before.Mike

I don't know Mike. Mine were only 3 inches tall last year when I planted them. They bloomed this year though, actually, one of the first plants to bloom for me this year. If yours bloomed late last year, maybe they'll send up stalks and bloom late again this year.

I wish I knew more about them, other than they get larger as time passes, and also I see others around here in bloom, whitch makes me wonder if mine is different????I will learn, and the 3 plants growing from seed are doing fine.Thanks, Mike

deborah, please remember me, when the seeds are ready, would love to grow more of those.
I think the problem with mine, is shade has over taken them, so either trim, or move. Mike

I'll be sure to send you some, Mike. I did cut down the stalks and they are drying out nicely.
Sorry it's taken me so long to answer. Been in Tenn at my mother's home.

Thank you Deborah, and I hope you found things well, with your mother, and enjoyed the trip.Seeds are becomming so much fun, to grow plants, it gives you a since of "conections", the only frustration I have, is it takes so long between plant, and cotteledons.Mike

I know. But it's worth the wait isn't it? It's that "gift of tomorrow" that I so look forward to. Isn't it wonderfully satisfying to see something as small as a seed grow, flower and then give you more seeds.

I begin harvesting the seeds of my 'Lola' when about half of the head becomes brown and dry. I just harvest them right off the head. I also noticed that as I cut the stalks that are getting old, more baby stalks shoot up with new flower heads. Here are some pics from this month. I have harvested a couple of tablespoons of the seeds. I am going to try my hand at growing them from seeds, as I have already divided the plant.This plant is ~3-4yrs old And yes the seeds are small, black, like little triangles to me. I don't pick the green pods. Hope that is correct. Happy Gardening.

This message was edited Jun 25, 2007 9:39 PM

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Your plants have multiple stalks flowering at the same time! I thought they only grew one stalk at a time. Maybe it's because mine were babies when I got them last fall. I sure hope mine send up more than one bloom. Hoping too, that they'll rebloom in the fall. I'mn saving seeds too.

Yep. If you check out Plants Delight Nursery in Raleigh, NC, they have a website. I bought this plant from them. It was a little thing, no bigger than a small daylilly plant. And the pic in their catalog has multiple stalks. I have .5 acre of grass alone. I needed a center piece... and it sure is a center piece. The first stalks to come up have the largest heads. Then subsequent heads get a little smaller as time passes and as I cull the old spent stalks, more stalks pop up. It just a fabulous plant. I also have RHPokers started from seed that I bought from walmart as well, such as this pic. but they only get like 1-2 stalks. Those are older plants, about 4-5 years old.

It is my understanding, that the older the plant, the more the shoots, whitch is more plants under ground.Mine, also are starting to bloom, whitch brings me to wonder, that there may be more than one varity.Mike

Hey Mike! Glad to hear yours are now blooming again! My three plants are all the same variety....Kniphofia uvaria "Flamenco" Looks like an upside down Telquila Sunrise.

Does, don't it!!

I finally got around to taking a pic of my fourth Yr.Kniphofia, but don't judge my photography, or date, taken this week.Mike

Four spikes, one for each yr! Nice color.