Hellebore
How To Propagate And Grow
Absolutely Free

In Step One we showed you how easy it was to select and collect your hellebore self-seedlings.

The next step is just as easy and this is where you get everything ready for potting up your seedlings.

So, lets carry straight on to the next step and prepare for potting up your hellebore seedlings.....

Ok, this is what you have ended up with from Step One, a container, here a recycled plastic food container, full of hellebore self-seedlings.

And you have now safely made your way to your potting bench.

What's that, you haven't got a potting bench yet?

Well that's no real problem, the potting benches we use are home made from old wooden pallets, obtained for nothing from local businesses.

From one pallet you can usually make one potting bench, as seen here.

All you do is cut the pallet in half, long-ways, and screw four pieces of wood on each corner to make legs. A quick coat of wood presevative and thats it! It really is as easy as that. (If you want more details on how to make these potting benches , just contact us).

We have several of these home made potting benches, which we leave in convenient places, just for this type of job and many other jobs as well.

But for now though you can use any convenient surface to pot up your hellebore seedlings.

Anyway, let's get on with preparing to pot up your hellebore seedlings.

On your potting bench you have your potting compost (ordinary peat based or non-peat based compost will do fine), scoop, 7.5cm (3inch) pots or cell trays (preferred), and dibber.

Fill your pots or cell trays with compost.

Cell trays are preferred, we use nine cell trays, each cell is 6.5 X 4.8 X 6cm (2 1/2 X 2 X 2 1/2 inch), which are ideal for growing these size seedlings.

These trays are easy to handle being half normal tray size. Two of these trays will fit perfectly in a full size seed tray.

They are easier to fit on greenhouse benches or in cold frames, much easier than round pots. And they take up less space.

Another bonus is they are cheaper than round pots and use less compost.

All round these cell trays are much preferred to pots, so when you have the chance get yourself some.

Using your scoop fill a nine cell tray with compost.

Just scoop up the compost and let it fall off the scoop into the cell tray.

Don't press the compost down with the scoop as this will compact it. This is not what you want.

When you have filled the cell tray with compost level it off with the flat of your hand.

Move your hand backwards and forwards over the surface of the compost and at the same time very gently move your hand downwards until the compost is level with top of the cell tray.

You don't want to press the compost down, just level it off.

Holding the cell tray at each side lift it up about 7.5cm (3inch) and gently tap it on the bench. Do this about three times.

This will settle the compost, removing any air pockets, making it just right for your hellebores to grow away.

Do this gently, there is no need to get heavy handed, all you want to do is settle the compost, not compact it.

Using the thick end of your dibber press it into the compost in the center of the first cell to a depth of about 4cm (1 1/2inch), this does not have to be exact, a little more or less will be fine.

Using a circular motion enlarge the hole in the compost to around 2.5cm (1inch), again this does not have to be exact.

Ok, you now should have a cell tray filled with compost, leveled off and settled.

You should also have a hole in the center of the first cell.

Yup, looks good to us.

Well that's the end of Step Two. Easy or what?

Ready for Free Hellebore STEP THREE ?

Or want to go back to Free Hellebore STEP ONE ?