Question
hi i ws wondering my sister in law gave me some seeds off her rose of sharon bushes, she put them in the freezer til i could get them, i recently just got them and planted them in a pot, i opended the pods were the seeds was and put the seeds in soil. my question is will i get a rose of sharon out of these seeds produced off her bushes? i have the pot sitting on myscreen in porch and i keep the soil moist.

Answer
Holly, you are doing all the right things. As long as you keep the soil moist, they will eventually germinate. This can take up to 4 weeks.

One word of caution. If your sister-in-law's plant was a hybrid, you may not get the same exact characteristics in the new plant. Colors and growth pattern can be different with hybrids. The only way to reproduce the same plant as the parent is by taking cuttings or taking seed from an heirloom plant. Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish between an heirloom and a hybrid unless the original plant was grown from seed and the owner remembers the variety.

If you would like to propagate using a cutting, it is a very simple process. Simply cut a tender shoot that is at least six inches long.  Remove the lower sets of leaves.  Dip the cutting in a rooting compound. You can purchase this product at any garden center.  Stick the cutting one inch into a good potting mix.  Be sure to thoroughly wet the soil prior to planting.

Finally, cover the pot with a clear piece of lightweight plastic.  Place the pot in indirect sunlight on an east window seal or under fluorescent lighting.  After two weeks, check to see if the plant has rooted by slightly pulling on the stem.  If you feel resistance, remove the plastic covering and be sure to keep the soil moist.  The plant should then be treated as any other seedling.

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike