Gunnera Manicata "Giant Rhubarb" | 50+ Seeds | Hardy Perennia

Please find for sale 50+ fresh seeds of Gunnera Manicata, commonly known as the Giant Rhubarb. In its native habitat of South America, some specimens are recorded with leaves 11 feet (!!) across. Here in the UK the plant still grows well with the largest leaves of any hardy perennial and makes an impressive statement They are great plants for wet soil on the margins of ponds.

Grow in moist, humus-rich soil in a sheltered spot in full sun to partial shade. The more good organic matter such as manure, the bigger the plant. Its fat growth buds clustered in the crown are prone to frost damage, so fleece/protect in autumn - other than that these are very easy plants.

PLEASE NOTE: All orders received before 8pm (Mon-Fri) will be dispatched same day

SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS IN MY SHOP

INSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME WITH ANY GROWING QUESTIONS.


Germination Guide

Gunnera seed germination is naturally very erratic.
Seedlings can appear from 15 to 60 days - however most gardeners are unlikely to need more than a few plants due to their size.
Soak seeds in water for 24 hours
Prepare pot or tray of moist compost
Sow thinly about 1.5mm deep
Place in propagator or on a heat mat with a bag over the tray
Need to maintain a temperature of 24c-27c all day and night
Keep the compost very moist but not soaking
Pot on seedlings once large enough to handle
Slowly harden off and do not plant out until all risk of frost has receded


Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!

I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, granddad and finally my great-granddad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:

1) Don't Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!

2) Google and YouTube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed.

3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.

4) Good compost pays dividends . The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine)

6) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before germination or after "damping off" when the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. The best investment you will make is a bottle of (very cheap) 4% hydrogen peroxide (mixed with water 1:4) - this disinfects and also encourages germination. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk. The surface is kept moist as required by spraying with my water/peroxide mix (see above)

Problem? Don't rush to Feedback - get in touch and I will sort it out!