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Tree germination

Tree seed is the most costly per seed, and as such people are always asking how to plant it to have success.

My problem is this: I just plant the seeds. I always use Culterra Germination mix, NOT SEEDLING soil! And I sow my tree seed in autumn. I plant, keep moist and in spring or summer I get seedlings.

Seems easy, doesn't it, so then why do I get so many questions, simple: people failed in the past because of one of three reasons 1)they used the wrong medium; that dried out and killed the seed at a crucial stage 2) they sowed seed at wrong time, I sow tree seed in autumn as a rule and 3) the seed was dead to begin with. No 3 is what gets me mad, many people sell dead tree seed, some not knowing and others not caring. Harvesting tree seed is not always straight forward, harvesting at the right time is crucial. Acer/Maple seed for instance need to be harvested while "green", meaning before the seed is completely brown on the tree. At BEing Plants every care is taken to source seed from specialists, our tree seed come from Bonsai seed companies, cypress seed suppliers that supply the Christmas tree industry and forestry departments, not someone passing by a tree pulling of dead seeds and selling them at great expense.

That being said, I will add more specific seeds, but here is a general sheet from one of my suppliers:

Once you are ready to germinate your seeds, you have two germination methods: natural or forced germination.

Natural : Sow seeds outside in autumn. Overwintering the seeds will accomplish all the necessary natural processes seeds require to germinate. Next spring, you should have sprouted seeds.

With the forced method, you are accomplishing the germination process artificially. Therefore, you will need to follow the steps listed below. Each seed is different. However most of them require three (3) steps. Some may require more while others may require less. These steps are: the scarification, the stratification and sowing.

1 - Scarification

Each seed has a shell around the live inner part. Some are harder than others. The goal of the scarification process is to soften the shell and allow water to reach the inner part of the seed. You will scarify the seeds by placing them in water, usually a glass or a bowl, for a period of twenty four (24) to forty eight (48) hours. The norm appears to be the use of warm water. Some seeds require boiling water while others require water at room temperature. Normally, the viable seeds will drown after the twenty four (24) hour period while others will float on top. If there are still some of them floating after the forty eight (48) hour period, you can discard them as they are empty. Once completed, you are ready to begin the next step ( please note that some species require you to proceed directly to the third step).

2 - Cold Stratification

The next step is the cold stratification period. This step is where all the magic of nature occurs. In nature, most of the seeds fall from the trees in autumn. Consequently, they spend the winter period under colder temperature permitting the chemical in the seeds to develop and trigger the germination process once the ideal temperature is reached in spring. In the forced germination process, you attempt to recreate the winter period. In order to accomplish this process, use the following materials:

Plastic Ziplock bag
Paper towel
Water

Fold the paper towel in two and moisten with water. It should not be dripping wet but humid. Place your seeds on the humid paper towel and fold it over the seeds. Place the paper towel with the seeds in the ziplock plastic bag and store them in your refrigerator for a period varying from thirty (30) to one hundred and twenty (120) days. We suggest that you check your seeds every thirty (30) days in order to prevent rot and allow for proper air circulation. You will also check for germinated seeds. If this is the case, take the germinated seeds and proceed to the next step. If not, wait the required period and then proceed to the next step.

The paper towel can be replaced with some moist vermiculite in a plastic container mixed with the seeds. Vermiculite must be wet but not dripping wet. a trick is to flood the vermiculite with water then squeeze it in your hand to remove excess water till it doesn't drip anymore. The vermiculite will stay moist.

3 - Sowing properly

Sowing can be accomplished in the ground or in a pot. You can use any soil suitable for planting and growing. Make a small opening in the soil (approximately half (1/2) an inch deep), place the seed in the opening and cover it with a few milimetres of soil. Keep the soil moist.

Extra steps for certain species of tree

If you choose to germinate your seeds via the forced germination process, you may be required to follow this extra step. This step takes place prior to the cold stratification. All you have to do is expose the seeds to ambient room temperature for thirty (30) to ninety (90) days. This is called heat or warm stratification and is accomplished by leaving the seeds exposed to ambient temperature but always moist in a plate on your desk. After you have achieved this step, you resume with cold stratification.