I’m often asked how we can germinate thousands of Japanese pine tree seeds annually since conventional wisdom says that this is considered quite difficult to perform.
Germinate Japanese Maple Tree Seeds
Germinating Japanese Maple Seeds Can Be difficult to Do… If you have read some normal text or directions for germinating Japanese pine seeds and you will usually find almost indistinguishable advice.
Traditional wisdom holds that germinating Japanese pine seeds is difficult to do, definitely something for your gardener emeregency tree service. Conventional wisdom also says the secret to effective germination is a combo of spraying the seeds in water followed closely by”stratification” *(see below).
Soaking the seed is advocated because nearly all of the seed you purchase from retailers or from unidentified sources (like you’ll often discover on e-Bay) is still dry. The dry seed has to be re-hydrated then stratified* until it has an opportunity to germinate.
*Stratification is the scientific term used to characterize enabling the seed to undergo a protracted period of cold for 90-120 days – as when the seed was through a winter interval following falling naturally off the shrub.
Even in the event that you’ve tried soaking and germinating tender Japanese pine seed, then you will understand the outcomes continue to be hit and miss. Folks tell you it is hard and, so, it’s hard to find any good degree of germination from sterile seed.
We find by debilitating practical expertise that conventional wisdom is right. It is difficult to germinate the majority of the Japanese pine tree seed you will find available for sale. To compensate for any lack of achievement as a consequence of using this traditional method, you will be advised to leave your seed pans on the floor for a different year in the expectation that a few more seeds may germinate.
Well, fantastic luck! You may be lucky and find a couple more seedlings – however, it is more likely you are going to have supplied the regional mice and other animals with a tasty winter meal!
Year after year at our nursery we receive germination achievement of 87%, 92%, even 98 percent in some instances. And we do not even devour our seed!
. . .Use FRESH, fresh season seed! Yes, frankly that is the most significant thing you have to do. Please don’t purchase from seed retailers or by online eBay vendors who don’t care about your seed germination success. You’re almost sure to find older, dry seed purchasing like that.
Having purchased Japanese pine tree seed myself previously from large name seed businesses and then failed to germinate them decided there needs to be a better method.
Quite by chance, I stumbled upon the key’ of utilizing new seed just after locating an infrequent’ origin that provides the new seed.
So here is what you have to do in order to get guaranteed germination achievement…
- Note: New seed period is generally December through March.
2. - Keep them for 90-100 days in the fridge.
- Examine the seeds from time to time and be certain that they aren’t getting contaminated. If necessary, include a DROP or 2 of water, every couple of weeks, so that the seeds don’t dry out.
- If (and only when ) you see mold growth, and the moment you see it, then use a fungicide, quite carefully, after the manufacturer’s instructions or employ a weak solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts of water)
- In the close of the time of cold storage, then the seeds are germinating obviously, even at the zipper bag in the refrigerator!
These are the very same tubes employed by the USDA Forest Service. This way we minimize the extra management of seedlings (therefore decreasing our time/cost and possibility of damaging the fragile energies when replanting).
You also need to take care to look out for late spring frosts. Your seedlings will need to be stored in a frost-free location but additionally will need to acquire decent light and air motion around them. Maintain the seedlings in great lighting or they’ll grow long straggly and weak stalks.
It’s very important to keep in mind that seedlings are hybrids. We all know the mother’ tree that supplied the seeds…
. . .But we do not understand the daddy’ shrub whose pollen (thanks to this parasitic ) fertilized the blossoms on the mother’s tree. So, just like our children, these seedlings will be like, but NOT equal to the parents.
Seedlings should exhibit a few of the qualities of his mother’s parent, however, they won’t be indistinguishable (a legitimate clone). This means we can’t name the seedlings with the exact same cultivar name as the parent.
