Rising timber from seed is straightforward. It will also be enjoyable. September is a good time to gather seeds.
Seed may be collected both straight from the tree or from the bottom. Accumulate seeds from a mixture of wholesome timber, selecting solely agency, undamaged seed.
Keep away from amassing the primary dropped seeds. Don’t break off branches to get to seeds, and all the time ask the proprietor’s permission when you’re on personal land.
After assortment, the following query is, sow, stratify or retailer?
Seed storage
Seeds may be saved in a cool, darkish place for a few weeks. Cones and catkins may be saved of their entirety, shaking the seeds out simply earlier than sowing.
When storing berries, go away the flesh on to cease them drying out.
Tree seeds may be saved for a number of years if effectively ready: extract, clear and dry seeds from cones, berries and so forth.
Place them in an hermetic plastic bag, squeeze out the air, seal, label and place in a fridge (2-5°C).
If you end up prepared to make use of the seeds, stratify as required, aiming to sow in early spring.
Seed preparation
How seeds must be ready is dependent upon the kind:
Nuts
Take away cups, twigs and broken nuts. Drop the nuts in a bucket of water and throw away any that float — people who sink are more likely to germinate.
Fleshy fruits
These must be macerated, i.e. flesh eliminated. Half-fill a bucket with berries and add a small quantity of water.
Utilizing a sq. piece of wooden (say 5x5x20cm), bruise the berries very gently.
Pour off the flesh, pores and skin and seeds that float to the highest and repeat till all of the pulp (flesh and pores and skin) has been faraway from the berries and also you’re left with clear seeds.
Winged seeds
Take away the stalks and different particles (wings don’t must be eliminated).
Cones
Gently dry indoors till they start to open — not in direct daylight or on a radiator. Then put them in a paper bag and shake to launch the tiny seeds.
Dormancy
For seeds to germinate, their dormancy should be damaged. Tree seeds with a shallow dormancy may be sown straight. These tree species, similar to birch or alder, have a tendency to supply giant quantities of seed.
Haws, spindle or holly then again must be stratified or undergo managed temperature remedies earlier than they germinate.
Whatever the technique used, goal for early spring germination (i.e. sow early March).
Stratification
This mimics our typical wintry situations that tree seeds must endure.
Use a big plastic container with holes in base and huge stones. Combine totally one half seeds with one half builders’ sand and one half compost.
Cowl with extra sand and place outdoor in a shaded, damp (not moist) location and defend from mice and birds.
Within the spring, test weekly for germination, in search of swollen seeds. You need to see the tip of the radicle, particularly after a gentle spell (>10°C).
Pick the germinating seeds and sow instantly, and proceed checking dormant seeds weekly.
Managed temperature therapy
A extra ‘trendy’, environment friendly approach: combine the seed with moist composted bark and sand and place the combo in a transparent plastic bag and seal.
Chill within the fridge at 2-5°C for 4-20 weeks, relying on the species. Shake the bag periodically and sow instantly when germinating.
Some tree species are saved heat at 18-22°C for as much as 12 weeks, then adopted by a chilly therapy.
Sowing seeds
Tetrapak milk cartons make improbable containers. Reduce off the highest, punch a few holes within the backside and fill with compost to 1-2 cm beneath the highest.
Use potting compost or combine soil, sand and compost in equal proportions.
Small seeds (eg birch or alder) may be sown straight onto the floor of compost and coated with a skinny layer of sand. Solely put a small pinch of seeds in every container.
Acorns and different giant seeds may be sown one per container at a depth of 1½ occasions their dimension.
Place the milk cartons in a sheltered location, making certain good drainage (elevate the milk carton off the bottom a couple of centimetres).
Stop the compost from drying out, feed and weed.
Defend from fowl and animal injury and test frequently for pests and ailments.
When the saplings are about 50cm tall, minimize open the milk carton and plant them out of their last places.
Holly and blackthorn are the exception as it’s preferable to plant them out whereas nonetheless small.
Maintain data
As you get into rising timber from seed, you’ll be taught out of your errors, and also you’ll uncover that there are good and unhealthy seed years.
It’s a good suggestion to file the situation and date of assortment, what the tree seemed like (for example, was it straight or crooked?) and maintain monitor what seed therapy you utilized (and when), how germination and progress went.
A few ‘recipes’
Rising timber from seed is a bit like cooking a meal – you’re following a recipe that works for you. Every tree species has specific necessities for profitable germination. Listed here are a couple of ‘recipes’ for widespread timber you could wish to check out:
Oak
Accumulate acorns Sep-Nov. Discard the primary acorns to fall. You need to have the ability to discover and gather many acorns as soon as there was a frost. Do a float take a look at. Sow right away and defend.
Hawthorn
Accumulate the haws in September when absolutely ripe. Macerate to take away pulp from seeds. Combine the seed with composted bark and sand (see above) and retailer in heat for 4-8 weeks, then chill for 12-16 weeks. Then sow in early spring.
Guelder rose
Collect berries Aug-Sep earlier than they’re absolutely ripe.
Retailer in plastic luggage till partly rotten. Then separate seed from flesh by washing. Sow instantly.
Sow and canopy with 2cm of soil. Germination is more likely to be erratic.
Wych elm
Accumulate seeds Might-June (not September!). Sow instantly, cowl evenly with compost and maintain moist. Germination needs to be very fast.
Scots pine
Accumulate cones Nov-Feb earlier than they open. Dry in a heat room till they open and the seeds drop out. Retailer seed in a sealed container within the fridge.
4 weeks earlier than sowing, combine the seeds with a medium and return to the fridge to sit back.
Sow masking the seeds evenly. Maintain moist.
And eventually…
Rising timber from seed could be very satisfying and makes improbable private items to household and mates. Why not have a good time the beginning of a kid or keep in mind a liked one by planting a tree you grew your self from seed?
Steven Meyen is a Teagasc forestry advisor primarily based in Ballybofey; steven.meyen@teagasc.ie
