Seed propagation

Hi,

I planted some sycamore, willow and beech tree seeds.

The sycamore and beech have germinated but as of yet the willow have not. Is there any reason for this?

Also for next year are there any other tree seeds which are relatively easy to grow?

( I have several Horse chesnut trees of various sizes grown from seed)

Thanks

OBG

 

Willow is a very light seed dispersed by the wind, and as far as I know ripe very early in the year in comparison to most tree seeds.

Oak is easy as is sweet chestnut, infact almost all hardy common trees in the UK will grow from seed.

 

Hi OBG,

In order to germinate a seed must be viable (alive inside) and have the right five conditions required to break dormancy. Not all seeds are viable, and if one of the five requirments are not met then your seed will not germinate. I assume, but you've not confirmed this yet, that all seeds were planted at the same time and have received the same amount of care, warmth and water, etc.? If so then it may be that either you will just have to wait until the willow seed is ready to wake up, or you may need to abandon this particular seed and concentrate on another.

As for gorwing trees from seed; it't not really a case of what's easier to grow than another seed, because most seeds require the same things: water, warmth, safety from predation etc. Pioneer species such as birch, willow, sycamore, poplar seem to take well as they're genetically predispositioned to take quickly in new environments whereas climax species such as beech and oak germinate (in woodland speak) when they're good and ready.

If planting trees from seed is something that you're quite interested in doing may I suggest that you concentrate on the 33 species of native British tree. Just an idea.

All the best,
Matthew

 

Hi,

I now have approximately 80 saplings which have grown from the seeds I planted in 5" pots, will these be ok next year in these pots or will i need to transplant them into bigger pots or will they be ready for planting out in the wild?

Any advice welcome

OBG

 

I'm surprised it was the Willow that didn't grow for you OBG.
The stuff's a weed. In my last garden it was the biggest weed I had and I spent my life pulling it out.
Don't bother planting it. Fill a pot with compost and leave it anywhere in the vicinity of willow and the stuff will be up like a forest.

About your saplings, OBG.
I think of a sapling as a small tree - but I might be wrong.
If what you have is seedlings then what you do with them is up to you.
They can grow very quickly so I don't think they will be allright left in a bunch in 5" pots.
I would single them out into 5" pots and be prepared to move them on as they grow rapidly.
As to whether you can just plant them out in open ground - I think that depends on what kind of losses you are prepared to accept.
Some of them will make it - but most of them will not.
For maximum survival pot them on and plant them out when they are saplings (young trees).

 

Hi Alice,

To avoid confusion, the seedlings are individually potted in 5" pots at the moment and are standing between 8" and 12" tall.

I think I will give them another 12 months then plant them out.

Is it best to plant them out during the winter months when they are dormant?

OBG