I have seeds from a northern catalpa and have had trouble getting any germination. I have tried planting them at various depths, pre-soaking the seeds, keeping them in humid conditions in sun, indirect sun, etc. etc. How do I get these to grow? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou.
From this site: http://tomclothier.hort.net/page10.html "Catalpa speciosa, Western Catalpa, zone= 5, sow @ 70ºF" This site, which takes a bit to understand, says to sow on the surface and not to cover. Germination can be slow and irregular as this symbol says ˆ . http://www.backyardgardener.com/tm.html Catalpa - HT - 14-30 days to germinate - Light to germinate ˆ 60-70*F - Peaty soil - Sow on surface - Give seedlings good ventilation to prevent damping off. Hope that helps, Newt
I am looking for information on germinating of Blue Atlas Cedar and Bloodgood Japanese Maple seeds. Thanks for the potential assistance. Montana Gardner
Hi Montana--I've succeeded with cedrus (deodar in my case, but the atlas should work exactly the same). These are some of the touchiest of seeds to germinate without mold/damping off getting them, so here's what I do. Soak seeds overnite, then dry them off on a paper towel until the husks are just turning whitish again (not moist to touch anymore). Then put them in a plastic bag in the fridge for a month or so, then bring them out into room temp and watch the seeds for sprouting. As they sprout over several weeks, press the emerging roots into the planting mix in small individual pots, leaving the seed above the surface. It will continue to root downward, and once the needles emerge from the seed, you are fairly safe to handle them like other seedlings. Keep the air moving around them, humidity low as in the house, and bright light...might need to spray with some fungicide if mold appears on anything. Did I mention they are prone to mold :-)
Montana Gardener, From the site I gave to Green is the color: http://tomclothier.hort.net/page10.html Cedrus atlantica, Atlas cedar, zone 6, sow 2weeks @ 39ºF, move to 70ºF for germination. Acer japonicum, Japanese maple, zone ?, sow 3months @ 39ºF, then remove seed coats and move to 70ºF for germination. Newt
