I am having a lot of trouble starting this aralia from seed. Does anyone have any tips or hints? I have tried several times and just recently read on a website that it is extremely difficult (ya don't say)! Any help would be greatly appreciated...
I am not all that sure about False Aralia from seed, but this is how Aralia is propagated. Aralia shrubs or aralia trees are best propagated from seeds planted in the fall as SOON AS THE SEED IS RIPE. Soak the seed in sulfuric acid for one-half hour to one hour, wash in water, and plant AT ONCE. Aralia may also be propagated by root cuttings or by root graftings or budding. - Millet Plow - Plant - Fertilize - Harvest - Repeat
Thanks so much for the reply! Really appreciated. Like I said, I have had no luck, but I also have only soaked them in water...
There are many reasons for seed dormancy. Although it often seems as if our vegetable and flower seeds take a long time to germinate, certain tree and shrub seeds are much more deliberate. Many seeds, like aralia, have hard coats that take years to soften naturally. The Brazil nut reputedly requires six years before the shell is softened, and two additional years to sprout. Commercially aralia is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid to soften the coating and encourage faster germination, a process called acid scarification. Rather than work with a potentially dangerous acid treatment, home propagators sometimes make a nick barely through the coat of hard to crack seeds with a small file or a bit of sandpaper. However in the case of aralia sulfuric acid is the preferred method. Good luck. - Millet Plow - Plant - Fertilize - Harvest - Repeat
