Picea seeds germination

Discussion in 'Gymnosperms (incl. Conifers)' started by Soumil Yarlagadda, Dec 16, 2022.

  1. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    here are some photos of Black spruce (picea mariana) seeds germinating after 5 days, no cold stratification. this paper towel method works really great for germinating plants with small seeds. you can see them as they germinate too! the seed source is New Brunswick, Canada.

    lets see how this boreal species fares in southern california. id love some advice!

    @Ron B @wcutler
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Dec 16, 2022
  2. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    Some blue spruce seeds germinated as well. from Colorado
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    At least they wont feel overwatered here. very dry similarly to their native climate in colorado albeit much milder winters. but i dont see any problems in these spruces that would otherwise occur in maritime climates
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,559
    Likes Received:
    574
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    Mild winters are very bad for spruces, they get damaged or killed by various pests that can't survive cold winters, but overwhelm the spruces in mild conditions.
     
    Soumil Yarlagadda likes this.
  5. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2022
  6. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,559
    Likes Received:
    574
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    Unfortunately, as your link says, "once a tree is infected with a fungal disease it is very difficult to halt the decline, much less reverse it", not really, no! Other than finding some way of freezing the tree to -8°C or lower for a couple of months in the midwinter :-)

    If it is the blue foliage you want, try Single-leaf Pinyon, or perhaps Arizona Cypress, they're a nice blue and much more heat tolerant. For the shape, it's much more difficult to replicate with something else.
     
    davidrt28 and Soumil Yarlagadda like this.
  7. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    You are right. hopefully these trees survive though. I will also plant the cypress and the singleleaf pinyon.

    possible picea abies could work. ive seen large ones in the bay area
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2022
  8. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    found a small specimen close to where i live. I think they are languished here
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,559
    Likes Received:
    574
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    That one certainly doesn't look happy!
     
    Soumil Yarlagadda likes this.
  10. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    yes. That tree has been in the ground since 2007, not even 3 ft of growth.
     
  11. Soumil Yarlagadda

    Soumil Yarlagadda Well-Known Member Maple Society

    Messages:
    381
    Likes Received:
    277
    Location:
    Corona, CA
    could growing these from seed allow them to acclimate better?
     
  12. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

    Messages:
    1,261
    Likes Received:
    385
    Location:
    Estonia
    Yes, growing from seed gives somewhat better acclimatization. According to my experiences P. pungens has relatively slow growth at young age, that's normal. They speed up significantly after 10 years or so after planting. Unfortunately they loose a lot of their nice appearance soon after that, as they start loosing needles from their lower branches because of shading from their own top growth.
     
    Soumil Yarlagadda likes this.

Share This Page