2021 Forest From Seed(ling) 8 (or 6) Year Contest

[Kadebe]

Yes, let's wait until December 15 to start up some threads. To clarify, you just need a single picture of your starting material (per future forest) - taken any time after December 15, 2020.

Does this mean that sowing is not allowed until 15 December?

 

[Kanorin]

The original rules were intended so that you can sow them now, but can't germinate them until 15 December. So putting them into the soil outside in cold weather would be fine (for most species that need a winter dormancy).

But since I've already made an exception for this rule, so how about we do this: For any seeds that have or will have started germination between July 1st 2020 and December 15, 2020 - calculate the number of days that you germinated early and your new contest end date will be that many days prior to December 31, 2029. I'm going to rely on the honor system for people to police themselves in this

I think I underestimated the number of people with indoor lighting setups and didn't think about some species that don't need cold stratification...I was thinking most people would wait until late winter/ early spring to start germinating. Also, there might be some people in the southern hemisphere that could benefit from this. Always learning!

 

[Eckhoffw]

Yes, but then you have to figure out how to arrange different sizes of trees, position them, wire or prune them so they all work together.
If you're interested to start with insubstantial material, then the "from seed" division is the one for you!

Very good! Thank you.

 

[erich_raudebaugh]

For reference, this Japanese maple forest was pot-grown from seeds for the last 6 years. There are 55 trees here, I got them very close by letting the seeds sow themselves. I set a grow box under a maple tree, and let seedlings grow how they wanted to, so this is a bit of an experiment. The biggest tree on the right I let grow almost unrestricted every year to be dominant, then cut in the fall.

Several groups of trees were trained and then positioned in the pot, I've added to the forest over the years.

I plan on sowing some fresh seeds this December for the contest, this looks like fun!

 

[Kanorin]

Is there room to make another contest sub-forum for this contest? @Bonsai Nut

 

[HorseloverFat]

My Punica Granatums just turned a year old recently...

Hmmm...

They shall go on a slab!

I have the perfect one.

 

[RJG2]

I'm in. Collected seeds from my lace leaf JM, a paperbark maple of some sort, an Amur maple, some type of red JM, and a European (I think) beech.

Maples have all started warm strat. Beech will go straight to cold strat.

Not sure which I'll use yet.

 

[Kadebe]

Why can't I see this thread in the "Home forums" submenu "Contests"?

 

[Gabler]

I don't think anything here is officially starting until the 15th. I had assumed that's why there wasn't a thread under "Contests" yet, and I'd guess they just haven't set everything up yet?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Christmas present from my Aunt...

Getting ‘cited!

 

[leatherback]

Nice. Project. I see a forest in your future!
Which is the japanese elm?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Nice. Project. I see a forest in your future!
Which is the japanese elm?

Ulmus Davidiana (Also called “David’s Elm”)... VERY similiar to the standard “American Elm”.. I had gotten THESE, specifically, because they are impervious to Dutch Elm Disease.. which I MORE recently learned is not much of a concern in “Tiny-Tree” scenarios.

We learn... and keep learning..

 

[Kadebe]

My seeds for the contest

 

[leatherback]

is not much of a concern in “Tiny-Tree” scenarios.

I think the tree needs to be borky and big for beetles to find or something, right?

 

[oddirt]

Great contest idea. Here are one of the seeds I’m starting this year. In stratification about a month. Almost the last ones from my California native tree species checklist.

 

[Kanorin]

I love that people are readying their seeds for their future forests!
These are the seeds that I'll be sowing this year (I'll probably lose/kill a lot of these, but strength in numbers!)

• styrax japonica (weeping)
• bald cypress
• cornus racemosa - gray dogwood
• cornus florida
• eastern redbud
• ulmus americana
• malus sp. - crabapples collected from 4 different crabs in parks my city
• Acer palmatum - collected from 2-3 different trees
• Acer ??? - An unknown maple with 3-4" star-shaped leaves, about 25 feet tall. Much bigger samaras than AP.
• Chaemicypress obtusa - Hinoki (false)cypress

I've contacted B Nut about a possible sub-forum. He must be busy.

 

[Kanorin]

I also wanted to remind people about the two addendums to the official rules for the "from seed division":

1) If you just recently germinated seeds (since July 1, 2020) or your seeds happen to sprout early, you may still enter these seeds in the "from seed" division. Simply calculate the number of days that your seeds sprouted prior to December 15th and make a note to submit your final contest submission at least that # of days early.

2) Instead of starting a thread for each "from seed" future forest, it's recommended that each person make a single thread to catalog the germination and development of all of their seeds for the first year. After a year or so, you can make separate threads for the seeds that grow and survive.

 

[leatherback]

and make a note to submit your final contest submission at least that # of days early.

really?

 

[HorseloverFat]

That amount of days is just “five o’clock shadow”

 

[Kanorin]

Just wanted to let everyone know who is following this thread:
The contest has it's own sub-forum now.
Feel free to start up your thread now if you'd like.
7 Days until official contest start!