AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
A bit early ? Not sure : the seeds that will grow in 2021 are collected in 2020, so the process is starting now.
I collected samaras from Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' in a park. From what I've read, they need a double stratification, 120 days warm stratification, then 120 days cold stratification, but that means 8 months.
So I let them dry for about 2 weeks, and put them in tepid water today.
Tomorrow, I will put them in an aluminium tray (see the thread about maple seeds) with some soil, and keep them alternately in my house (19-22° C, 66-71 F) for three weeks, then in a small fridge (3-5 ° C, 37-41 F) I have in my garage for the same, then reduce for a few days the alternance : 21 days temperate, 21 days cold, then 15 days cold, 15 days temperate, or so.
A. japonicum, shirasawanum, and a few others are a bit difficult to germinate because of this "double stratification" they are supposed to need but I had 3 shirasawanum out of a dozen germinate while they were just put outside in a pot for the winter, so I think that the change in cold/warm conditions, in a rather mild climate (min. -9° C, 16 F) can be OK. We'll see...
I collected samaras from Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' in a park. From what I've read, they need a double stratification, 120 days warm stratification, then 120 days cold stratification, but that means 8 months.
So I let them dry for about 2 weeks, and put them in tepid water today.
Tomorrow, I will put them in an aluminium tray (see the thread about maple seeds) with some soil, and keep them alternately in my house (19-22° C, 66-71 F) for three weeks, then in a small fridge (3-5 ° C, 37-41 F) I have in my garage for the same, then reduce for a few days the alternance : 21 days temperate, 21 days cold, then 15 days cold, 15 days temperate, or so.
A. japonicum, shirasawanum, and a few others are a bit difficult to germinate because of this "double stratification" they are supposed to need but I had 3 shirasawanum out of a dozen germinate while they were just put outside in a pot for the winter, so I think that the change in cold/warm conditions, in a rather mild climate (min. -9° C, 16 F) can be OK. We'll see...