A better way for indoor seeds starting

[papkey5]

I have tried to start many different trees from seeds this past winter. My success is abysmal. The silver lining is what I wanted to share with you all.

I have had more success when I have filled an entire 10x 20 with medium than using inserts. My reasoning is that after stratification when I have a heat mat under it, the soil temp more evenly gets to a higher temperature.

 

[Pitoon]

I have tried to start many different trees from seeds this past winter. My success is abysmal. The silver lining is what I wanted to share with you all.

I have had more success when I have filled an entire 10x 20 with medium than using inserts. My reasoning is that after stratification when I have a heat mat under it, the soil temp more evenly gets to a higher temperature.

You really don't need a heat mat to germinate seeds.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I used a heat pad trying to germinate dawn redwoods just because the optimal soil temp is 70*F (supposedly) while my garage is 55*F. I would imagine it helps those in the deep freeze right now.

 

[LittleDingus]

I used a heat pad trying to germinate dawn redwoods just because the optimal soil temp is 70*F (supposedly) while my garage is 55*F. I would imagine it helps those in the deep freeze right now.

My experience with dawn redwoods is that they need light to germinate. Surface sow and tamp down or a very light dusting of coir to hold moisture near the seed works best for me.

 

[JesusFreak]

I got 3 trident maples out of 100 on my first go round. I’m soaking the next batch in fulvic acid and kelp before I stratify. I also have an 6400w t5 that left on for 24 hr cycle. Substrate is 50/50 perlite and vermiculite. My rate isn’t that great either. This was all done without a heating mat tho

 

[LittleDingus]

I got 3 trident maples out of 100 on my first go round. I’m soaking the next batch in fulvic acid and kelp before I stratify. I also have an 6400w t5 that left on for 24 hr cycle. Substrate is 50/50 perlite and vermiculite. My rate isn’t that great either. This was all done without a heating mat tho

That seems extreme. Tridents will germinate during stratification for me. My process is to lay out on damp paper towel in a baggy. Bottom of my refrigerator where they even freeze sometimes. Pull out into room temps every 2 weeks and let sit for a day or two at room temp. Check for roots...plant out any that have some. Lather, rinse, repeat...

Usually by the 3rd or 4th cycle I'm potting out maples. Note: it is safe to wait and pot them all out at once if you'd prefer. I get 80% or higher rates this way. My last go was 20 out of 24 seeds.

If your rates continue to be low, check the quality of the seed by cutting a few open and looking for embryos.

 

[penumbra]

My experience with maples is just to plant them outside in the fall and let mother nature do the rest. I have 600 JM seedlings in a seedling bed which required no care except the time to seed them.

 

[Pitoon]

My experience with maples is just to plant them outside in the fall and let mother nature do the rest. I have 600 JM seedlings in a seedling bed which required no care except the time to seed them.

Sometimes I wonder why people make things so much more complicated than it needs to be. In nature they fall off the tree to the ground and surface germinate.

 

[Bavarian Raven]

You really don't need a heat mat to germinate seeds.

Depends on the seeds and how hot (or cold) your place is. For tropical seeds it helps / speeds up the process. For cold climate seeds it’s not needed but can quicken the process.

 

[JesusFreak]

I’m of the mindset that we can always do something better. That’s my reasoning behind what some may call “extreme”. I guess that’s the B.S Biology in me

 

[penumbra]

I’m of the mindset that we can always do something better. That’s my reasoning behind what some may call “extreme”. I guess that’s the B.S Biology in me

I am of they mindset that we can try, and perhaps should try, but mother nature has been working on it for a long long time. If you have the time to invest it is fun to experiment but there is little if any improvement over nature. It is fun to tweak things and look for different results and I would never try to discourage anyone from experimentation. Most often I have found that something as basic as sprouting maple seeds is best left to simpler and more natural methods. There are so many other things for me to experiment on, with the realization that every journey starts with a single step.
Carry on for you pleasure and self discovery. There are diamonds in the rough and pearls before swine.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I've tried starting a variety of seeds indoors in the middle of winter and have had pretty decent success rates for the most part. Cork Oaks, Japanese black pines(and then performing seedling cuttings), trident maples, zelkova, japanese maples and others. I've used the individual cell trays. And while i'm sure using the natural methods works great, I like having something to mess with.

The most important thing to me is having fresh seeds. Always use fresh seeds. I like Sheffields because they state the year of the crop. I stratify and then plant into a cell tray with a dome to keep moisture up and on a heat mat. Once i start seeing sprouts they get moved under a grow light. Water and feed as needed and then move em outside when temps are warm enough.

I haven't done it in two years because i just want less trees that will take time to grow out.... but i did just see some Picea Glehnii seeds which i'd say aren't generally easy to come by.

So.......

 

[JesusFreak]

I’m relatively new to bonsai and have been talking with @cmeg1 a good bit. He’s really put me on to the way he does it. I haven’t bought a grow tent yet to control CO2 levels or anything like that. I have invested in raw micronutrients and biostimulants. The weather here can grow just about anything so I’m hoping to have a ton of seedlings soon. Kinda disappointed so far but def like the scientific side to it all. Mother Nature (aka God) is still undefeated though lol. I’m gonna try and germinate some Korean hornbeam and more maples in may. I just place them all in a seedling tray that doesn’t have their own pods. Looking for new and improved ways, always

 

[Pitoon]

Depends on the seeds and how hot (or cold) your place is. For tropical seeds it helps / speeds up the process. For cold climate seeds it’s not needed but can quicken the process.

Average temps in a home is 70 degrees. While a heat mat "could assist' it's still not really require.

 

[LittleDingus]

...but there is little if any improvement over nature...

This is not true. Evolution does not result in optimal creations...it results in viable creations. Yes, those creations may be tuned to a circumstance...but that doesn't make the circumstance optimal...just viable.