Let Nature do it - Seeds I’ve failed with before

[penumbra]

Honestly the sanding was the worst part

I never could talk myself into sanding unless it was just a few seeds. I use a fingernail clipper to nip the seeds. This is best for medium and large seeds. You have to go slow and take it easy on small seeds.
I nick them, soak for 24 hours starting with hot water (not boiling), stratify if needed, plant in seed mix and put on heat mat.
If seed coat is very hard you can soak, nip and re soak.

 

[Haines' Trees]

I use a fingernail clipper

That’s an excellent suggestion, my friend!

 

[Mikecheck123]

Watch for squirrels and birds. If they're not covered they may get to them. They do here.

The other big enemy of seeds is slugs. They'll eat the newly emerged seedlings as fast as they sprout which means it's time for salt revenge. And a lid.

 

[Shibui]

Some Aussie seeds need scarification to get good germination. They can be scratched with sand paper but far easier to put the seeds in a cup and pour boiling water over then leave to soak overnight. The sudden change in temp is what cracks the hard seed coat to allow water to penetrate and germination begins.
Boiling water won't hurt hard coated seeds.

 

[Haines' Trees]

Update:

I periodically check on my stratifying seeds and I’m happy that I have! I’m pleased to report that, of the 5 initial bags I prepared, each with 100 seeds and a different treatment, I have germinating seeds in two of them.

The two treatments that have yielded positive results are both of the shelling treatments. It’s worth noting that these have germinated about 3 weeks prior to the 90 days of cold stratification recommended by the seller. After picking thru the pre-shelled bag, I’ve found 9 germinated seeds

I’ll plant these and report back with how many I find in the other.

 

[Haines' Trees]

I found 8 that have germinated in the bag that contained seeds shelled after soaking for a day.

So that’s encouraging, since that makes almost 6x as many as I’ve successfully germinated before. The seeds have been planted and will be inside until the weather is more agreeable. The bags have gone back in the fridge for a while longer.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Thank you sir! I was a science major in college so that is probably where the experimentation mindset comes from.

That being said, I did not measure the amount of peat or water I put into each bag. I do that very much “by feel” so I guess this will all have to be taken with that grain of salt.

Little chicken bastards… I have 5 hens that I keep for eggs and they are little dinosaurs, man! Also, I’m not feed those ugly things the last of my cherry seeds because I spent 2+ years looking for some.

I like what you have done . I to am attempting some from seed . Zone 4 I have what I believe is Prunus Seargenti. And some mystery seeds . They look prunes . Bushes growing in planter in front of a office building . What I found interesting was tight ramification small leaves and fruit . Anyway in both cases . I allowed the fruit still on the plant to stratify over the winter . Plan is to scarify the seeds and plant see what happens . Going to try the crack the shell idea . Sanding sounds like a pain in the ass .especially with the bush seeds very small . Just wondering did you research it find a idea . To scarify with a chemical soak . I’ve heard of this but can’t much info on what to use . Idea is of course to duplicate the digestive action of animals.

 

[Haines' Trees]

Sanding sounds like a pain in the ass

Sanding was indeed a big pain, just finding a way to hold onto the seed while sanding it was the worst, and I ended up with a few beat up fingers in the process. I had high hopes for the sanding treatment; logically it seemed to me like an effective treatment with relatively little risk to damage to the embryo (unlike shelling) but I’ve gotten nothing from them. What I have got is a bit of mold in the sanded bags. I plan to pick through some of the others and remove mold sources before we get any more victims

To scarify with a chemical soak . I’ve heard of this but can’t much info on what to use . Idea is of course to duplicate the digestive action of animals.

Im aware that this is the typical mechanism in nature, but I haven’t tried it. There are so many variables and different things that happen during digestion that it’s pretty impossible to duplicate artificially. I’m sure you could do a dilute acid soak for a short time to give it a “stomach acid” effect, but then the question is which type of acid? And that’s before it goes through an intestine but after it’s been beat up in a gizzard for a while…

Assuming shelling continues to yield good results I think that’s the method

 

[sorce]

I'm planting a bunch of seeds from the chicken feed this year.

I'm infatuated with Buckwheat!

Oats, Barley, Sunflower, safflower, flax, millet....

Fitting to use some as cover crops for the garden in fall and let em forage them through winter.

Buck buck.

Sorce

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Sanding was indeed a big pain, just finding a way to hold onto the seed while sanding it was the worst, and I ended up with a few beat up fingers in the process. I had high hopes for the sanding treatment; logically it seemed to me like an effective treatment with relatively little risk to damage to the embryo (unlike shelling) but I’ve gotten nothing from them. What I have got is a bit of mold in the sanded bags. I plan to pick through some of the others and remove mold sources before we get any more victims



Im aware that this is the typical mechanism in nature, but I haven’t tried it. There are so many variables and different things that happen during digestion that it’s pretty impossible to duplicate artificially. I’m sure you could do a dilute acid soak for a short time to give it a “stomach acid” effect, but then the question is which type of acid? And that’s before it goes through an intestine but after it’s been beat up in a gizzard for a while…

Assuming shelling continues to yield good results I think that’s the method

I agree about complexity of digestion . Was just wondering if your research lead to a chemical to use . I’ve heard vinegar and citric acid but unsure if strengths and the source of info was questionable

 

[Frozentreehugger]

I'm planting a bunch of seeds from the chicken feed this year.

I'm infatuated with Buckwheat!

Oats, Barley, Sunflower, safflower, flax, millet....

Fitting to use some as cover crops for the garden in fall and let em forage them through winter.

Buck buck.

Sorce

Chickens are the closest thing we have . To T. REX there nasty . But at least the squirrels are scared of them . Do they Disturb your bonsai . Diving in the soil probable at least keep the bugs down . Do you think T REX would have been good bbq

 

[sorce]

Do they Disturb your bonsai

Even when they jump in amongst them to lay eggs, it doesn't cause much damage.

They'll be in holding till the garden grows though!

Sorce

 

[Mikecheck123]

squirrels

It's kind of a cool feeling to see a squirrel climbing in a tree you grew from seed. I saw that yesterday. "I DID THAT, BRO!"

 

[Pitoon]

Watch for squirrels and birds. If they're not covered they may get to them. They do here.

I found some American Beech seeds that sprouted in my yard. I collected them and potted them up......within the same day the squirrels picked them off....all of them.

When growing by seed outdoors a cage/screen is definitely needed for protection.

 

[Haines' Trees]

Checked on the trays today and found a bit of green in there!

The first is obvious and the second is out of focus between the 12 and 1 o’clock of the in focus one. Only 2 for now, but I’ll take that for now since I’ve never once gotten any.

Unfortunately I’ve seen nothing from the tray with the cherry seeds. I’m wondering if the fact that I didn’t scarify them beforehand is my issue. My control batches in the fridge haven’t exactly been doing stellar.

 

[leatherback]

Checked on the trays today and found a bit of green in there!
View attachment 430303
The first is obvious and the second is out of focus between the 12 and 1 o’clock of the in focus one. Only 2 for now, but I’ll take that for now since I’ve never once gotten any.

Unfortunately I’ve seen nothing from the tray with the cherry seeds. I’m wondering if the fact that I didn’t scarify them beforehand is my issue. My control batches in the fridge haven’t exactly been doing stellar.

going by the cherries in my garden.. The seeds germinate quite late. I think you might have still a few more to show. Here all seeds are sleeping still.

 

[Haines' Trees]

Hmm, well I hope you’re right leatherback. I’d hate to have bupkis in that tray

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Checked on the trays today and found a bit of green in there!
View attachment 430303
The first is obvious and the second is out of focus between the 12 and 1 o’clock of the in focus one. Only 2 for now, but I’ll take that for now since I’ve never once gotten any.

Unfortunately I’ve seen nothing from the tray with the cherry seeds. I’m wondering if the fact that I didn’t scarify them beforehand is my issue. My control batches in the fridge haven’t exactly been doing stellar.

Most of my seeds are being planted this weekend . Including prunes . USDA zone 4 in the past I have started seeds indoors and stratified in the fridge . I don’t do that anymore . Seeds collected late winter from trees . Or just stored dry in winter storage . Plant in trays outside . In spring now . Gas proven to be just as successful . Plus tougher trees and less leggy before first leaves . This will be my second attempt at prunus . The first was only choke cherry which propagate easy

 

[Frozentreehugger]

So far my seeds .I’m confident are Prunus Sargenti I allowed nature to stratify the seeds in fruit hanging on the tree . Picked the frozen fruit start of March zone 4 . Thawed the fruit left the seeds in the fruit sealed in a plastic bag warm environment . Beside the wood stove . High as low 80s F. Plan was to Encourage fruit to rot . 5 weeks . Washed the seeds from fruit surprising small . 2 per fruit so small hard to figure out how to effectively scarify went with 48 hour soak water and white vinegar 1/3 vinegar . Washed again rain water soak 48 hours plant indoors sunny window As of today 15 days I have 20 sprouts all last 10 hours flat has about 120 seeds planted

 

[Haines' Trees]

It seems that my test group of cherries is pretty much done doing anything. No new germination in the last 7 days so I’m gonna call it good now. So here are our results of the 5 batches of 100 seeds each with a different treatment:
Control: 9% germination
Scratch: 21%
Sanded: 19%
Shelled before 24hr soak: 72%
Shelled after 24hr soak: 68%

So the conclusion we can draw from these results is pretty clear: any treatment at all will improve germination odds, but properly opening the shell via cracking it works best, either before or after a 24 hour soak in water.

I’ll be the first to admit that there were a few variables I could have controlled better in this experiment (weight of dry soil in each bag, mL of water added, I could keep going) but I’ll still confidently stand by these results. I had a second set, nearly the same, just without me counting out the seeds and this is what we have there:

No activity in the control, a small amount in the scratch and sand, while the shelled seeds went hog wild. Yes these have gotten away from me… bad tree keeper.