Ok to plant seeds now?

[Vik250]

Hi,

I had planted few seeds about 6-8 weeks ago for 1st time and now they are growing as spring is here.

I have lots of other seeds for different trees. I was wondering if I can plant those (maybe 2-3 of each kind) at this time of year? What are your thoughts?

FYI - I have been planting everything indoor under grow lights.

Thank You as Always!!

 

[Shibui]

Spring is a great time to plant seeds of most things but, as usual, it depends.

Some species from colder regions won't germinate until the seeds have been through winter. We usually 'stratify' these seeds buy mixing with damp sand or moss and keep them in the fridge for a few weeks before sowing or sow outdoors in Fall or winter so the seeds get natural stratification. You'll need a 4-6 week lead in time for seeds that require stratification.

Some species have hard seed coats that won't absorb water until a fire has come past or the seeds have spent time on the ground where sand, etc wears away the hard coat. This type of seed is 'scarified' - scraped with sandpaper or treated with boiling water before sowing but that treatment only takes a few minutes.

There are also a heap of species that don't need any seed treatment to allow germination. Just sow those, water and wait for them to pop up. Spring is an ideal time to sow these seeds.

 

[Vik250]

Spring is a great time to plant seeds of most things but, as usual, it depends.

Some species from colder regions won't germinate until the seeds have been through winter. We usually 'stratify' these seeds buy mixing with damp sand or moss and keep them in the fridge for a few weeks before sowing or sow outdoors in Fall or winter so the seeds get natural stratification. You'll need a 4-6 week lead in time for seeds that require stratification.

Some species have hard seed coats that won't absorb water until a fire has come past or the seeds have spent time on the ground where sand, etc wears away the hard coat. This type of seed is 'scarified' - scraped with sandpaper or treated with boiling water before sowing but that treatment only takes a few minutes.

There are also a heap of species that don't need any seed treatment to allow germination. Just sow those, water and wait for them to pop up. Spring is an ideal time to sow these seeds.

Thank You @Shibui. So what I did few hours ago is I put few seeds of following 5 plants in warm water and will remove them after 24 hrs - Buddha Tree, Dawn Redwood, Crape Myrtle, Colorado Blue Spruce, and Siberian Elm Tree. [I also placed few seeds of Dawn Redwood in wet paper inside ziplock bag in fridge as per what I reserved]. I still have more seeds left but am thinking of planting them in winter or few weeks prior to next spring. I was just thinking if it's OK to leave these additional seeds at room temperature until next year or if that would not work? Any thoughts?

As Always, Thanks a Ton for your help

 

[cmeg1]

I believe soberian elm and dawn redwood will sprout right away……..I would not soak the siberian elm at all as they are very soft seed and sprout in a couple days…..The so erian elm are very fun in this regard and have a very dependable fall color as well……….I am currently growing a few hundred.

 

[penumbra]

You might be better off planting all your seeds that don't need further treatment, rather than holding them. My Siberian Elms sprouted about 4-5 weeks ago and are now 2-3 inches tall and some are beginning to branch.

 

[Vik250]

I believe soberian elm and dawn redwood will sprout right away……..I would not soak the siberian elm at all as they are very soft seed and sprout in a couple days…..The so erian elm are very fun in this regard and have a very dependable fall color as well……….I am currently growing a few hundred.

Wow. Thanks @cmeg1 for this information. Unfortunately this was one that had no directions on the package. But I have more seeds so I'll follow your advice. Thank You

 

[Vik250]

You might be better off planting all your seeds that don't need further treatment, rather than holding them. My Siberian Elms sprouted about 4-5 weeks ago and are now 2-3 inches tall and some are beginning to branch.

Hi @penumbra ,

Thanks for your response and suggestion. May I ask why do you recommend planting all seeds that don't need any treatments such as stratification right now instead of doing this prior to next spring? I am still a bit new to this and have learned a lot from @Shibui , @sorce and others in here. So apologies if I am asking an absurd question here.

Thank You !!

 

[Shibui]

I was just thinking if it's OK to leave these additional seeds at room temperature until next year or if that would not work? Any thoughts?

I don't know specifics for seed longevity for these species so cannot give you good advice.
Most tree species have seeds that retain viability for at least several years but some are surprisingly short lived like oak which will not germinate if the acorns dry out so oak seed must be sown when fresh and can't be stored dry.
You can probably search for info on viability for the species you have.
For seed that retains viability in storage there's no problem storing seed for a year or 2. Store in sealed containers in cool, dark place to retain best viability. Store in sealed containers in the fridge for even better viability.
Seed that does not store well should be sowed as it is unlikely to germinate after a year in storage unless frozen maybe?

Not sure why you are so concerned with keeping seed for next year? My only reasons for storing some seed would be: Needs stratification to germinate and it's too late now or; Already have too many seeds planted to look after. I suspect that spruce would be the only one on your list that is likely to require stratification to germinate but search for info. Not hard to find.

IMHO you'd be much better getting fresh seed for whatever you want to do next year. Fresh seed will always give better results.

 

[Vik250]

I don't know specifics for seed longevity for these species so cannot give you good advice.
Most tree species have seeds that retain viability for at least several years but some are surprisingly short lived like oak which will not germinate if the acorns dry out so oak seed must be sown when fresh and can't be stored dry.
You can probably search for info on viability for the species you have.
For seed that retains viability in storage there's no problem storing seed for a year or 2. Store in sealed containers in cool, dark place to retain best viability. Store in sealed containers in the fridge for even better viability.
Seed that does not store well should be sowed as it is unlikely to germinate after a year in storage unless frozen maybe?

Not sure why you are so concerned with keeping seed for next year? My only reasons for storing some seed would be: Needs stratification to germinate and it's too late now or; Already have too many seeds planted to look after. I suspect that spruce would be the only one on your list that is likely to require stratification to germinate but search for info. Not hard to find.

IMHO you'd be much better getting fresh seed for whatever you want to do next year. Fresh seed will always give better results.

Got it @Shibui . Thanks for this detailed advice. I was saving some seeds because I thought it maybe too late to sow them as we are approaching June. However, now that you mentioned, I will sow all seeds Except the ones that require cold stratification.

Thank You So Much

 

[cmeg1]

Wow. Thanks @cmeg1 for this information. Unfortunately this was one that had no directions on the package. But I have more seeds so I'll follow your advice. Thank You

They will sprout…..they will mush quite quickly though…….. you gotta love a Zelkova ,larch,Siberian elm ,JBP for their ability to sprout from one with no pre-treatment……….. Even if say a Zelkova seed requires 60 days stratification I will straight up just soak them for five days in some kelp water and it literally gets the Seeds craken in a sprout in a week……… The gibberellins in the kelp powder are the first present chemicals involved in seed embryo germination ……it literally sparks the flame!!!

 

[Vik250]

They will sprout…..they will mush quite quickly though…….. you gotta love a Zelkova ,larch,Siberian elm ,JBP for their ability to sprout from one with no pre-treatment……….. Even if say a Zelkova seed requires 60 days stratification I will straight up just soak them for five days in some kelp water and it literally gets the Seeds craken in a sprout in a week……… The gibberellins in the kelp powder are the first present chemicals involved in seed embryo germination ……it literally sparks the flame!!!

Wow. Thanks a Ton @cmeg1. This is extremely helpful information. I didn't know this even after researching so much and watching videos. Very grateful. Thank You

 

[BonsaiMania]

They will sprout…..they will mush quite quickly though…….. you gotta love a Zelkova ,larch,Siberian elm ,JBP for their ability to sprout from one with no pre-treatment……….. Even if say a Zelkova seed requires 60 days stratification I will straight up just soak them for five days in some kelp water and it literally gets the Seeds craken in a sprout in a week……… The gibberellins in the kelp powder are the first present chemicals involved in seed embryo germination ……it literally sparks the flame!!!

Hey Cmeg,

I dont have Kelp, I do however have Superethrive which has Kelp as an Ingrediant, would SuperThrive Suffice for this Method of the Seed Soak?

 

[cmeg1]

Hey Cmeg,

I dont have Kelp, I do however have Superethrive which has Kelp as an Ingrediant, would SuperThrive Suffice for this Method of the Seed Soak?

Not near as good as kelp powder…..the powder is pure and much more gibberellins