repot acer palmatum seedlings from under tree

[barrosinc]

Every year, at the in-laws house grow a bunch of acer palmatum seedlings under a tree from natural stratification.

In February this year (mid summer in south america), I undug them and put them in a seedling tray in potting soil, mostly all of them died.

When should I take them out and repot them and to what medium? It will be hard undigging them just when the start sprouting because they will be tiny and get confused with other stuff.

 

[0soyoung]

It is difficult to raise seedlings without a high death rate.

I too enjoy digging up volunteers that I find in my garden. My advice is to be very careful to not disturb the roots. I slice the soil around the seedling 'slide' a garden spade under to lift it all out in one piece. I then set in directly into a pot about the same size and the cylinder of dirt. I still loose close to half of them over the following 2 seasons, but only 1 in 10 survive if I don't do this.

enjoy

 

[barrosinc]

I see these germination stations with a dome like a greenhouse. Ar those any good?

 

[edprocoat]

They work nice, I like those clear plastic shoe boxes at the dollar stores. You can put over a dozen starts planted in the small peat pots and put the lid on until they grow to the top. Then I usually get another one and set it upside down over the bottom one and tape the two together, makes a nifty little greenhouse for sprouts.

ed

 

[barrosinc]

that's a good idea.
I might get a heating mat off ebay.

 

[kirk@localbonsai.com]

I would put them in a shadier spot for this year. Next year, transplant them, leave all the roots and put them into a 50/50 potting soil/aggregate mix.

 

[barrosinc]

this year there are already like 50 sprouted.
Lets see how we do this year.