Bought several seeds, any advice?

Aaron_K

Hi Xris,

Firstly virtually all the seeds are going to require a period of cold stratifcation. Putting them in the refridgerator in sealable bags with a little damp vermiculite in for a minimum of 60 days should help achieve this. You can of course keep them in the fridge till the the onset of winter is here, then sew them and let nature take its course.

Some species like the maples take up to 3 years to germinate, so don't be too disheartened if nothing grows initally.

Vermiculite or perlite are good growing mediums to sew seeds in. They are sterile and this will help minimise the risk of dampening off disease, which is probably the biggest killer of all seedlings. Always best to sprinkle on some antifungal powder though. Prevention is better than cure as they say.

If and when the seeds germinate, leave them in their pots for around about 6 months, or whenever they are big enough to transfer. Don't feed them as you will probably end up killing them. Young seedlings can quickly become overwhelmed by fertilizer. Wait until you have potted them on before you feed them.

As far as soil goes, anything can be used, so long as it doesnt get too boggy when wet and remain a swamp. Overwatering will kill them. A mix of 50% compost to 50% sharp sand will greatly aid the drainage. You could simply grow them in perlite/vermiculite quite happily.

Hope that helps.

All the best,

Aaron