Collecting Seeds

FredL

It is Fall, once again, here in the Ozarks, and with it the opportunity to collect about as many seeds as any bonsai enthusiast could possibly wish for. In my first Fall here back in "The Hobby", I collected a number of our local Hackberry (C. laevigata) as well as Crab Apple and Black Gum (N. sylvatica) seeds. The Hackberries germinated in great profusion, the Black Gums at a lesser rate and the Crab Apples not at all. These seedlings are now 18 months old and doing great.

Last Fall, encouraged by my new seedlings, I collected Amur Maple, Persimmon, Washington Hawthorne, Privet, Japanese Honeysuckle, Eastern Red Cedar and, once again, Crab Apple seeds and fruit. And, in the Spring, Red Maple. Once again, everything germinated, except the Crab Apples. And, I almost forgot, Burning Bush (E. alata) that I went to a lot of trouble to collect. I won't try with them again because they are so easy to get in one gallon cans at Walmart. I got 6 of them in 2 one gallon cans for $2.00 last Fall and do not lust after any more Burning Bushes.

I now have so many seedlings that I don't expect to collect any seeds this Fall, except for Crab Apples. I just can't believe they won't grow like everything else! I will pick some up today when I take my son to his piano lesson.

I've heard that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.

There is, I have noticed, a big difference between a one year old tree, a two year old tree and the three year old trees I collected as seedlings when I moved to our new house. Three year olds look like they might, indeed, someday develop into bonsai. In grow beds or grow boxes, they really develop with amazing speed.

I guess my seed collecting days are largely over. I do recommend carrying two or three plastic sandwich bags in a hip pocket at this time of year. It is surprizing what you come across just in the ordinary course of a day.

Fred

Advertisement

Brent

Fred

Count your blessings that the crabs didn't germinate. I discourage folks from growing them from seed for the simple reason that they can take upwards of twenty years to mature (to produce flowers and fruit).

You can get some great trunks in the meantime, but I find growing crabs without the pleasure of flowers and fruit to be an empty experience. I have some seedlings that are now nearly twenty years old, yep no flowers or fruit yet.

On the other hand, I grow lots of Malus cultivars from semi hardwood cuttings in the summer. Most root quite easily and some will even flower in the cutting flats the following spring. Usually they will not flower for a year or two after that, but will begin again the third year if you dont' prune them.

Brent

FredL

Brent, thanks for the tip. But, what I want to know is why you didn't tell me all this last Spring. My son's piano teacher had his Crab Apple pruned heavily last Summer and I'm sure I could have all the cuttings I could carry away!

But, seriously, your suggestion sounds excellent. Do you have any tips on making the cutting process work? I've never done well with my attempts with cuttings, except for real no-brainers like Virginia Creeper and Japanese Honeysuckle.

Fred

Attila

Hi Brent,
does the 20-year-rule apply to all Rosacea?

Attila

Hitza

Hi!

I haven't either been very lucky at germination crab aplles. I planted about 70 seeds and only one of them germinated. Mapples can be grown from seeds easily at least Acer platanoides.

I haven't get any cuttings so that I put them into soil, but at putting them over a film into a water glass has been succesful whit me (film prevents rotting). I got some Potentillas at this summer and they also flowered, but now one of them died maybe because of dehydration.

Brent

Atta

No, but it is true for Malus and Crataegus (hawthorn). Not true for Chaenomeles (three years). Can't think of any others off the top of my head, but I'm sure roses is only a few years. Oh yes, Punica is only a few years.

Fred
For crabapple cuttings take semi hardwood cuttings of the current years growth, usually this is late spring (June on N. hemisphere). Three node cuttings usually, about six inches. If very leafy, remove some of this transpiration deficit by cutting the leaves in half rather than removing them. Use a hormone of 0.8% IBA for most cultivars, and talc works better than solutions. I use Hormex #8 for almost all.

For general cutting procedure see the article at my website:

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/cuttings.htm

Brent

Fletch

Four or five years ago I collected several seeds from an interesting ornamental crab apple (called a 'Royalty Crab' in the local garden centres - deep purple leaves and flowers and really small fruit) in the neighborhood and had great success in getting them to germinate by simply planting them in a pot and leaving them outside over the winter. I did have some problems the first summer with some of the seedlings wilting but seemed to be doing fine with keeping the others going strong. I left them outside with my other hardy trees that winter but sadly come the spring none of them had survived, I guess the seedlings were still too tender to be left out that way... .

I tried again the next fall by planting some more collected seeds but had no luck the following spring and haven't bothered trying again since. From your experience I suppose its a good thing I saved myself the agrivation, eh?

I wonder if my neighbor would mind if I took cuttings from his tree? He didn't mind letting me have the fruit, it just falls off and rots on his lawn anyway if the birds don't eat it, but cuttings might be a different subject. Guess I'll just have to ask and see.

__________________
Advice worth every penny you paid for it.

Regards
Fletch

FredL

Brent, the article was very interesting. Thanks. Fred