Growing from seeds

Armisteadmg42

i just bought 100 chinese elm seeds and i really dont have a clue what im doing. Ive read things that say sit the seed in water for 24 hours and stratify (put in the fridge?) for 90 days. Ive also read that i should sow the seed in autumn so it would have time to germinate before spring. As for actually sowing the seed... how deep should i put it in the soil (what type of soil should i use) and how far away from the other seeds should it be placed? and (if i get seedlings) i read in a book that u acutally cut the roots off and then replace the seedling into another pot. as for watering i hear that putting camomile (sp?) tea in a spray bottle and spraying it ever second day is enought water for the plant and protects against damping off. I dont know what information i should trust. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

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BonsaiTwit

One thing at a time. You can do 1 of 2 things to start them growing. I personally like the fridge technique, the temp is controlled and you can easily get to them to monitor. Soak them in warm water for 24-48 hours, this allows them get some water on the inside and wakes them up. From there I put them in a ziplock bag with some moist soil (very little water) and an anti fungus spray. Let them sit in the fridge for quite some time, up to 3 months, and check them every 30 days or so, some will germinate and you must take them out of the fridge. Once they start to germinate place them in whatever you plan to grow them for the time being. I usually have a pot that I will be growing them in for the month or so ready, then I plant them in the ground. If you do this now, you will have to keep them inside for the winter and bring them out in the spring, they probably won't be mature enough to survive the winter. Had you done this in the winter they would be ready to be outside now and would survive no prob.

As for trimming the roots, yes you should, but only the tap root, this is the equivavlent of the trunk of the tree in the root system. Let it develop some roots first. By trimming it, it allows for some nice nebari to grow down the road. This is a long process, but can be very rewarding. Good luck and hope this helps.