How to Grow Trees and Shrubs from Seed.

Special Treatments to Aid Germination and Ensure a Green Future.

Nov 4, 2009

Raising trees and shrubs from seed is an investment in the future which requires patience and often involves using special treatments to aid germination.

Many gardeners have been stopped in their desire to propagate trees and shrubs with the discovery that a certain type of seed needs scarifying or another should be stratified. Seed viability, or rather the lack of it and the reasons why some seeds lie dormant until certain conditions are met all add to the feelings of uncertainty and a reluctance to sow. Overcoming these problems isn't always difficult and the progeny you produce makes the effort worthwhile.

Trees and Shrubs Worth Growing From Seed.

When growing trees and shrubs from seed you are normally restricted to raising species. Cultivars (i.e garden varieties) will not come true from seed. However, certain varieties of mountain ash like Sorbus 'Joseph Rock' do come reasonably true from seed. Japanese maples (Acer palmatum species) won't be identical to the parent plant but you may well get very attractive colour variations.

How and When to Get Seed of Trees and Shrubs.

Collecting your own seed is in many ways preferable to buying it from specialist suppliers. Benefits include the obvious money saving aspects, plus the fact that yu can collect the seed at exactly the right stage of its development. You are able to collect from healthy plants which, because they have grown locally will produce offspring which should do well in your garden.

Autumn is the time to collect seed of many species including Acers (Maples), Aesculus (Horsechestnuts), Qurcus (oaks), Sorbus (Mountain ash), Berberis and Cotoneaster. You will have to be quick to beat the birds to those with berries.

Using Special Treatments to Overcome Dormancy

Some seeds, typically legumes such as Laburnum and Piptanthus develop hard impenetrable seed coats. Although still viable the seeds remain dormant until such time as nature or our intervention allows the seed to soak up moisture. To break this type of dormancy:-

Many trees and shrubs must experience cold, winter conditions before they will germinate. This means that autumn sown seed stays in the ground for long fruitless periods. To break this type of dormancy simulate winter conditions with the following treatment:

Some seeds like Crataegus (Hawthorn) contain chemical inhibitors which prevent germination as well as hard seed coats. To overcome this double dormancy the seed is subject to a treatment known as stratification:-

After this time the chemical inhibitors will have been washed out and the seed coat softened. Dormancy will be broken.

Sow Treated Tree and Shrub Seeds to Invest in a Greener Future

Treated seeds can be sown in trays or pots and put in a cold frame. Once they start to germinate the environment of a warm, but not too warm, greenhouse will speed up growth rate. When the seedlings are big enough to handle pot them up individually into 9cm pots. Growing trees and shrubs from seed may be a long term project requiring some simple all be it special treatments,but it is one in which you are doing your bit for a cleaner, greener future.

The copyright of the article How to Grow Trees and Shrubs from Seed. in Gardening Techniques is owned by David Haigh. Permission to republish How to Grow Trees and Shrubs from Seed. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.