AusBonsai

Hi all

Just noticing a few posts around regarding growing maples from seed. I didn't wish to hijack their thread but I was wondering...

For those who have successfully grown maples from seed, how fresh were your seeds? How did you obtain them? I only ask because of several reasons:

1. I was under the impression that maple seeds do not store particularly well.

Brent Walston stated he once bought a batch of maple seed but had very poor germination rates despite the seeds being only 1-2 years old. By comparison, he collected some seeds off a tree on his own property during one autumn and promptly sowed them the following spring (i.e. less than 6 months post-collection) and his success rate was significantly superior.

2. In one thread, someone stated they were still waiting for their maple seeds to germinate. They had been advised that maples can take more than 2 years to germinate. I thought maples germinated quicker than that assuming stratification had been completed correctly.

3. For that who have bought maple seeds over the Internet, what were your germination rates in the end? I wonder because assuming point 1 was correct and given that the storage period and conditions of Internet sellers could be sub-optimal, then germination rates could be adversely affected.

I can't grow maples easily up here in Townsville, but it's always interesting to find out about there sort of things.

All replies appreciated

I have collected seed of Trident and Japanese Maples when I lived in Mittagong, NSW which is cool country but not cold. Minimum say -3 degrees.

I would collect seed from wherever local and sow. I would collect the seed in say Feb.

I found if you planted the seed too early in the season, say March, you risked the seed germinating before winter and then hit by cold, frost and insects. Better to plant out once no possibility of germination before winter in our area; say plant in late May.

I never found the need for stratification but people in other areas do this with varying amounts of success. I had the opposite problem with the fresh seed germinating almost straight away with no cold before hand.

Ray Nesci alerted me to the fact that Trident Maples germinate well after the first season in the ground and you can get just as many come up in the second year.

Seed from merchants can be stale; no doubt about it.

Grant

Quick reply Woody,

The fresher the seeds the best quickest germination you will get, Older seeds may take a couple of years to germinate.
Best to purchase from a reliable dealer and or collect your own in Autumn.

Edit just read Grant's but post anyway

Hi Woody11 , i have had good success with fresh seed removed from the tree after the first frosts , It is sown almost immediately from there straight into the ground .This applies to Trident and Japanese Maples .I have had very little luck with any of the other ornamentals , yes they strike but die off as seedlings through damping off or after 2 years simply die . some have good roots but obviously not enough to sustain the plants .

The oldest AtropurpuriumI i have managed to maintain was 5 years old and wasn't true to the name sake colour , it died several months ago . I have sent the same seed to S.A and QLD and the results were very poor . Some say they can take 2 years for tridents to strike , i haven't experience this in the last 3 years as 99.99 % germinate in the first planting .

Once again its all to do with differing conditions , age of seed , stratification , climate , technique soil water fertilizer . Trident Maples and Japanese Maples sprout every year in certain car parks up here by the thousands , so that tells me no special treatment is required . Stratification by frosts , watered by the rain , fertilized by all the mud and crud off the cars including oil film , how that for fertilizer. Even Chinese Elms self sow better amongst these carparks more-so than they do in grassed area's and river banks surrounding them .

Cheers Alpineart

Always good to hear replies from the experienced hands amongst us. It certainly confirms what I had long suspected. It also helps dispel some myths and assists those wanting to try new things.

Shaun

So far I've had one great batch and one poor one.

I bought the most recent batch--Japanese Maples--off of eBay. Had great germination. See details here http://frankenbonsai.wordpress.com/2011 ... seedlings/.

Does anyone from Melbourne know where there are some mature tridents that I can collect some seeds from?
I haven't had any luck finding any on my wanderings.
Willing to travel a little but ideally I am thinking within 10 or so km's in all directions from the CBD.
Thanks, Dario.

What do people suggest for storing seeds over summer til late Autumn? I have Trident maple, Japanese Maple both Acer Palmatum and Acer Palmatum "hogyuko", Liquidambar formosana, stewartia monadelpha, cedar of lebanon, Illawarra flame tree, Pinus Thunbergii, and Acer Ginalla (Amur maple). At the moment I have them in the small ziplock bags they came in, inside a paper bag sitting on my bookshelf in my bedroom. But I want to store them as best as possible. I'd be interested in hearing the different responses.
Thanks,
Luke

Luke308 wrote:What do people suggest for storing seeds over summer til late Autumn? I have Trident maple, Japanese Maple both Acer Palmatum and Acer Palmatum "hogyuko", Liquidambar formosana, stewartia monadelpha, cedar of lebanon, Illawarra flame tree, Pinus Thunbergii, and Acer Ginalla (Amur maple). At the moment I have them in the small ziplock bags they came in, inside a paper bag sitting on my bookshelf in my bedroom. But I want to store them as best as possible. I'd be interested in hearing the different responses.
Thanks,
Luke

Id off figured zero moisture and not too warm as long as they are air tight they should be right.

Storing seeds in warm temp can shorten the length of time they retain viability. Best storage is cool and dry. Seal in containers - the ziplock bags will be ok - and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to plant them.

note - some tropical seeds loose viability when dried and/or stored in cool conditions.