AusBonsai

I've been stratifying seed in the bottom of the fridge for four weeks. Inspected a few days ago and all seeds (in damp grit in pot in loose plastic bag) are showing white fluffy stuff. I'm presuming they are now fatally infected with some sort of yeast/fungus. Very depressing.

Last year's lot (in plastic bags) ended up with grey fluffy stuff and no seedlings.

It all looks so simple when other people do it. Any suggestions as to what I am doing wrong? (Possibly too much real, live cheese in the fridge?)

Hi Thoglette, here is a link that may help...http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t8531 ... from-seeds
Hope it is of some use to you and good luck with your seeds in the future
There is also a couple of good threads here on AB (I had the IBC one saved in my favourites though), but I am too tired to search for them.
Cheers, Dario.

I was also thinking that if the seeds have no sign of germination as of yet, you could soak them in a mix of water and bleach...10 parts water, 1 part bleach.
This may eradicate the fungal infection so that you can still use the seeds? Or there may be a fungicide that you can use instead?
I have no experience with the bleach or the suggested ratio (10:1)...it is just a guess on my part.
Perhaps someone with experience in this area could varify wether bleach works, and if so at what ratio to water.
Cheers, Dario.

Dario wrote:I was also thinking that if the seeds have no sign of germination as of yet, you could soak them in a mix of water and bleach...10 parts water, 1 part bleach.

Thanks - I'll give it a go!

Dario wrote:I was also thinking that if the seeds have no sign of germination as of yet, you could soak them in a mix of water and bleach...10 parts water, 1 part bleach.
This may eradicate the fungal infection so that you can still use the seeds? Or there may be a fungicide that you can use instead?
I have no experience with the bleach or the suggested ratio (10:1)...it is just a guess on my part.
Perhaps someone with experience in this area could varify wether bleach works, and if so at what ratio to water.Cheers, Dario.

Hi Thoglette, as stated above, this is only a guess on my part about using bleach. I would hate for you to damage your seeds by trying this!
It does kind of make sense to me though. So once again if an experienced member could advise you about wether bleach is ok to use and if so at what dilution rate with the water.
Good luck!
Cheers, Dario.

Try sowing the seed in seed raising mix and keep it outside for the winter. Fresh seed doesn't need much cold and should germinate in spring when it is ready. It is probably a bit colder here in winter but I grow thousands of maples each year successfully without stratifying in the fridge. Stratifying in the fridge is obviously not working so why not try outside? - much simpler and (here) successful

shibui wrote:Stratifying in the fridge is obviously not working so why not try outside? - much simpler and (here) successful

Done for this batch. Will report in Spring.

thoglette wrote:

shibui wrote:Stratifying in the fridge is obviously not working so why not try outside? - much simpler and (here) successful

Done for this batch. Will report in Spring.

Didn't help. But this year's batch are doing better - four seeds germinated. Two died after a "hot, dry" day in early August - other two have been sent to the greenhouse to stay cool and humid.

Remaining seeds are still in the fridge.

Where are you getting these seeds from? I have read that older maple seed goes into deep dormancy and is very difficult to germinate. Fresh seed usually germinates prolifically here. i have both Japanese maples and Tridents germinating all over the garden.
At least you have 2 seedlings so far

Hi thoglette,

You are storing them too wet. And for not long enough.

I start mine in early June in the fridge, and some in pots. I find I get a more even germination with fridge stratified seed. I collect mine fresh.

When you start them, soak in cold water for twenty four hours. Then touch dry with paper towel wrap in facial tissue and place in zip lock bag. Do not use any sort of organic soil or potting mix as this will inoculate the seeds with fungi.

Don't throw your seeds out, wipe of any mold off with kleenex and metho and put back in fridge as described above. They need about 8 weeks in the fridge.
Good luck with it.

When you plant them out, plant them shallowly in a deep pot using your regular bonsia potting mix. If the pot is too shallow, like a seed raising tray, they will get damping off, never ever use seed raising potting mix, its fatal.

Paul

63pmp wrote:I start mine in early June in the fridge, and some in pots. I find I get a more even germination with fridge stratified seed. I collect mine fresh.

When you start them, soak in cold water for twenty four hours. Then touch dry with paper towel wrap in facial tissue and place in zip lock bag. Do not use any sort of organic soil or potting mix as this will inoculate the seeds with fungi.

This year they've been in since June, with "just damp" spagnum moss after 12 hour soak. I'll try 24hrs and nothing next time round.

Getting really fresh seed seems just about impossible on the west coast.

63pmp wrote:When you plant them out, plant them shallowly in a deep pot using your regular bonsia potting mix. If the pot is too shallow, like a seed raising tray, they will get damping off, never ever use seed raising potting mix, its fatal.

Luckily I've done just that - sometimes laziness is a virtue!

Hi Thoglette,

I planted a Japanese maple in 1982, which I bought from David Rich, in my mum's garden with the intention of fattening the trunk. Well the tree is still there, about 20 feet high and two feet wide. It produces lovely seed which is small and germinates nicely.

When desperate, I walk around town and steal seed off peoples trees; people don't miss them.

Paul.

Hi all, 63pmp I'm assuming your method should work for zelklova as well

I used to sow thousands of J maple, trident maple, zelkova, taxodium, metasequoia, cedar ,elm, black pine, red pine etc.. Never ever stratified them and I got extremely high germination rates every year for 17 years in my old nursery days.

Those who stratify often get poor results.

I collected the seed myself mostly(but not always) planted seed in Autumn and they germinated in spring. Simple.

Grant

I gave up on trying to stratify... mainly because I learned that even if they did sprout, I'd have a hard time keeping them alive where I am. That and the fact that I put them in the fridge right next to the beers... so they got knocked over more often then not