Hi Nantinki, I have 2006 Empress Tree - Paulownia tomentosa seeds you're welcome to SASBE for. Katie GW: katie88

I have bought and planted some Pawlonia tomentosa seeds as to instructions : soak in warm water for 24 hours, plant in potting soil, barely cover, do not exclude light. Thats all!. Can anyone tell me how to treat them after that?. Watering,fertilizer, etc. Thanks in advance

If you take the time to prune a royal empress tree every year, water it, and fertilize it, and it is protected from high winds...it will end up looking like what you see in the pictures. Those are real trees! However, since most people do not have those resources....there are other good trees to get. You might want a catalpa, some type of redbud tree...but my personal favorite as a substitute is the Northern Magnolia. It has beautiful pink blooms that cover the branches before the leaves come out with a light fragrance, so it will not attract many bees. Plus, since it is magnolia, it will have leaves year round even though they look deciduous. It is hardy to zone 5, perfect! http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B0_LtEuv5yg/SB97QDkoozI/AAAAAAAABE0/bZPBK_szb40/s320/Northern%2BMagnolia%2B2.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3302/3471005529_3004ba99c6.jpg?v=0 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_B0_LtEuv5yg/SB97QDkoozI/AAAAAAAABE0/bZPBK_szb40/s320/Northern%2BMagnolia%2B2.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3302/3471005529_3004ba99c6.jpg?v=0

Here in SW Ohio this tree seldom lives long nor looks especially nice. They just break up too badly in snow and ice. Even in the picture above, which captures a nice, young Paulownia at its floral peak, you can see that the form isn't especially terrific. Admittedly, the flowers are among the prettiest of any northern hardy tree. For a similar tree, you might (gulp) consider Catalpa. I hesitate because it is a very difficult tree to garden around, so in most yards it dominates to the exclusion of all else. But it does grow fast, leaves are huge, and the flowers are big and pretty. Tulip poplars are beautiful, but in too rich a location they do become brittle and break up. Rate of growth can be breathtaking. You need acidic soil to grow Nyssa well, but otherwise it is a great selection. But most soils in W. Ohio tend to be neutral to alkaline. Same with pin oaks, which may be the fastest growing oak, but bur oaks would do nicely and grow at a moderately fast pace. Further bur oaks are dependable and strong. Scott