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Sowing shrubs from seed

charla_gardener

17 years ago

Hi - I am planning on sowing spirea and potentilla from seed and wanted to know how long before each one is ready to be planted in the yard and can make a go of it. I am in Northern Michigan where we get very cold winters and LOTS of snow.

Thanks,

Charlotte

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Comments (3)

shrubs_n_bulbs
17 years ago
Couple of years at least. You might want to try cuttings, probably slightly faster but you'd need a few plants to start from.

Seeds will not necessarily produce specimens as good as the cultivars usually sold of these shrubs, cuttings would be clones of whatever cultivar you take them from. Potentiall fruticosa species is OK if you like that shade of yellow flower, Spiraea I guess depends on the species but you very rarely see the straight species for most Spiraea.
charla_gardener
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks.

Charlotte
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conifers
17 years ago
Hi Charlotte, probably some things you need to know...

Potentilla fruticosa "Seeds require no pretreatment (Source: Dirr)."

Spiraea (all species) Seed: The fruit is a dehiscent follicle and should be collected when it turns brown, air dried, and seeds removed by shaking. Fresh seed requires no pretreatment. Seeds, if allowed to dry, may require 1 to 2 months cold stratifications (Dirr)."

Cold Stratify: 'Place the seeds in a moist medium (such as sand that's been cooked in the microwave for a few 2 or three minutes) in a Ziploc bag for the period of time needed.'

Aftercare:

Your seedlings will have germinated this winter and you'll likely place them into flat "cells" or pots etc, and for the entire first year, keep them under a shade tree so they don't fry. Also continue to pot them up (up-pot). Here I grow in small plant cells, then onto 4" pots (or I actually a "tree-band" style pot and come the first fall, I pot these into a 1-gallon pot. About mid-summer the second year, you'll pot to a 2-gallon pot (June). The second season as well, keep them out of full sun (filtered is perfect); and then on their third year begin introducing them to mostly sun and finally to full sun.

Or, you can snip the roots back and allow the plant to fill very well a 1 gallon "twice", and then off they go to their final planting designation.

Grow plants from seed! That's how new cultivars are found. And label your plants! (Know at least the origin of the mother plant or at least as much info as you can find out). And find "interesting trees and shrubs" with unique characteristics, and hit them the hardest for seed.

It's a good and quite fun experience!!!

Regards,

Dax

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