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germinating seed of pond cypress, bald cypress, dawn redwood

14 years ago

Please give me your wisdom on germinating seed of pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), and dawn redwood (metasequoia glyptostroboides).

Thanks.

Featured Answer

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

14 years ago

April 15? That must be why it's a Tax-odium.

tj

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Comments (7)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
14 years ago
My seedling care technique isn't the most scientific or exact but once I acquired some GOOD Metasequoia seed I had no problem germinating them.

My preferred seed source is F.W. Schumacher and their 80% expected germination seed.

The best results I received were from one of them $6 plastic seed germination kits with a lid from a big box store filled with just cheap sanitized top soil and placed on a bottom heater. Maybe 70% sprouted from the soil.

I did almost as good with the "cut a 2 liter bottle in 1/2, fill the bottom with similar baked sanitary top soil and use clear tape to put it back together" method.

Just putting them in a zip lock container on a damp towel was kinda neat. Once again maybe 70% of them sprouted something. It's really neat watching the little fella grow but there is the added step of having to use tweezers to plant the little fellas in some dirt.

Someplace on here Ken posted excellent directions on sanitizing dirt.....er potting mix or whatever.

Here is a link that might be useful: Schumacher
kbguess
14 years ago
I only have experience with bald cypress. I fall sow outside in a mulched bed or in pots. Get more seedlings than I can use that way. I did not do any stratification.

These are fresh seed that I harvest from local trees

Keith
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scotjute Z8
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ltruett
14 years ago
Here are some links talking about germinating DR.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg0123243125396.html
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg1218381326323.html
cypressknee
14 years ago
Baldcypress...

1. Collect well shattered seed cones in December.

2. Put seeds + water in container and stick in back corner of fridge from December to April 15.

3. Take seeds from container on April 15 and sow with germination to follow in 7-10 days.
cypressknee
14 years ago
tj,

Yep, started to add that Step 4 is complete the tax return.

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