skip to main content

why do you grow JM from seeds?

18 years ago

Hi All,

Excuse my dumb questions here. I have been lurking on this maple forum for a few days and noticed that some of you grow these trees from seeds. I thought it takes a long time for JM to germinate, not to mention the time it takes to grow. So why do you do it? Do you do that to use it for grafting stock? Or just for fun experimental purpose? I'm just curious. TIA..!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

koniferkid_nj
18 years ago
There is something magical about getting a new seedling germinated and grown especially if it turns out to be like
Koto ito komachi. That's why we do it. Somewhere out there out of hundreds of thousands of seedlings there is a star to be born. It's the journey. Try it and your guaranteed to have some fun-
steve_nw
18 years ago
After seeing the prices of JMs in the nurseries, I deceided to grow them from seed for fun. It's been a learning experience and now in my second year, I have a patio full of small trees to enjoy. A few didn't make it and some are having problems, but I plan on watching and reading and learning as much as I can.
Related Discussions
Why a grow plants from seed?
Q
Comments (16)
Bob, "How often do you fertilize and at what strength?" During the growing season, I foliar feed my zinnias fairly frequently -- at least once a week if I can. I usually spray in the morning, and very generously, so that there is a considerable amount of run-off to feed the roots as well. If it is convenient to feed during the evening, because I was busy during the morning, and provided that it is hot weather which is not conducive to foliage diseases, then I don't hesitate to spray in the evening. Actually, wet zinnia foliage is actually resistant to Powdery Mildew, but other zinnia foliage diseases can be encouraged by wet foliage. When foliage diseases are a concern, I switch to frequent applications of a potassium bicarbonate based spray like GreenCure®. Potassium bicarbonate is also very water soluble and is easily washed off by rains or even heavy dews. But giving your zinnias a refreshing shower bath of potassium bicarbonate every morning would be a good idea, if you have the time. And there is a bit of serendipity to that, because some of the potassium in the potassium bicarbonate is actually absorbed as a foliar feed. Zinnias do need a fair amount of potassium. During the vegetative stage, before any blooms have opened, I feed my zinnias at full strength which, according to the Miracle-Gro Tomato Food package is one tablespoon per gallon of water. I avoid spraying the full strength foliar feed on open zinnia blooms, because the petals and floral parts (florets and stigmas) are more "tender" than the leaves and stems. When it becomes inconvenient not to spray the flowers, I cut the foliar spray concentration to one quarter of "full strength" and spray everything, with no harmful effects. The full strength can burn tender petals. I probably should experiment to see if I can "get away with" half strength on zinnia blooms. This is what I did with respect to the Boron this year. I made up a stock solution of boric acid. I heated a cup of water in the microwave, as if I were going to make a cup of instant coffee. (I drink a fair amount of Kava, because it is low acid, but that is irrelevant here.) I strip the labels off of some of the bottled water that I have finished, and I write "Boric Acid" on them prominently with a Sharpie marker. I definitely don't want myself or anyone else to drink any of my Boric Acid solution accidentally. I pour the hot water into a labeled bottle and add about one half teaspoon of boric acid powder (available at many drug stores in the Pharmacy area), replace the lid and shake it until the powder is dissolved. My sprayer tank holds 7 gallons, but I usually fill it to only 5 or 6 gallons to make it easier to wheel around. I add a bottle of the stock Boric Acid solution to each tankfull. You could do an equivalent thing with a hose-end sprayer. Until I started adding the Boric Acid, I did see symptoms of Boron deficiency in my zinnias (puckering, wrinkling, and downward folding of the leaves, tip burn, death of the growing point or bud, and stunted growth, naturally.) I have yet to see the symptoms of too much Boron, although I may run some experiments next year to see what they are. Apparently our soil here is deficient in Boron, and apparently the well water is also deficient. I guess that is a lucky thing, because in some parts of the country (the Southwest) there is an excess of Boron in the soil and irrigation water, which does cause problems. It's easier to add Boron than to take it out. Rain, or even heavy dew, will wash the nutrients off of the foliage and into the soil, where they are still available to the roots, so they are not wasted. However, I usually re-spray after a rain to replenish the nutrients available to the foliage. Zinnias are fast growers and heavy feeders, and they respond to foliar feeding in warm weather with almost "scary" growth rates. ZM (not associated with any product or vendor mentioned)
...See More
Do you grow from organic seeds
Q
Comments (15)
"What I have seen the last few years is that organic seed grown on organic fields has done far better than conventional seed. IMHO, if you are growing organically, organic seed may give you a plant that does better on organic soil, conventional seed(used to protection from pesticides and chemical nutrients) do best on conventional fields." Interesting, Skatcon, and that does make sense. I lost most of my seeds due to age (didn't have a large garden for a while and didn't freeze them), so am starting over with purchased seed which I'm not sure is organic or not (some I'm almost sure isn't). I'll save seed this year, so next year I'll keep an eye on how well they do compared to this year. It'll be interesting to see the difference. "Do you know if those 6-packs coming from garden center are treated with pesticides ? If so, given the fact that it will take months for most veg to grow to start producing, I would think the effect would be pretty minimal but I wanted to see if others were doing anything to address this." They most likely are chem treated, GreenthumbsJ. I work at an organic nursery and we have only found one certified organic grower near us (and another that isn't certified, but grows as naturally as possible), so even many of the things we sell weren't grown organically. I'd bet the ranch that if you buy them from a regular nursery that doesn't have an organic focus, their plants will not be organic. It wouldn't hurt and may help if you flush out the six packs before planting. Just water them well, letting the water run through the soil repeatedly and for a good bit of time, right before you plant them out. Won't get rid of all of the chems, but would get rid of some of them.
...See More
How do you grow orchids from seed?
Q
Comments (5)
As I understand it, professional orchid growers propogate orchids in sterile labs, and even then, it may not work, even if a particular plant is usually easy to propogate. Big plug for Meyers Conservatory, who's been among the best growers to deal with - for me, anyway. From his site: Meyers Conservatory's mission is to provide laboratory-grown orchid species at the lowest possible price in an effort to aid in orchid species conservation. Since we started in 1999, we've never operated as a for-profit business, instead charging just enough to cover the costs of the flasks we produce and to pay our employees. https://lab.troymeyers.com/flasking/donate-funds.php They accept donations. From the flasking page: We usually charge the same amount for each flask, regardless of its rarity. Rare orchids or particularly nice specimens usually command a higher price, but unless there are difficulties growing a species we don't charge more; we will charge more if propagation requires extra time or materials, but not just because it's desirable. By not charging a lot for something rare, we can rest easy knowing that we're not helping to perpetuate the high prices that make collection of wild endangered orchids profitable. __________ I check the site every couple of weeks. Troy doesn't have a large selection, but he's had orchids that I couldn't find anywhere else in the U.S. WC8 Here is a link that might be useful: Troy Meyers' flasking page
...See More
Why I grow plants from seed
Q
Comments (9)
Mike, Have you looked into plugs. Commerical growers around here use them. They speed the growing time. I put a random link below. They might me more expensive but you could do multiple seasons of plants. Also, would the new Tecoma stans Mayan Gold or hardy Hibiscus grow in your zone. When you move into shrubs from seed you might get more per plant with the same effort. Of course, you know what you are doing; I haven't ever attempted what you do, but your efforts are intriguing. Wally, I can relate. My issues are soil, whether my bugs will like or dislike a new plant, whether I know how to water and fertilize a particular plant correctly, and my garden cats. These are various neighbors cats who like to come by and visit because they know we're home and there is food for them. Plus my special cat who I keep indoors except when I go outside. Bob Here is a link that might be useful: one plug producer
...See More
dawgie
18 years ago
Someone gave me a JM seedling this spring and I am growing it in a container just to see what kind of tree it develops into. It's a Bloodgood seedling and so far is retaining a rich red color, with leaves more dissected than a typical Bloodgood. When it gets larger, I will probably plant it in my yard somewhere. However, you never really know what you will get with a seedling. Years ago I planted a red-leaved seedling that I got at a little mom-and-pop nursery for $5. It kept its color well, but grew into a tall rather spindly tree. It must be over 20' tall by now.
popsicle_toe
Original Author
18 years ago
Thank you all for responding. I'm curious to know what their typical growth rate is in a year? 6 inchies? Less? More? I like growing from seeds too and JM looks like a good candidate for winter sowing. I've never started any trees from seeds though, since I don't think I'll have the patience to wait for years and years before I can plant it in the yard :)
bstew
18 years ago
I have a ton of seedlings that germinated this Spring, which was my first try at this. It's really very interesting to see what comes up. I didn't count on such great results, so I didn't take care to separate the seeds or label anything, so there'e no clue to the parentage of any of these little guys. I collected seeds from dissectums, standard palmatums, red, and green.
I now have a 4 or 5 dozen seedlings ranging from about 3" to 7" in various colors, so I can already tell the differences in vigor/growth rate. Most are your typical green seedling, with some variations in the leaf shape. I have some that have retained their red coloring thus far (we're well into summer weather here), and the most interesting ones to me are the ones with red edging to the leaves. Can't wait to try it again this fall. I already have my eye on some samaras at our doctor's office.
kobold
18 years ago
I heard that it is very difficult to grow JM from seeds, of course I had to try it. Now I have 40-50 little seedlings, on the label only the address of the original tree, I can trace it later. Except a Sango Kaku. Non of the dissectum seeds germinated. It is simple for fun. I don't even have room for more JM. I will give away all.
popsicle_toe
Original Author
18 years ago
Oooh, this sounds more and more exciting to me..! I will definitely give it a try this winter. I'm already hooked on winter sowing so adding another cultivar on my winter sowing list is no great effort :) The problem is, from where do I get JM seeds? I saw a few JM trees in my neighborhood so hopefully I'll be able to get some from them.
Layne_Uyeno
18 years ago
Hi,

You could try here:

http://japanese-maple.com/seeds.html

Layne

ps, usual disclaimers apply
popsicle_toe
Original Author
18 years ago
Layne,
thanks for the link. The website has quite a lot of helpful information with pictures.
botann
18 years ago
I grow most of my maples from seed. It's fun to see them grow and show their individual characteristics. I grow them in raised beds for several years before culling them to get what I'm after, mainly fall color. I mulch with woodchips and I get volunteers popping up all over every year. You may be able to find volunteers under maples in your area.

90% of the maples in my garden are from seed and now I'm getting seed from the original seedlings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of my garden
koniferkid_nj
18 years ago
BoTann: one word-WOW!

Absolutely beautiful. I hope you didn't move those rocks by yourself...

Koniferkid
botann
18 years ago
I had help. You would be surprised how easy large rocks can be moved with steel bars and two people. I had the rocks dropped off above where they were to go and then just rolled and slid them down into position. No tractor. I did use a 'I' beam to slide the larger rocks on.

Here is a link that might be useful: Start of rock garden
koniferkid_nj
18 years ago
BoTann:

Your conifer garden picture holds up to Bloom's garden over the Atlantic there in the U.K. How much acreage do you got?
koniferkid_nj
18 years ago
10 acres you have...I would be happy with 1..or 2..or what the heck-give me 10 acres and I'll be busy the rest of my life...
hoa_rd
18 years ago
Note to self:
You have about 2/3 of a 25 by 70 ft. lot to garden-- do NOT look at pictures of other people's gardens on the internet.
koniferkid_nj
18 years ago
Now that's funny...The bad thing about going to other people's garden/collections are you at least see something else that you "must have".

Related Stories

CONTAINER GARDENS 8 Easy Container Plants to Grow From Seed

Get beautiful blooms and herbs in summer by starting these choice garden picks from seed in spring

GARDENING GUIDES How to Plant a New Lawn From Seed

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Choose from more grass varieties and save money over sod by starting your lawn from seed

GARDENING GUIDES Seeds or Seedlings? How to Get Your Garden Started

By Abundant City

Growing delicious herbs and vegetables starts with knowing your goals and when you want to plant

MOST POPULAR Summer Crops: How to Grow Sunflowers

By Marianne Lipanovich

Savor snack-tastic sunflower seeds once the radiant blooms have faded — if the birds have saved you any, that is

WINTER GARDENING Extend Your Growing Season With a Cold Frame in the Garden

By Paintbox Garden

If the sun's shining, it might be time to sow seeds under glass to transplant or harvest

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Great Design Plant: Columbine Grows Happily in Shade and Sun

By Paintbox Garden

Its ethereal beauty comes from complex forms and wide-ranging colors, but columbine’s benefits are highly attractive too

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

HERBS Herb Garden Essentials: How to Grow Chives

By Marianne Lipanovich

This decorative and delicately flavored herb from the onion family is easy to grow indoors and out

GARDENING GUIDES Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Cauliflower

By Marianne Lipanovich

It may be fussy about growing conditions, but the taste of cauliflower fresh from your fall garden is worth the effort

COOL-SEASON CROPS Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Salad Greens

By Marianne Lipanovich

From arugula to radicchio, greens have taken a top spot on the table and in fall and winter gardens. See how to start growing them now

Sponsored

More Discussions

Usugumo HTF : Hard to Find

2

Acer First Flame

3

Nursery Container Mediums - Sand ?

0

Scion Height When Grafting

0