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Trees & Shrubs - Australia

Stratify Dogwood Seeds

SouthernHighlands

19 years ago

Hi,

Can anyone help me on how to successfully stratify Cornus Florida (White Flowering Dogwood) seeds. I would like to plant these seeds early spring.

Thanks

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Comments (7)

robyn5760
19 years ago
I have had varying success with stratifying. I really think it is used in the US because either the ground gets so cold it freezes, or 'vermin' eat the seed. I find I get better results planting the seed directly where I want the tree to grow, in fertile soil. The climate where you live is cold enough to break the seed's dormancy.
Robyn
SouthernHighlands
Original Author
19 years ago
Thank you Robyn, I shall try that.
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Do you know which actinidia? A. arguta appears to respond well to 3 months cold stratification while A. kolomikta may germinate better if given a warm moist period of a few weeks before the chill, then chilled, and finally brought back to warm. In any case, placing the seed packet in the refrigerator doesn't do it, that's only storage - cool and dry is how you would want to preserve seeds, opposite of promoting germination. The cold/chill must be moist, you don't want to prevent moisture from breaching the seed coat. Put the seeds with a tsp or two of moist sterile sand, or moist sterile vermiculite in a zip lock, date it, and put that into your refrigerator. (harder seeds you would soak first, then place in the damp medium) When the suggested time is up, sow the contents of baggie, sand/vermiculite and all, no need to extract the seeds.
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Welcome Harry, If you don't know the botanical name of the plants, it's tough to say if they need what's called "cold stratification"( i.e., winter temps) in order to germinate. There's a really cool website called the Clothier's Database (named for Tom Clothier) that lists plants by botanical (i.e., Latin/species) name and gives specific germination information. If you aren't sure of the botanical name, post the common name and folks will help you check the botanical name. Generally, there are no silly questions when it comes to growing from seed. Some plants grow enthusiastically from seed; others don't. There's a Lobelia syphilitica/great blue lobelia growing & blooming up through a crack in my breezeway concrete this year. I didn't plant it but I welcome it because it's a nectar plant for butterflies. Aquilegia/columbine is growing up here and there where I never planted it as is black-eyed Susan. I let them grow where they come up because I want to sustain bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. I let things mature on the stems and don't harvest seeds until much later in the year. You're a lot farther south than I am in southern New England so seeds/seed-heads won't mature until later in the year where I am. FYI - Here's germination spec's for Echinacea/coneflower: Echinacea pallida, and purpurea , Sow at 20ºC (68ºF), if no germination in 3-4 wks, move to -4 to +4ºC (24-39ºF) for 2-4 wks Echinacea angustifolia, paradoxa, and tennesseensis , Sow at 18-22ºC (64-71ºF) for 2-4 wks, move to 4ºC (40ºF) for 9 wks, move to 10ºC (50ºF) for germination BTW - check out the Winter Sowing forum so you can grow your garden from seed naturally without chemicals. Rule One: relax. Seeds know what to do & when to do it so you don't have to.
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FINALLY got around to starting the process... That darn "life" thing can be time consuming sometimes! I've set up seven methods to trial in hopes of planting for this season, as well as some more long-term fallbacks. Axed the medium idea and stuck with paper towels or water, just to remove the variable of potential soil issues. Found some allium and cleome seeds collected from last year as well, so they've been added to the experiment. Not near as many as I have rudbekia, so the results won't be statistically sound, but I figure the more the merrier! Did a float test to separate out the good from the bad, which ended up doubling as an overnight soak. At room temperature, we have method #1: submersion in water with daily water changes, #2 submersion in water, no water changes, and #3 the traditional damp paper towel in a zippie bag. In the fridge we have the same three - #4 water, #5 water changed daily, and #6 damp towel in a zippie. There is also a container in for the long haul to do the normal three-month chill period. The one I have most hopes for positive short-term results is #7, a damp towel in zippie that will be swapped between the fridge and freezer every 24 hours. Seems to me the most accurate recreation of the required environmental factors. I still have nearly 1/4 cup of dried rudbekia seed left, and used at least that much setting up the trials. Considering tossing a handful along the woodline to fend for themselves. Plan on doing the same with the "floaters" that were culled from the experiment, because it seems whenever I discard bad seed, they always sprout in the compost heap, just to spite me.
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you might want to get a copy of dirrs manual on Woody Plant Propagation ..... its the bible of such ... perhaps your local library can order it in.. if they dont have it.. so you can review it before purchase .... though i see at the link ... that the price has fallen significantly .... one of the problems with the WWW is the lack of focus ...aka.. to much info .. often seemingly contradictory .... ken https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dirrs+manual+on+propagation&t=ffcm&ia=products
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wombat
19 years ago
Stratification is also a process which occurs naturally - the seed is chilled (and possibly frozen) over the winter months and, presumably, the outer covering of the seed breaks down and allows germination to occur. In the wild, the seed will fall during autumn, be subjected to the cold over winter and germinate in the spring. Gardeners who do not live in cold winter areas have to resort to providing the seeds with a fake winter in the fridge.

I have a number of hellebore which seed quite readily but germination does not occur until after the second winter. I was curious about the stratification length of dogwood so I looked it up. This site has some fairly detailed instructions for growing dogwood seeds in a plastic bag of peatmoss - 105 days at room temperature (autumn?) and a further 105 in the fridge.

There may not be enough winter left for successful stratification to occur (don't tell me we have another 105 days of winter left) and I wonder if your seeds will come up next spring. You might be looking at germination the following spring.

Have you collected your seed locally? If so, you might try some more next autumn. Find a few patches of ground where you can leave them more or less undisturbed, or use pots, and scatter the seed over the top. Don't cover or mulch over winter.

If you bought your seeds, you might try the fridge technique. The little dears will think it is spring whenever they come out of the fridge, regardless of the real season. You might have to provide extra care over the first winter - but you would probably do that anyway.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.familyresource.com/lifestyles/22/123/
SouthernHighlands
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the follow up Wombat. I will let you know if they come up next spring.
shorething
19 years ago
Hi,
I just picked some dogwood seeds from my mothers tree today . I am going to try two differant ways : Stratifying in the fridge and then planting in the spring and i plan on starting some in pots and keeping them in a safe place outside this winter .... we shall see
perrybeekeeper
13 years ago
It's not practical to plant seeds directly into the ground as there are all kinds of seeds in the ground ready to sprout as soon as you work the soil and you'll be fighting unwanted plants all summer. It's hard to tell the weeds from the dogwood plants.

It's best to plant them in a nursery. After a year transfer them to a permanent location. To make a nursery build a square box out of 2x6's with the top and bottom open. Fill with weed free potting soil to 1/2 inch of the top. Plant the seeds in this potting soil. The box should be located in a sunny location. When you water the seeds, it won't run off because of the 1/2 inch space at the top. Most seeds in the ground cannot sprout through 5 inches of potting soil so you shouldn't have any weeds.
Nick Sulkowski
5 years ago
shorething, Did the seeds grow that you didn't stratify?

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