Hey Guys... I bumped into a Ginko tree last year and was amazed by the looks of it, one of a kind leaf and tree shape and loaded with this pretty looking fruit. It was dropping the fruit so I collected a bunch to see if I could germinate them to plant them in the yard this spring. Back than I did not realize the problems with the bad smell (did not notice any picking up the fruit), got a few seed sprouting right now, but since there is no way of knowing if it will be a female or male I would like to know how bad, the bad smell is. I have a lot of space, so I can put it out of the way so i can enjoy the looks but won't get bothered by the bad smell. Can anybody from experience say how bad that smell is ? Is it like having a rotting trash bag that smells bad when you get close or is it like having a complete garbage dump next door..... Know this is pretty subjective but would like to know what I'm possibly getting into by planting those trees. Also, does anybody know if there is any wildlife (USA, East TN) that will make use of the fruit ? Thanks....

I had a Ginko started from seed winter 2011/2012. IT grew to about 6 inches with a few leaves, then started to die back (they apparently absolutely hate indoor conditions from what ive read, and from what ive seen with this seedling. I brought it outside in May, and dispite having one leaf, and in a couple of weeks it re leafed out. They are tough trees, and there are multiple ones that survived the hiroshima/nagasaki nukes. GInkgo seem to do their own thing....

To clear up some of the things mentioned in this thread... The correct spelling is ginkgo, not gingko. _______________________ Yes, ginkgos have been reported to change sex or have a branch change sex, but that is very very very very rare. Something that may be more common and explain some instances is that a grafted plant may have its female top (scion) die and the rootstock may take over. If the rootstock were a male rootstock, that would result in a male tree where a female was originally planted. _______________________ Ginkgo fruit (not technically fruit BTW, by some definitions) smells quite a bit like puke, especially as it ages and is cracked open. Even with multiple trees and lots of fruit, I don't usually notice the smell unless I pick the fruit up or maybe get some on my shoe. Personally, I think trees planted out away from sidewalks and driveways shouldn't bother most people with an "average" sense of smell. Just don't plant a possible female tree near your house, a sidewalk, or a driveway.

"Is this dead..." Nope, it has a green leaf! It does sound like it has experienced significant transplant shock, and so I would be astounded if it had grown new leaves or added height in two weeks. It sounds like you have some unrealistic expectations for this tree! "I kept it in water for a few days, before transplanting it into a large clay pot, with potting soil amended with worm castings. I gave it a good watering." You'll need to really be careful about watering your tree. Be aware that your planting media may appear dry on top but still be saturated at lower levels. Since your oak is planted in a pot and being grown indoors, be aware that over-watering can be just as harmful as under-watering. "I ... thought it would be fun to keep this as an indoor plant." Growing the oak indoors will be MUCH more difficult than growing one outside in the ground. Growing it indoors year round will ultimately be impossible. The tree will require months of dormancy. Even growing it indoors for a few months will be stressful on the tree.