I scored some Metasequoia cones!

7 years ago

So, I got these cones from my sister, just before Christmas:

At the time I couldn't plant them, as the ground was frozen. I took a walk today, and I could get them in the ground IF they don't have to be very deep. I'm looking for any advice I can get. How deep do I plant them? I'm planning to protect them with plastic water bottles, cut open top and bottom. I will put a stake in with a flag so I know where they are, and then, if I'm successful, I'll remove the 'junk'. Thoughts or advice from any of you who have grown this tree?

Featured Answer

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

7 years ago

Lets talk about seeds first.

These DO NOT get planted very deep. The cone is not the seed. The little flakes with the dark centers are. They get planted about as deep as they are wide. 3 millimeters, maybe 4?

Here is a good thread on the process:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1841994/metasequoia-from-seed-part-ii

For me, I can get the seeds started then I kill em in a variety of ways.

I spread out all them little flakes single file on half a damp Scott towel. Fold the towel over on itself and put it in an almost closed Tupperware container. In a week or so you'll start seeing roots and put the good ones into those seed start trays. In my experience 1 in 100 of them little flakes from my trees sprout. When I've ordered them maybe half do.

That's more random than I meant it to be.

Here is a link to some instructions.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-metasequoia-glyptostroboides-seed-21008.html

Its a neat project and these grow fast. In a decade you might get a 30 foot tall tree from them tiny seeds!

Metasequoia trees like wetter than drier conditions and full sun. They grow fast as anything long lived. Where in zone 5 are ya? Some parts of Ohio grows some good 100 foot type examples.

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Comments (9)

Mike McGarvey
7 years ago
Where have they been stored? Do they need chill time?
indianagardengirl thanked Mike McGarvey
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
7 years ago
if you end up with a lot of seeds ... try different methods ...

e.g. ..... try some in a pot of media .... set it on the north side of the house ... and see what happens ...

you can probably google other options ....

ken
indianagardengirl thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
indianagardengirl
Original Author
7 years ago
Toronado, I'm north of Indianapolis a little ways. And I have a good spot, a woods that floods several times a year with a bunch of space, courtesy of EAB. My zone floats between 5b and 6, so I think I can be successful with the tree.

Mike, I put them in my unheated garage, so they should be chilled I hope.

Ken, I think trying some different things is a good idea, especially since I have a bounty.

Do you think I could use the winter sowing milk jug set up on some of these?

Thanks, all - I'm excited to get them going!
gardener365
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Metasequoia doesn't require stratification so you're good to go.

If I was going to plant those seeds, I'd get a large container and put a well-drained mix in it and broadcast the seeds and then lightly cover and water and look to see if you need to lightly add more media after you've watered.

You're in charge this way and you can bring the pot inside or outside as weather dictates.

Put a piece of wood with a brick on top to cover the pot until germination occurs and keep the pot in a place where it receives morning sun after the seedlings have come up. Or, put a garbage bag around the pot and tie it.

When the seedlings get to be 6" + tall, move them to their planting place.

That's how I'd do it in our similar zones. Unless you have a well prepared bed that you tilled and know is light and loamy, I wouldn't stick them into earth that hasn't been prepared, plus having the possibility for the seedlings to be nipped from frost.

That's the gist of how I'd play it.

Dax
indianagardengirl thanked gardener365
indianagardengirl
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks to all for your advice. Since I had a lot of cones, I've started several different ways, as Ken suggests. I have some in paper towels as Toronado suggests, some in a milk jug (a la winter sowing ), some in a pot as Dax suggests, and a few cones just pushed into the soil of my woodlands (marked so I can find them.) Hoping I get at least a few seedlings. :-) Time, I guess, will tell.
gardener365
7 years ago
;-) I'm going to bet on all of them except the pushing the cones into the soil.

:-) Dax
indianagardengirl
Original Author
7 years ago
LOL! I will take any method that works...
gardener365
7 years ago
Just don't put a bag over the container....snow/wind might destroy the seedlings! ;-) whoever told you that wasn't thinking very far ahead, lol! ;-)

Dax

I scored some Metasequoia cones!

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

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I scored some Metasequoia cones!

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

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