Need some advice on growing maple trees, from seed.

yms1975

6 years ago

I bought like a dozen Sugar Maple Tree (Acer saccharum) seeds online. I both scarified & stratified (in the fridge for like 180 days) the seeds.

After the 180 day mark, I took the seeds out of their damp paper towel home (from the fridge) and planted them in styrofoam cups (with holes in the bottom for air circulation & water run-off) on January 2nd. I then placed the styrofoam cups on a germination heat mat. According to my research, they should've sprouted by January 12th; one week ago today.

I decided to investigate to see why they weren't sprouting. I went into two of the styrofoam cups and dug out the respective seeds. Surely enough, nothing was going on with the seeds. Clearly it had not sprouted. As I was examining the seeds, I noticed the outer shell had broken apart in my hands as I was examining the seeds. The hard shell had split cleanly down the center, into two equal parts. I could see the small seed inside. So after the top part of the shell fell off, I replanted the lower hard shell with the seed seated inside it (exposed) back into the styrofoam cup. I can only hope that it will now begin to sprout. I also took the styrofoam cups and took them off the germination heat mat, and instead placed the cups in front of a window sill.

My question(s) are :

1) How long are the seeds viable for? I'm starting to think that maybe my two year old seeds are no longer good.

2) Is the germination heat mat a good idea for this type of seed? I thought this heat mat would be good for all types of seeds, as far as germination is concerned.

3) I've seen YouTube videos where people are using Dremel tools to scarify the seeds. Any thoughts on this? Good idea? Bad idea? I'm thinking maybe I didn't nick the seeds deep enough.

I'm having a little bit of trouble with getting these maple tree seeds to sprout, but I am determined to make it work, so....please do not give advice on how I should buy seedlings that have already sprouted. I want to make this work from seed, but need some help doing it.

Thanks guys. :)

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Comments (5)

User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
The seeds are probably no good. Sugar maple seeds usually sprout roots in 60 to 90 days. They should be collected in the Fall as they ripen in Sept/Oct. and stratified about this time of year so they start rooting as the warm weather arrives.

The heat mat should be fine once the seed has germinated but without a thermostat the mats can become too hot for some living things. Best to monitor the temperatures to make sure what's going on. Low to Mid 70's would be about right.

Sugar maple seeds shouldn't need scarifying but maybe 2 year old seeds will become too hard to absorb water and may benefit from this.

Six months is an awfully long time to have seeds wrapped in moist paper towels in the fridge. Could be some type of mold started up and destroyed the seeds over that time.
yms1975 thanked User
yms1975
Original Author
6 years ago
Bill,

Thanks for the tip. I read somewhere that seeds could be viable for years, if stored in a cool & dark location. But if I'm understanding you correctly, you're suggesting my seeds went bad after two years?

As for the scarification period, I can't seem to get a straight answer from any source online.

From what I read, it can range anywhere from 90 - 180 days, depending on your source. My source is this : https://www.google.ca/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Germinate-Maple-Tree-Seeds%3famp=1

I plan on ordering more seeds. I really want to get this off the ground. :)
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Hi Sharon, there are MANY factors which can influence germination, including how well the variety's seeds germinate in the first place. Are you finding the seeds mold on the damp toweling or do they remain clean? Is the toweling inside a plastic bag or left open to the air in the refrigerator? Ideally, you don't want the seeds drying out prior to germination as that can delay their sprouting until the seed coat rehydrates and softens enough to allow the embyo to push itself out. Some people literally sand the seeds between two sanding blocks to reduce the thickness and hardness of the seed coats to make it faster and easier for water to penetrate it and help the embryo emerge. You can find sanding blocks in most big block stores and on line. You can also make your own with blocks or wood or sponges and sand paper. It doesn't take much to grind enough of the seed coat off to help germination. Yes, you can soak them for a few hours or even over night and that may help. You would want to towel off the extra water from them prior to spreading them on the damp toweling so it isn't so wet it fosters mold and rot. If you live where "winter" isn't sub zero and if you have the space to plant them outdoors, you may find a greater percentage germinating. You want a soil mass large enough to insulate them from any extremes in temperature. It should also be large enough to retain sufficient moisture in between waterings. The soil should drain well but be moisture retentive and of a type which doesn't "cake" on the surface which will inhibit small seedlings from being able to push through the surface. Simply using flower pots can work as long as they receive sun but won't be overheated by bright sun and any heat spikes which may occur. You don't want the soil ball to be baked dry during germination. "Dry" inhibits germination as does "hot". I've long read that they stop germinating at temperatures over 70 F, though I have observed rose seeds germinating quite well at temps well over 80 F during the day with cooler nights. Also, if you germinate outdoors, you want to cover the planting pot, box, etc. with screening to prevent rodents and birds from eating the seeds. Rose seeds are HIGHLY nutritious and a real favorite with rats, squirrels, mice and many birds. I hope it helps! Good luck! Kim
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Embothrium
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Maple seeds germinate best when harvested and planted while still green and soft. (Of course, you don't do this before they have sized up fully). When picked instead after they become hard and brown then they have a full dormancy that has to be overcome. Which is what you have been trying to do.

The purpose of this dormancy is to prevent the seeds from sprouting at a dumb time, like the middle of winter. So when a particular kind of seed is known to need alternating hot and cold periods to sprout what is being done is duplication of the passing of seasons, starting from when the seeds would drop to the ground during autumn in nature.

If a kind of plant has seeds that sprout a root first and then a shoot later, during a different season then it may take quite awhile for them to be ready to be potted on. Also there are some kinds where different seeds from the same batch sprout at different times, perhaps over a period of several years. Again this will function as a safeguard, in this case assuring that if a given year turns out to have some killing event like severe cold or drought the entire generation is not lost to it.
yms1975
Original Author
6 years ago
@Embothrium

The seeds I ordered were (fairly) hard; definitely not "green and soft". I guess that's because I ordered them online. No way around this for me, as I have zero interest in manually collecting seeds.

What about my inquiry regarding the Dremel tool? Any thoughts on this?

I guess I'l just have to keep on trying.
User
6 years ago
Your article talks about several different species of maples so you have to be careful to make sure the information you're reading is about sugar maples.

Here is a link About sugar maple seed that is easier to understand.

Let us know how you come out. :-)

Need some advice on growing maple trees, from seed.

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Need some advice on growing maple trees, from seed.

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