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Starting Kentucky coffee tree seeds

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

4 years ago

I have some seeds from Gymnocladus dioicus, Kentucky coffee tree collected on a visit to WI. I know that they need scarification or hot water treatment to germinate well. Anyone have other suggestions that I should be aware of?

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User

4 years ago

I haven't done Gymnocladus but have done Gleditsia (same family 'Fabaceae') and same general germination instructions.

I collected seed pods on a trip, from the ground under mature trees on June 1st. Returned home on June 4th.

Must've been the 5th of June I lightly scarified just part of the seed sides using #600 grit sand paper. Just enough to see a lighter color exposed, under the thin hard red seed coating.

I soaked them in hot tap water (mine is set for 130d or so) but found if I set the shallow jar with water on a heat mat, to keep the water warm, the seeds swelled in just several hours.

Planted immediately into starting mix.

By June 9th, I started seeing little sprouts popping up from the cups.

By June 11, all were out of the seed coating.

And by June 16th, I had little trees.

Hope yours do as well but they appear to be very fast and easy to start. I Planted one of mine in the front yard by June 10th and it's now 2 ft. tall and coming back, after winter, for it's second year. :^)

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Comments (6)

indianagardengirl
4 years ago
Following along, I also have seeds I’d like to try.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked indianagardengirl
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Virtually all the coffee tree seeds I've collected up here in zone 4, I collected in late Sept-October, and the inside of the pods was still green and a bit moist. I'd imagine they'd be fully ripe in zone 5 by now. Also, you're aware of the scarification needs of coffee tree seeds, right? They have a very hard seed coat, and most will take YEARS to sprout if simply direct-planted into the soil. It's hypothesized that mastodons and ground sloths used to feed on the pods, and the thick coating stopped stomach acids from destroying them until they were "deposited" somewhere else. I've started quite a few from seed by either filing an edge off with a nail file and soaking them in water overnight, or dropping them into a cup of near-boiling water and letting them soak overnight. Ones that swell up are good to go, either into a pot, a planting bed, or directly where you want a tree. No need for cold stratification either, just store dry in a jar over the winter. Good luck!
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MattB (Zone 7a Tn)
4 years ago
I have had very good luck by using sandpaper to break though the outer seed coat followed by an overnight soak in room temperature water. I do this right on the side of the seed away from any end where the seed sprouts. With the sandpaper break in the seed coat, the water is able to be absorbed into the seed causing it to swell and shed off the remaining seed coat. After the seeds have swollen, I place them on in a humidity chamber with a heat pad until they sprout. This typically is only a matter of a few days. The biggest issue I have had is that the initial shoot sprout will get stuck in the seed coat and the trunk will initially form as a loop with the top stuck in the seed coat.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked MattB (Zone 7a Tn)
User
4 years ago
iirc: There were a few seed coats I had to 'help' remove on some of mine to varying degrees.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked User
Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
4 years ago
Sounds easier than my Yellowwood + 96% sulfuric acid for 20 minutes procedure. It was very effective though.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
User
4 years ago
The nursery guy who I gave my extra Gleditsia t. seedlings to, told me he used Sulphuric acid on Gleditsia seeds for a project he did back in school, to get them to germinate. Must be more than one way to skin a mongoose.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked User

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