2019 Tree Seedlings Zone 6

5 years ago

First off: If this actually posts, this will be my third attempt. Why is this so difficult? I get to the page where you select the 3 forums that you will post to, hit next, and then the three dots in the green box just blink forever.

Anywho, I am going to try just posting just the info in this initial post, and then doing a follow up with pics, as a post with mainly just pics (my second attempt) didn't work, and my initial post had a lengthy write up in addition to the pics.

So I wanted to say that this was inspired by Bill_minn and his post tracking his trees from seed, and while this post isn't tracking the entire year, it's a result of all seed grown starting this spring.

The trees I tried this spring were:

Carpinus betulus - European Hornbeam

Tsuga diversifolia - Japanese Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock

Platanus occidentalis - American Sycamore

Platanus x acerifolia - London Plane Tree

Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood

Ginkgo biloba - Maidenhair Tree

Picea omorika - Serbian Spruce

Abies concolor - White Fir

Nyssa sylvatica - Black Tupelo

I purchased the seeds from Sheffield's Seed Company last fall, and then performed the required treatments for each species as specified on the seed packets. Once complete they all got cold stratified by placing them in a resealable zipper bag, folded inside of damp paper towels, and trying not to make them touch each other if possible. These were then placed in the fridge for the required time periods.

Once stratification period was complete, the seeds were put into soil blocks in late winter that I pressed from a standard pre-made seed starting mix, placed in trays and then covered until they began to sprout. At that point they were moved to a west facing window. No bottom heat was used.

I had varying degrees of germination, with M.g, N.s, and C.b. only germinating a single plant, two for Tsuga d., and only 4 for Ginkbo b. The Carpinus fell victim to an over-enthusiastic Australian Shepherd that is also in its first year of growth, so I was left with none, but a good indication that it seemed on the tougher side to germinate.

Once the first set of true leaves emerged, I began fertilizing with Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 by Dyna-Gro at a rate of 1/8 tsp per 500ml once per week.

For some of the larger species I moved them up from the soil blocks to grow bags and small pots, in which those remain today, while the rest have been in the same 2" x 2" soil block since germinating in the spring.

Post germination losses have been minimal although there have been a few, most disappointing being one of the Japanese Hemlock died, leaving with just a single sad survivor.

I'd like to hear some opinions about what I should do with them now. I have a holding garden that I could plant them into, mulch liberally, and protect with some tree tube shelters, or I could hold them over in an unheated garden shed and then plant them early next spring in the holding garden. My plan is to grow them on for a few years, and then move them to hopefully their final location.

If my zone/location isn't showing up next to my name, I live in zone 6 in Ontario, Canada, in Haldimand County, about halfway between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario on the Niagara Peninsula.

As mentioned I will post pics from today separately in the hopes that this works.

Featured Answer

bengz6westmd

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Thanks for the compliment brothergarm -- the unaltered pic is just from my cheap tracphone. The pics from it vary from very good to awful -- depends on lighting conditions & distance I guess. Here's another years-earlier pic of the fall coloring of these baldcypresses:

And already some small knees growing:

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Comments (19)

brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago
Hey it worked. Must have been the pictures.
Tsuga diversifolia - Japanese Hemlock. The sad lone survivor and not doing well. We'll see if it makes it.
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brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock. I meant to thin each soil block down to a single tree, but I never got around to it. I will thin once I decide what I am doing with them this fall. The tallest are 3.5" or so. Side-ways neck craning courtesy of Houzz.
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brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Platanus occidentalis (American Sycamore) on left.

Platanus x acerifolia (London Plane Tree) on right.

Middle is a mystery due to a plant sitter while I was away for two weeks. They probably would have been much larger had I up potted them from their soil blocks.
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brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Ginkgo biloba - Maidenhair Tree. Not great germination, but those that did seem healthy with nice fat buds set for next year. Two germinated in the pot on the right so I will try and separate or select the healthier of the two.
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Taxodium distichum - Bald Cypress. Decent germination, and strong growers. The tallest are 20" +/-.
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Metasequoia glyptostroboides - Dawn Redwood. One of my favourite trees, so a bit sad only one germinated. I will try this one again next year. It's just over 12" tall and still growing, with the majority of its height and width being put on in the last 3 weeks or so.
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Picea omorika - Serbian Spruce. Good germination rate, thinned to one tree per soil block and minimal losses. Tallest are around the 4.5" height range, as per the side-ways filter applied gratis by Houzz.
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago

Abies concolor - White Fir. These seem to struggle a bit. I haven't dialed in the watering yet I think, as I think they may have been on the wet side. We'll see.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
5 years ago
Looks good. I, too, have a seedling Tsuga diversifolia that is a lone survivor and at about 4 years old it is not much bigger than yours. Give it time.

tj
brothergarm thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
User
5 years ago
Wonderful. Good job!
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brothergarm thanked User
FrozeBudd_z3/4
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Nice!! I also had sown a good amount of Picea omorika back in about March and those little guys have surprised me by pushing as much as 5 inches of growth and even beginning to branch out a bit. They're very quick and easy to germinate and were sprouting in only ten days of stratification! Bill, this is one you might want to get your hands on some seed, as it pretty well laughs off anything my crazy and cold variable climate can throw at it and that includes bitter -40 temps! I love abies concolor as well, my 10 ft specimen is situated in a reasonably well sheltered spot and has done exceedingly well, but had struggled with last winter, though we did have the coldest February in something like 60 years!!
brothergarm thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago
FrozeBudd, did you sow the Picea omorika directly into the soil or into pots? If in pots, what are your plans with them for this fall and beyond?
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bengz6westmd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Good job. Baldcypress always seem to germinate reliably & grow well from seeds. My seed-grown ones (13 in all) do well after 14 yrs along my border stream:
brothergarm thanked bengz6westmd
FrozeBudd_z3/4
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
After stratifying in a baggie for those ten days, I then sprinkled the germinating seeds onto a small tray of ProMix and covered them lightly. The developing plants have been crammed together in that tray for the summer, though soon intend to separate and place into larger flats or cells. Will hold them over winter in either my cold storage room or attached unheated garage where I keep potted roses and shrubs. Intend to bring them back into growth in early March and be cautiously generous with the fertilizer to get them to size up as much as possible, then planting out to be done the following spring.
brothergarm thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago
bengz, your photo looks like a painting! Is that from compression or a filter you put on the pic? Gotta love those Taxodium. You'll probably get the "knees" being that close to the water. I also have a stream on my property and I've already starting replacing the dead ash and elm with Taxodium, Metasequoia, Nyssa sylvatica, Alnus glutinosa, and Salix cultivars like 'Golden Sunshine' and 'Crispa'. Can't wait to get 10+ years on them.

FrozeBudd, that's crazy they germinated after only 10 days strat. I think it was you on another thread that mentioned your cold winter, and I was out in Calgary for the Shaw Charity Classic and was constantly surprised at how much winter die back the street trees had. Is that what's giving you second thoughts about planting out now? Or is that just better practice to hold over seedlings and plant in spring? Also for clarity, are you saying you are going to force them a bit in March, and then plant them in spring 2020, or hold them over another winter and plant out in spring 2021?

I am still trying to decide which will have the least winter kill for me in my zone.
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arbordave (SE MI)
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I'd think twice about planting Alnus glutinosa - it can be an aggressive spreader along the water's edge and is considered invasive in Ontario - see this link .
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brothergarm thanked arbordave (SE MI)
brothergarm
Original Author
5 years ago
Wow, thanks arbordave, very interesting read. I had not heard that about Alnus glutinosa. I will definitely yank those out. I've had an Alnus glutinosa 'Imperialis' (cut-leaf alder) for a few years now which is far from water and got me interested in the species, it's also in the middle of 15 acres or so of mowed lawn so I may be safe with that one.
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FrozeBudd_z3/4
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
The weather has been a continuous extreme flip flop here especially in the last few years with many long time standing records broken. The arctic influence is never far away and low pressure systems often drag down chilly air masses while the rest of Canada remains balmy. This summer, the summer that wasn't, has seen thickly overcast conditions totally DOMINATE and it being WET as heck! Only a few really nice days scattered here and there and now looking ahead to next week, and we're again blocked and socked in with rain and dense cloud for an extended period, we're not getting the heat units to help ripen and harden things off ... So, yes, many trees have really struggled!

Am surprised with the RAPID germination of picea Omorika, read such and thought it being impossible, though significant sprouting had occurred in a flash, just glad I had checked them when I did! I'm pleased with their growth rate, was only expecting something like a two inch first year seedling. My plan is to force and bulk them up as much as possible in the greenhouse before setting out spring of 2021, If I first don't kill them with kindness, lol.
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brothergarm thanked FrozeBudd_z3/4