A seed solution
A gardener planted about 100 Japanese maple seeds. Not a single one sprouted. Why? Credit the species’ survival mechanisms. Here’s a workaround.
Q. Last fall, I collected Japanese maple seeds from trees in the neighborhood and planted about 100 of them in small pots, left them out over the winter, and did not get a single sprout. Advice on how to get seeds to sprout? — Fred Johnson, Virginia Beach A.
Japanese maple can be a little difficult to propagate from seed, given that it has a hard seed coat and requires a stratification (chilling treatment) of several months. These are two dormancy mechanisms that nature employs to ensure that the seeds germinate at the right time of year, guaranteeing their survival. In other words, the seed exhibits double dormancy. Nature can be deliberate in dealing with these two issues. This, in fact, helps ensure that not all seeds germinate at the same time, nor even in the same year — even better for making sure the species survives. But, as you’ve discovered, this can all be very frustrating for the propagator.
To begin germinating, a seed must take in water. This is why seed-hardy species can often have a long inherent longevity. Only when the seeds have imbibed water can they perceive chilling temperatures and then, with proper germination temperatures, sprout.
In the wild, it might take a year or more for these two things to happen and make the seed capable of germinating. I think it’s likely that your seeds’ coats were not sufficiently softened. With our somewhat quirky winter, they may not have received sufficient chilling.
Here’s what I suggest you try this fall — and this time we’re not going to leave this business of seed hardiness or winter temperatures to chance.
Collect seeds in the fall about the time they are naturally released from the tree. They will have shriveled, dried and turned brown. (If taken too early from the tree, the seeds will not be ripe.)
Store the seeds in a sealed paper bag and keep them dry.
90 to 120 days before you want the seeds to germinate, trim off the “wings” and soak the seeds in hot (not boiling) water for about 24 to 48 hours.
Discard the floaters and place the remaining seeds in a plastic bag with a mixture of moistened sand and peat (50% each). Refrigerate for three months. Periodically examine to ensure there’s no contamination or germination.
At the end of the stratification, sow the seeds in a container of potting media, cover lightly, and water as needed. Take care not to keep things too wet. Do not expect anywhere near 100% germination. This is why the tree produces so many seeds!
After seedlings have emerged and have enough roots, transplant them to individual containers. Gradually acclimate the young plants to higher light intensities.
Understand that your seedlings will be genetically variable. After all, this is what nature intended.
Q. I read the May 27 article about the issue with sprouting from the old stump and roots of the crape myrtle that had been cut down and removed. But my question: Is there a safe way to kill these ever growing suckers on healthy crape myrtles without killing the tree? I have to keep clipping them down to ground level, but they regrow very quickly. — Cyndy Ribeiro, Williamsburg
A. Yes, your situation is a bit different. Your goal is to stop those pesky sprouts without killing the tree. Luckily, there are numerous products that should do the trick. These are easy to apply, and you can find them as concentrates or pre-mixed. One is Bonide Sucker Punch. It contains the synthetic plant growth regulator ethyl 1-naphthaleneacetate, which is chemically similar to the rooting agent NAA, naphthalene acetic acid. Both have auxin-type activity. Auxin is a natural plant hormone that plays roles in everything from stem elongation to rooting. In very minute amounts,
NAA stimulates rooting in cuttings and is often a component of commercial and over-the-counter rooting compounds. But at higher concentrations, it inhibits rooting. Precisely what you need.
And one more thing
Jerry Held in York County wrote that his tomatoes are doing well; he has 45-plus fruits on his two Early Girls, as well as cherries. It may be close making Fourth of July. Cucumbers are off to a slow start. His best advice for keeping poison ivy under control in the yard is being diligent — eradicating it as soon as it appears.
Don Vtipil, in Norfolk, agrees that the cool spring has affected his garden, perhaps in a good way. He keeps meticulous records of his strawberry crops and has observed that his first strawberries typically ripen between April 19 and May 3, with the last picked between May 26 and June 9. On May 23 he thought he had picked his last one, for a yield of 26 pounds. To his surprise, two weeks later, his plants were loaded again with blooms, and he expected a second harvest in mid- to late June. He says this has never happened.
What’s going on in your garden and landscape this year? Doing something differently or trying something completely new? Drop us a note.