Gardening, Plants & Accessories

I am often asked how we manage to germinate thousands of Japanese maple tree seeds each year because conventional wisdom says this is considered very hard to do.

In this article I’ll reveal to you the little known “Nursery Secrets” we use to guarantee virtually 100% germination rates and debunk the myth that…

Germinating Japanese Maple Seeds Is Hard To Do…

If you’ve read any standard text or instructions for germinating Japanese maple seeds and you’ll usually find virtually identical advice.

Conventional wisdom holds that successfully germinating Japanese maple seeds is hard to do, definitely something for the more advanced gardener. Conventional wisdom also says that the key to successful germination is a combination of soaking the seeds in water followed by “stratification” *(see below).

Soaking the seed is recommended because almost all the seed you buy from merchants or from unknown sources (such as you will usually find on e-Bay) is dry. Dry seed needs to be re-hydrated then stratified* before it has any chance to germinate.

*Stratification is the scientific term used to describe allowing the seed to experience an extended period of cold for at least 90-100 days – as if the seed has been through a winter period after falling naturally off the tree.

Even if you’ve tried soaking and germinating dry Japanese maple seed, you’ll know the results are still hit and miss. People tell you it’s difficult and, indeed, it is difficult to get any decent level of germination from dry seed.

So we discover by painful practical experience that conventional wisdom is correct. It’s hard to germinate most of the Japanese maple tree seed you’ll find offered for sale. To make up for any lack of success as a result of using this conventional method, you’ll be advised to leave your seed pans on the ground for another year in the hope that a few more seeds might germinate.

Well, good luck! You might be lucky and get a few more seedlings – but it’s more likely you’ll have provided the local mice and other critters with a tasty winter meal!

Conventional Wisdom Overturned!

Year after year in our nursery we get germination success of 87%, 92%, even 98% in some cases. And we don’t even soak our seed!
.
Here’s the REAL “Secret” to Virtually 100% Success in Germinating Japanese
maple tree seed…

…Use FRESH, new season seed!

Yes, honestly that’s the most important thing you need to do. Please do NOT buy from seed merchants or from online eBay sellers who do not care about your seed germination success. You are almost certain to get old, dry seed buying that way.

Having bought Japanese maple tree seed myself in the past from big name seed companies and then failed to germinate them, I decided there has to be a better way.

Quite by chance I stumbled on the ‘secret’ of using fresh seed only after finding a
‘rare’ source that offers fresh seed.

So here’s what you need to do to get guaranteed germination success…

1. Get fresh new season seeds.
2. Store them in a zipper bag.
3. Keep them for at least 90-100 days in the refrigerator.
4. Look at the seeds from time to time and make sure they are not becoming dry. If needed, add a DROP or two of water, every few weeks, so the seeds do not dry out.
5. If (and only if) you see mold develop, and as soon as you see it, use a fungicide, very sparingly, following the manufacturer’s directions or a weak solution of bleach (1 part bleach to 9 parts water)
6. At the end of the period of cold storage, the seeds are germinating naturally, even in the zipper bag in the fridge!
7. Transplant the seedlings as they germinate, planting the emerging rootlet in a seed compost. We use and recommend using a coir (coconut)-based growing medium.

Sign up for our FREE e-course for more details.

We grow a lot of our seedlings in tubes. These are the same tubes used by the USDA Forest Service. This way we minimize the additional handling of seedlings (thereby reducing our time/cost and chance of damaging the delicate seedlings when replanting).

You should also be careful to watch out for late Spring frosts. Search for our YouTube video and additional online articles on Spring frosts and Japanese maple trees! Your seedlings might germinate in January – February – March and you could be faced with a period of several weeks when the new seedlings are at risk from frost damage. Your seedlings need to be kept in a frost-free place but also need to get good light and air movement around them. Keep the seedlings in good light or they will grow long, straggly and weak stems.

It is important to remember that seedlings are hybrids. We know the ‘mom’ tree that provided the seeds…

…But we don’t know the ‘dad’ tree whose pollen (thanks to the bee) fertilized the flowers on the ‘mom’ tree. So, just like our kids, these seedlings will be similar to, but NOT identical to the parents.

Seedlings should exhibit some of the characteristics of the ‘mom’ parent, but they will not be identical (a true clone). This means we CANNOT name the seedlings with the same cultivar name as the parent. For example, seedlings from Acer palmatum Bloodgood” can only be called ‘Seedlings from “Bloodgood” seed” or Acer palmatum Atropurpureum (if a red leaf seedling).

About the Author:

Ken Alston is a green thumbed British-American gardener, maple-aholic and nurseryman who provides gardeners and fellow Japanese maple tree enthusiasts with valuable advice, information and hard to find Japanese maple trees, seeds and seedlings at http://japanese-maple.com.

Now follow me on Twitter @ japanesemaple
=========================

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How To Germinate Japanese Maple Tree Seeds Easily And Reliably With Better Than 90% Germination Rates

Bond 9215 Green Giant Spiked Aerator Shoes $6.99 Deluxe Velcro straps hold these light weight aerators to your feet! Each step presses a dozen 2in. metal spikes into hard-packed soil and densely-packed turf. Thousands of holes create air, fertilizer, and moisture to SOAK RIGHT INTO YOUR LAWN. Rugged green plastic, 11 3/8in. long. Strap easily onto any adult size foot. Perfect for using when cutting the grass or raking the leaves! Aerator Type: ...

200 Poppy Seeds. Drama Queen Poppies. Papaver. $3.99 Exclusively from One Stop Poppy Shoppe. Papaver somniferum. Drama Queen. 200 seeds. If you love poppies, this one's a heart-stopper! Showy, large blooms, with petals in shades of Crimson accented with shades of Indigo. The combination of the 2 colors makes a spectacular display. Very Easy! Give rich soil, average water and full sun. Remove spent flowers for a lasting show. A garden show-off guaran...

Hens & Chicks Poppy 250 Seeds - Papaver somniferum $2.85 PAPAVER: Delicate blossoms of Poppies have enchanted us for generations. Large paper-thin petals form a bowl around their ornamental centers. The blossoms are a favorite for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. Sunlight makes their translucent petals positively glow with color. * The "Hens and Chickens" Poppy has large, lilac flowers followed by seedpods that are arranged as a large pod surro...

Beethoven's 2nd $6.47 THE ST. BERNARD'S MATE IS TAKEN AWAY BY HER EVIL OWNER WHO WANTS TO SELL THEIR PUREBRED LITTER....

Fenugreek Seed Fenugreek Seed...

Salba - Whole Seed Salba - Whole Seed...

Tomorrows Bad Seed : Sacred For Sale (dig) $10.97 Tomorrows Bad Seed : Sacred For Sale (dig)

Seed $12.99 Seed

Seed $10.99 Seed

Seed $14.99 Seed

Seed to Seed $21.45 Seed to Seed

Seed To Seed $22.95 Seed To Seed

Seed To Seed $22.45 Seed To Seed

Seed Starting Kit $24.95 Gurney's complete Seed Starting Kit allows you to quickly, easily and successfully start all kinds of seeds.

For Sale $32.2 For Sale

Not for Sale $11.99 Not for Sale

Not For Sale $22.45 Not For Sale

Not For Sale $13.49 Not For Sale

For Sale $11.97 For Sale

Not for Sale $18.7 Not for Sale

Not For Sale $14.99 Not For Sale

For Sale $32.99 For Sale

The Seed of Abba...the Seed of the Woman $12.49 The Seed of Abba...the Seed of the Woman

The Seed Of Abba...The Seed Of The Woman $14.13 The Seed Of Abba...The Seed Of The Woman

Seed To Seed : 074758561X $51.95 Seed To Seed : 074758561X

Seed To Seed : 0747570396 $75.03 Seed To Seed : 0747570396

Green Guard™ Seed Treatment $12.95 Treatment applicator coats seeds before planting and strengthens against disease.

Seed-Starting Tray $10.5 Includes 72 pop-out planting cells and an 11- x 22-in. watertight tray.

Giant Cockscomb Flower Seed $2.25 Frilly scarlet, gold and yellow flowers July to frost.

Buffalo Grass Seed $13.95 Grows 6 inches tall, forms a thick, rugged blue-green mat.

Daisy Mix Flower Seed $2.25 Daisies galore! If you love daisies—and who doesn’t?—you’ll be thrilled by this magnificent collection in shades of bright red, yellow and orange!

Castor Bean Flower Seed $3.95 A fast-growing privacy screen! Grows 10-12 feet tall with gigantic veined leaves.

Shade Champ Grass Seed $8.95 Does well anywhere--even in full shade!

Diane Seed's Rome For All Seasons $7.98 SALE! 101 recipes for classic Roman dishes, traditional dishes from the Jewish quarter & newer specialties from famed trattoria.

Seed Bead Jewelry - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $6.04 This booklet presents 7 beautiful jewelry projects made with inexpensive seed beads. From a simply strung multistrand necklace to netted earrings to a bracelet made with a daisy chain variation, these projects offer a wonderful array of ways to turn seed beads into appealing jewelry.

Seed Bead Jewelry - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $6.04 This booklet presents 7 beautiful jewelry projects made with inexpensive seed beads. From a simply strung multistrand necklace to netted earrings to a bracelet made with a daisy chain variation, these projects offer a wonderful array of ways to turn seed beads into appealing jewelry.

Seed Bead Jewelry - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $6.04 This booklet presents 7 beautiful jewelry projects made with inexpensive seed beads. From a simply strung multistrand necklace to netted earrings to a bracelet made with a daisy chain variation, these projects offer a wonderful array of ways to turn seed beads into appealing jewelry.

Mini Grow Plugs Seed Kit $9.95 Field-tested at our research farm! Package of 54 growing cells allow you to start small seeds quickly and easily.

Grow Plugs Seed-Starting Kit $8.95 Vented mini-greenhouses hold 18 Grow Plugs made from a biodegradable medium enhanced with fertilizer and beneficial fungi.

White Dutch Clover Grass Seed $13.95 Gets thicker and stronger every year.

Double Click Cosmos Flower Seed $3.45 Huge, frilly double blooms in shades of red, pink and white top attractive 4 ft. lacy foliage.

Arena Green Lisianthus Flower Seed $3.95 Charming rounded double blooms are rose-shaped and come in a greenish-white shade.

Seed, The $3.98 One day a seed drops from the sky and lands right on the border between two territories. The tribes on both sides of the border immediately claim it. "This means war!" their leaders declare. Both sides prepare for battle with great inventiveness, creating huge arsenals of deadly weapons, and drawing up complicated plans of attack. But ironically, in the midst of all these preparations, the seed itself is quietly providing the simple solution that the tribes, in their haste, have overlooked.

Seed Bead Stitching - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $14.94 Seed Bead Stitching explores the myriad possibilities for creating jewelry with colorful seed beads and beautiful accents such as pearls and gemstones. Step-by-step photographs and illustrations guide readers through the basics of classic stitches and inventive variations, showing them everything they need to create gorgeous beaded jewelry. For beginners, there is an introduction to the basics of beads, threads, and bead-stitching techniques, for intermediate and advanced beaders at every level. Seed Bead Stitching helps every crafter solve the puzzle of beadwork in beautiful and innovative ways. By Beth Stone. Softcover: 96 pages.

Seed Bead Stitching - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $14.94 Seed Bead Stitching explores the myriad possibilities for creating jewelry with colorful seed beads and beautiful accents such as pearls and gemstones. Step-by-step photographs and illustrations guide readers through the basics of classic stitches and inventive variations, showing them everything they need to create gorgeous beaded jewelry. For beginners, there is an introduction to the basics of beads, threads, and bead-stitching techniques, for intermediate and advanced beaders at every level. Seed Bead Stitching helps every crafter solve the puzzle of beadwork in beautiful and innovative ways. By Beth Stone. Softcover: 96 pages.

Seed Bead Stitching - Limited Time 20% Off Sale! Price shown reflects discount. $14.94 Seed Bead Stitching explores the myriad possibilities for creating jewelry with colorful seed beads and beautiful accents such as pearls and gemstones. Step-by-step photographs and illustrations guide readers through the basics of classic stitches and inventive variations, showing them everything they need to create gorgeous beaded jewelry. For beginners, there is an introduction to the basics of beads, threads, and bead-stitching techniques, for intermediate and advanced beaders at every level. Seed Bead Stitching helps every crafter solve the puzzle of beadwork in beautiful and innovative ways. By Beth Stone. Softcover: 96 pages.

pro seed grapefruit seed $10.8 Grapefruit Seed Proseed Grapefruit Extract pro seed grapefruit seed

Seed to Seed $15.96 A botanical masterpiece in miniature (David Bellamy), Seed to Seed is the first book to combine a poetic description of the natural world with the scientist’s mission to reveal the ...

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory Flower Seed $1.75 All-summer color--blue and really big!

Gurney's® Healthy Lawn Grass Seed $22.95 Grow turf so tough it can be used on football fields or playgrounds- and yet it's easy to maintain.

Gurney's® Seed Starting Mix $14.95 Seeds sprout faster and at a much higher rate than in leading commercial mixes.

Seed Money $18.95 Seed Money

The Evolution Seed $17.5 The Evolution Seed

The Evolution Seed $24.95 The Evolution Seed

Wild Seed $21.99 Wild Seed

The Seed Of The Woman $13.95 The Seed Of The Woman

Gone To Seed $22.4 Gone To Seed

The Evolution Seed $12.76 The Evolution Seed

Seed Thoughts $15.16 Seed Thoughts

Seed Sowers $13.56 Seed Sowers

The Mustard Seed $30.5 The Mustard Seed

Seed Catalogue $8.95 Seed Catalogue

The Possessor Of The Seed $10.92 The Possessor Of The Seed

Evil Seed $32.95 Evil Seed

King and the Seed $16.34 King and the Seed

Mine Seed $17.5 Mine Seed

Mine Seed $26.5 Mine Seed

Seed Of Life $19.95 Seed Of Life

Bad Seed $14.43 Bad Seed

BLUE SEED $62.99 BLUE SEED

Seed-slowing $14.36 Seed-slowing

The Judas Seed $16.5 The Judas Seed

The Seed-At-Zero $20.26 The Seed-At-Zero

The Big Seed $12.99 The Big Seed

The Seed Cup $11.5 The Seed Cup

The Bad Seed $17.95 The Bad Seed

Seed To Sun $7.66 Seed To Sun

Seed Of The Sea $42.5 Seed Of The Sea

Cloud Seed $12.97 Cloud Seed

Pandora's Seed $26.24 Pandora's Seed

The King and the Seed $14.57 The King and the Seed

Albion's Seed $26.21 Albion's Seed

The Dandelion Seed $14.57 The Dandelion Seed

The Divine Seed $11.96 The Divine Seed

A Seed in Need $21.77 A Seed in Need

First The Seed $26.14 First The Seed

A Seed Grows $5.97 A Seed Grows

Demon Seed $27.99 Demon Seed

Seed Catalogue $12.88 Seed Catalogue

The Little Seed $15.59 The Little Seed

Demon Seed $19.99 Demon Seed

A Seed Was Planted $12.71 A Seed Was Planted

Seed of Evil $5.39 Seed of Evil

Planting the Seed $24.5 Planting the Seed

Going to Seed $14.5 Going to Seed

The Pomegranate Seed $15.98 The Pomegranate Seed

Seed Money $26.25 Seed Money

Seed To Sunflower $24.88 Seed To Sunflower

Hag Seed $8.97 Hag Seed

The Seed Vault $21.73 The Seed Vault

A Seed Was Planted $6.36 A Seed Was Planted

The Chimera Seed $14.39 The Chimera Seed

Bad Seed $16.19 Bad Seed

The Seed and the Sower $42.82 The Seed and the Sower

Demon Seed $78.37 Demon Seed

Seed Of Sarah $14.96 Seed Of Sarah