AusBonsai

Hi all,

Having sown hundreds of maple seeds over the years, this year I thought I'd put together a pictorial of my method - which I have found the most reliable. While it involves stratification (which some may dismiss as unnecessary), it allows the eradication of any unviable seed to give a result of 100% germination rate. I sow trident maple seeds every year for both bed-growing and root-grafting stock, and this method assures me 100% strike rate (assuming the seed is fresh). The method also works for Japanese maple:

1. Obtain your seed from a reliable source - the most awesome seed I have ever used can be sourced here on Ausbonsai . Maple seeds are ripe for harvest around mid-May.
2. At around 8-12 weeks from the beginning of September (Spring), start the stratification process. First, soak in water for 36-48 hrs.
3. After the soaking period, eliminate and discard any seeds that are still floating on the surface of the water - these are usually unviable seed.
4. Then, take a handful of sphagnum moss, drench with water and squeeze in your hand to ring-out any excess water. The sphagnum should be damp, but not soaked.
5. Add the viable seeds, and mix in by hand.
6. Place the sphagnum/seed mixture in a snap-seal plastic bag, and place in the fridge.
7. After about 8 weeks, check the seed each week until you notice they are starting to germinate. This year it took mine 10 weeks.
8. Take the seeds out, and carefully sow the sprouting seeds into a good seed raising mixture. Use a chopstick to create the hole for the seed to ensure the delicate root is not damaged. Water in the seeds.
9. After a couple of weeks, your seedlings should look like this:
10. This time next year, your seedlings will look like this:

Cheers.

Excellent Tutorial!

...wish I had some seeds to play with now...

My question is why does one need 100% strike rate? Why not simply sow all the seed. Eradication of unviable seed just gets rid of seed that would not grow anyway. If you sow all the seed, only the viable ones will germinate but that should still be the same number as wrcmad got up anyway. Saves a couple of painstaking steps and still gets the same result?

Neil, how long do your fresh Acer Palmatum seeds usually take to germinate?
I didn't bother to cold stratify as I heard it doesn't help much for fresh seed but I haven't had any germinate yet, they've been planted outside for 7 weeks in my standard seed raising mix and protected from critters so they haven't been eaten and are unlikely to be rotten. Other seeds have germinated next to them as well.

I collected a bunch of Japanese maple seed over winter and stratified for varying times in the fridge. The ones that had been in the longest definitely germinated the quickest, with heaps germinating while still in the fridge. In the end they have all germinated. But come next winter I’ll prob still try for a long stratify as it gets them growing sooner and gives a longer first season.
This is my first batch. Photo taken 3.5 weeks ago.

This is my last batch. Photo taken 2 days ago.

Neil, how long do your fresh Acer Palmatum seeds usually take to germinate?

I can't tell you how long it takes from sowing because I no longer bother to sow seed. I just collect seedlings that germinate naturally in the pots and in the garden.
Even when I was sowing seed I would just sow seed in pots soon after collecting it. Seedlings would germinate whenever they sensed the weather was right in spring. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later.
Seedlings are just starting to germinate in pots and in gardens here now so should probably be growing elsewhere now too.

shibui wrote: ↑September 6th, 2019, 6:22 pm My question is why does one need 100% strike rate? Why not simply sow all the seed. Eradication of unviable seed just gets rid of seed that would not grow anyway. If you sow all the seed, only the viable ones will germinate but that should still be the same number as wrcmad got up anyway. Saves a couple of painstaking steps and still gets the same result?

It's not so much about achieving a 100% germination rate, but more simply about achieving successful germination at all, or guaranteed germination.
The culprit - fungus.
Where I live, a mild, damp, sub-tropical winter can be devastating to the germination rate of maple seeds. I have seen seeds turn furry and rot before they get a chance to germinate. For this reason alone, it is worth my effort to try and garner a "controlled" germination, so that it happens at all.
Realistically, the steps aren't really painstaking - 30 seconds to chuck seeds in a glass of water, 30-60 seconds to mix with sphagnum and throw in the fridge, 5 mins to sow.....

SquatJar wrote: ↑September 6th, 2019, 6:34 pm Neil, how long do your fresh Acer Palmatum seeds usually take to germinate?
I didn't bother to cold stratify as I heard it doesn't help much for fresh seed but I haven't had any germinate yet, they've been planted outside for 7 weeks in my standard seed raising mix and protected from critters so they haven't been eaten and are unlikely to be rotten. Other seeds have germinated next to them as well.

Hey squatjar, I have had far more success with stratifying my maple seed in the fridge. Sure seed will germinate eventually once it has had its stratification requirements met but this could be over several years. It doesn’t get cold enough where I am to get even germination but I have no problem when I stratify. As wrcmad mentioned above, roughly 10-12weeks. You will need to find what works for you.

Thanks Terryb, probably not cold enough here either. I stratified all my other deciduous seed and some are starting to germinate now.

Neil, how long do your fresh Acer Palmatum seeds usually take to germinate?
I didn't bother to cold stratify as I heard it doesn't help much for fresh seed but I haven't had any germinate yet, they've been planted outside for 7 weeks in my standard seed raising mix and protected from critters so they haven't been eaten and are unlikely to be rotten. Other seeds have germinated next to them as well.

I planted Acer palmatum seeds received from Neil in June this year and they were popping within 4 weeks. In fact the palmatum seeds germinated better than the tridents or chinese elms this year, for some reason. I didn't stratify.

Hey wrcmad,

I followed your advice that you posted back in May (same process, just no pics) and I have to say I'm slightly disappointed in not getting a 100% germination rate, it was down to about 95%.

I don't know if it gets cold enough here without the stratification, but the reason I like this method is that it's easier for me to have a couple of bags in the crisper than it is to keep outside pots at the right moisture level for many weeks. I'll stick with this method from now on (because I really need more seedlings. Ha.)

Matt.

I have seen seeds turn furry and rot before they get a chance to germinate.

I've had that problem when stratifying seed in the fridge so I stopped using the fridge and get far better results now. Note that Mel has had great germination in Brisbane with fresh maple seed but not stratified.
I have seen some references to using peroxide to sanitise the seed and media before putting them into the fridge. Bleach or chlorine can also be used as a wash to kill of external pathogens and won't hurt the seed itself.