Giant sequoia

[LauraFrog]

I've got some giant sequoia seeds and I'm not quite sure how to start them off. Does anybody know how long these need to be stratified for? The most detailed info I could find on the internet after a quick read of a few pages is 'soak it overnight and shove it in the fridge for a few weeks.'

[Edward Scissorhand]

I just sprinkled mine straight into a pot with no freezer preparations during late winter/early spring last year . Theyve spouted. If you bought them from ebay, just check theyre not old seeds.

[Glenda]

I just sprinkled mine straight into a pot with no freezer preparations during late winter/early spring last year . Theyve spouted. If you bought them from ebay, just check theyre not old seeds.

Laura - If you are in Cairns, stratification is probably necessary. Even if they germinate, they may not grow in your climate No reason not to give it a go, though!

Glenda

[LauraFrog]

I actually got them at a hardware store, Erica Vale seed packet 'trees suitable for bonsai'. It included four seed packets, labelled 'sequoia gigantaea' (I'm assuming they mean sequoiadendron gigantaea), 'calista' (which I think is a callistemon), 'liquidamber' and 'acer' (no idea which species, probably japanese or trident.) The whole thing cost about five bucks, so if I even get one tree out of it I've got a bargain haha. The 'sow before' date is 2014 for the lot. I haven't actually opened the packets yet (they're foil packed) so not sure how many seeds I have.

The only temperate/cold tree I've had a go at growing is a Japanese maple seedling (tube stock) which died, but that's unsurprising since my father sprayed it with roundup. I didn't even notice, I was standing over the comfrey with a machete to stop him spraying that...