Figs from seed

[shibui]

Just read a post by Jamie where he said he has not been able to germinate figs so thought I'd put forward some ideas.

I believe figs need light to germinate. Do not cover fig seed. Sow seed on the surface of the mix. (FYI most Australian daisies also need light to germinate and germination is inhibited if seed is buried.)

I was also led to believe that fig seed needs to be fresh to germinate and loses viability when dried. I have since heard others stating that figs can grow from dried seed but have not tried this. I have always used seed straight from the fruit and have great success.

Port Jackson fig seedlings develop a swollen base - great for fat nebari minis (sumo style?). I'm not sure if other species do this but this could be a problem if you want to fuse seedling trunks together.
My twin trunk trees were developed from 2 seedlings planted close together and quickly fused without any treatment, removing bark, etc.

Maybe these hints will help anyone who wants to grow figs from seed.

[Jarrod]

Also on fig seedlings, I have seen on an Australian bonsai website, many years ago, that if you cut through the seedling at it's widest point and treat it like a cutting you get great nebari very quickly. I did this to my first fig and it does work. I still have the tree and will show the nebari when I repot late spring.

[craigw60]

I've never grown them from seed but I have a friend who grew 100s of them, he used to soak them in water for a few days before sowing
Craigw

[senseijames]

I just sprinkle them onto the soil and water them in, haven't had any problems with germination so far, fresh seed is best
James

[Jamie]

hi guys

yes i have been having problems with fig germination. the seed i have used have been all different, some straight from the fruit, some dry, some i feremtned the fruit for a while then broke the fruit up and sprinkled over the medium, tried some without fermentation or soaking.

im not sure whats going on its quite odd, i have the seed in seedling trays that sit on rocks that get warmed by the sun and they also have some platic around them (not over them) to keep the humidity in. the mix i use is fine diatomite with some organic, and i dont not cover them with medium as i knew about they need light and shouldnt be covered. i have tried a heap of different species all with the same results - nil.

going on what jarrod said about cutting through the bole of the trees and growing a new nebari quickly, it does work very well and sorts out any reverse taper issues, it gives a great nebari too.i have cuttings i have done like this that have a new root spread in around 4 weeks, and a decent nebari in around 6 months.

if anyone has any form of fig seed that they dont want or need, or have to many, pm me, im going to keep trying to get them to germnate one way or another, can work out something for a trade of some sort, I have recently put down a lot of river redgum seeds and they seem to have all germinated if anyone is interested, they will need a little more time though. ope to any variety of fig seed apart from moreton bay please, leaf is to big and takes to long to reduce for me and my shohin trees also fresh seed would be best thanks

cheers guys

[Graeme]

Where are you getting your seed from Jamie? I tried a lot of the local trees and have never had what I would call any real success. I did get reasonable results from one of the Esplanade trees, but now can't remember which one it was so have to start again. There is a really big Virens at Toogoom I have never had one seed germinate from. Also no joy from THE big Ficus in the Maryborough park either (I did get a cutting from that one once tho). I think there is a major lack of wasps in H/Bay

[Jamie]

gday mate

the seed i collected in the bay is at the war memorial on main st. (i think it is main st. its opposite cincotta chemist) i actually think that the figs there are F. microcarpa var. kimman, im thinking that as the seed i have collected havent shot once and i have tried a lot of seed from there. i thought first it would of been F.mic. var hilli but the seed should be viable if thats the case, if it is kimman the seed isnt viable in Aus. bloody wasps, never around when you want them

I also collected seed from a QSL down on the suny coast, not luck. so out of god knows how many hundreds or thousand of seed i havent had any luck.
Andrew sent me some ripe hilli seed a couple months back and i still havent had luck with them either, which is odd as Andrew has had heaps pop up

other seed i have tried is F. microcarpa (no variation told), F. Hilli, F. obliqua/Eugonoides.

i havent seen the virens at toogum, is that at the little park down there? i havent tried the figs in queens park yet either, dont know if it is worth it if yours havent shot either.

so wether it has been bought seed or collected i havent had luck with them, maybe im not looking at them right, or not talking to them gently enough

jamie

[Graeme]

Might be a real silly question, but do you have snails at your place?

Reason I ask is the little ........ soals love Ficus seedlings and will clean out a tray as they shoot.

Also, even with known viable seed I have collected from my #1 favorite tree in Adelaide I found it is only the Christmas seed I got reliable germination. Maybe seasonal up here, when have you collected seed?

Opps, sorry, the Virens is in O'regan Creek Road to the right of Carkette (Spl?) on the left as you go toward Ries Rd. I was out there yesterday and the tree is covered in new red leaves, very pretty.

[Jamie]

hi mate,

i havent seen snails in the place, not even shells, but that doesnt necessarily mean there not there, i know the seed is still in the trays as i can still see it

it could more than likely be seasonal, i have been trying to grow fig from seed for a long time now, i started last spring collecting seed from where ever i found it,so maybe i am just unlucky with finding viable seed

the figs at the war memorial are decent sized trees and i collected so much fruit i actually couldnt beleive i didnt get one to pop. the other tree at the memorial that i am interested i is a pinus halpenensis, i beleive it is a dwarf variety as it is very old and only stands around 2-3m tall, and around 3-4m wide, it is more like a large shrub then a tree, i took some cuttings from that, the new shoots and so far they are still vibrant so that might get somewhere, its odd that pine cuttings seem to be taking better than fig though! its starting to develop cones too so i will be collecting them when they are ready too.

jamie

[Graeme]

Jamie, the pines are available for purchase from the RSL (if it's the one I am thinking about)

[Graeme]

More information found for ya, Goggle is my friend

Availability
Yarralumla Nursery now propagates a number of trees from seed collected from the tree at the
Australian War Memorial. These are generally available throughout the year at cost to RSL
branches, schools and other organisations who would like to use them for ceremonial purposes.

Therefore, Grant may well be your friend now.

[OwnLeeOne]

Hey yall I bought a bunch off seeds of ebay. Various figs, chinese elm, blueberry... After about 2 weeks the elms sprouted and after about 4 weeks the first fig emerged - a port jackson. They take a lot longer when dried. Got some fresh seeds off a fig tree in nsw a few days ago, some kind of microcarpa i think, will see how they go.
Peas.

[Jamie]

More information found for ya, Goggle is my friend

Availability
Yarralumla Nursery now propagates a number of trees from seed collected from the tree at the
Australian War Memorial. These are generally available throughout the year at cost to RSL
branches, schools and other organisations who would like to use them for ceremonial purposes.

Therefore, Grant may well be your friend now.

gday mate thanks heaps for that info!! now i just need to get the spare few bucks!

will google the nursery to see where they are, and yes it is the pine at the war memorial im talking about, the one that had been propagated from "the lone pine" in the war.

Hey yall I bought a bunch off seeds of ebay. Various figs, chinese elm, blueberry... After about 2 weeks the elms sprouted and after about 4 weeks the first fig emerged - a port jackson. They take a lot longer when dried. Got some fresh seeds off a fig tree in nsw a few days ago, some kind of microcarpa i think, will see how they go.
Peas.

Hi mate,

thanks for the info, it might spur some trust back into the seed suppliers on there, the ones i got off ebay a while back, like i said didnt even look like going, did you have them in a hot house? or use bottom heat?

Jamie

[OwnLeeOne]

I actually buried them - never heard about them needing light to germinate. Have moved them around a bit, always in a sunny area all day. I was away for a week and the seed trays probably dried out a fair bit thanks to my housemate. There just in 100% searles premium potting mix. Today I had some seeds left over so i put some on top of the trays where seeds had not yet sprouted - see if light helps at all. Virens & Distruens are the main ones im waiting on. Also have some morton bays and virens soaking over night to see how that goes. I have small leaf seeds have not yet tried but i think they will be easier than the others. Will keep ya posted.
Peas.

[Mitchell]

Here's some Strangler fig I have in a light globe. Spose they are like weeds though, probably the reason they germinated. Germinated in a tray of spondgelite enclosed in a plastic bag to retain moisture. The tray was placed near the rear air vent on my comp (great place to germinate seeds! ) and they were spotted stickin' their heads up less that a week after planting in tray. 'Bout a week and a half old now.