Field Maple from seed?

[Caleb Campbell]

Just ordered some Acer campestre seeds from F. W. Schumacher so I can start stratifying them pretty soon and sow them next spring. I figured it would be a great species to start from seed because they can tolerate my hot humid climate, and they bulk up and develop very fast, similar to how trident and JBP are good species from seed.

I plan on stratifying from September-February, sowing them outside in various soil types for experimentation (50/50 Perlite-Potting soil, 50/50, DE fines-Perlite, etc.), protecting from birds and squirrels, spraying with hydrogen peroxide and water, placing screen atop the sprouted seedlings to get some movement, potting them in net cups whenever I feel they're ready, etc.

However, I can't find ANY examples or progressions, or even talks of starting Acer campestre from seed specifically, let alone for bonsai. Anyone know of any caveats, tips, or progressions of Acer campestre from seed? Are they particularly hard from seed? % Success rate?

 

[cbroad]

I've tried growing from seed collected from a street tree in the city. Cold strat in the fridge for the winter and sowed outside in the spring. Had a few germinate in the fridge.

Planted in the spring, but nothing came up...

I've heard some campestres need a double dormancy, and also that a lot of seed are sterile. I broke open a few seeds and sure enough, no embryos, just shells...

@cmeg1 has had some success germinating seeds, but I think he also has seen some complications. He will be selling some soon too. Look at his hydroponic propagation threads, lots of info there.

Good luck!

 

[NaoTK]

We have a lot of field maples as street trees here in Oregon and there are always lots of seedlings popping up like weeds. So they do germinate readily. Fertility improves with cross-pollination from unique trees and germination improves with thermal cycling. I stopped using the fridge and I just keep trays in my greenhouse so the temperature can fluctuate all winter.

 

[Caleb Campbell]

I've tried growing from seed collected from a street tree in the city. Cold strat in the fridge for the winter and sowed outside in the spring. Had a few germinate in the fridge.

Planted in the spring, but nothing came up...

I've heard some campestres need a double dormancy, and also that a lot of seed are sterile. I broke open a few seeds and sure enough, no embryos, just shells...

@cmeg1 has had some success germinating seeds, but I think he also has seen some complications. He will be selling some soon too. Look at his hydroponic propagation threads, lots of info there.

Good luck!

Ah, good thing I bought lots of seeds! I'll have to try multiple methods and see what works 'round here. Thanks for pointing me towards cmeg, I just couldn't find any insight for the life of me!

 

[Caleb Campbell]

We have a lot of field maples as street trees here in Oregon and there are always lots of seedlings popping up like weeds. So they do germinate readily. Fertility improves with cross-pollination from unique trees and germination improves with thermal cycling. I stopped using the fridge and I just keep trays in my greenhouse so the temperature can fluctuate all winter.

Thanks for the warning, I fear my weather is too warm to just leave them outside, the lowest average temperature here is 43 F. The highs around that time can get all the way up to 70.

I may try taking some seeds out of the fridge for a day every week or two, putting some of those outside early, some outside later, leaving some in the fridge until spring, leaving some outside all winter. Probably end up with little success but I can always try again next year.

 

[Sean Walker]

I had quite a few sprout from seed I collected locally. My germination rate was great with the seeds I left outside in a flat of peat and vermiculite and perlite fines in November here in W PA. I brought them into my cold storage (40-50F) I think around February/March and they started to pop. But the seeds I had in a bag in the fridge never sprouted. But that probably was me and not the seeds. I still have those seeds and I’m going to chuck them in some mix and set them out to see what happens. I do know that Slugs love them and will strip them bare in no time flat! So I only have a little less than a dozen that survived that attack. So I collected a few more this year and am going to keep them out of harms way the best I can

 

[Sean Walker]

Oh I forgot to add that after a couple popped I brought them inside and started them under lights until the weather broke.

 

[papkey5]

I have a flat right now that I have fall sown. Checked 6 or 7 and a majority had an embryo.Put them inside my hoop house to overwinter. The substrate is a pine bark fines/vermiculite/perlite mix

I have heard soaking seeds in kelp can increase germination rates.