Growing Bald Cypress/Redwood from seed?

[JosephCooper]

I was thinking about starting one of the aforementioned trees from seed and I really need pointers.

Is there any special care with BC or redwood? Do I need to stratify for such a warm climate?

Any help would be nice.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Treeseeds.com has good instructions for many varieties.

 

[JosephCooper]

Treeseeds.com has good instructions for many varieties.

That's where I've been looking, It's still a bit vague though...

 

[Hack Yeah!]

You think this is vague???

Stratification Requirement: Treat seeds in hot water before 60-90 days cold moist stratification.
Indoor Planting: If your seeds require stratification or scarification – do the recommended pretreatment before planting indoors. Planting Instructions: Fill a container with seed starting mix to about ½ inch from the top. Place your seeds 1 inch to 1 ½ inches below the soil surface. Gently water your seeds to keep moist, not soaking wet. Heat & humidity is critical for germination. Germination may occur in 1 week or as long as 3 months (depending on the species). Place the seed container on a heat mat under growing light(s). Keep your growing lights on 14 hours per day. Keep your heat mat on 24 hours per day. Once your seeds germinate, move each seed into its own container under the growing lights and on the heat mat. Keep your seedlings indoors for 2-3 months before transplanting outdoors in the spring (May to June).

 

[GGB]

I did dawn redwood from seed, I stratified mine and would recommend it. I had very low germination rates but even less when I didn't (grew from seed 2 different springs). Redwood is great because it grows a couple feet a year and gets a gnarly base, I was training one into a formal upright but after I moved I planted it out into the landscape. I think bald cypress are more attractive and lend themselves better to the hobby, just my 2 cents. Never did bald cypress from seed, tried but the seeds never sank (not viable)

 

[Daniele]

I succeeded in growing some BC from seed, some years ago.
The main problem is that they never sink as they have to float about in the swamps.
To avoid this problem and have them sink you must first put them in water with spirit 50/50 (or Jack Daniel's straight ) for 24 hours in order to remove the waxy matter.
Then you rinse them and put them in water again; it may even take weeks till a few of them sink. You need no stratification with cold.
I also did giant redwood and dawn redwood from seed with 6o days cold stratification. Never tried with redwood.

 

[JosephCooper]

To clear a few things up,

• I have no idea how to stratify
• I do not have access to alcohol (I'm under 21)
• I have no growing lights or heat mat

Is it possible w/o growing lights and heat mats?

 

[miker]

Joseph, I would ask somebody of age to oversee the part of the process requiring alcohol or I know most pharmacies sell "ethyl rubbing alcohol" and I would think this should work,, though you might still be carded to buy it. Fortunately (as a side note), ethyl rubbing alcohol has additives that make it extremely poisonous and fatal if consumed.

 

[Anthony]

Joseph see if you can get @Zach Smith,
to talk to you.
Good Day
Anthony

*thanks for letting us know how young you are, it helps when giving advice.
My brother-in-law started around 16 /17 and is now 56.
Has trees from seed almost 40 years old.
Best of growing to you.

Get some Texas Ebony seed and do some J.B.pines from seed.
Feel free to ask for advice.

 

[BillsBayou]

This is some trippy advice. Jack Daniels straight.

I wish I knew more about growing bald cypress from seed. My friend's technique is to get paid by his brother-in-law to come clean out his gutters. He comes home with several long sections of seedlings in rotted vegetable matter.

The guides I'm reading are all starting out with harvesting the seed balls in the Fall. Well, crap. Let me go outside and see if there are any on campus. Sometimes those things persist.

Be right back.

 

[BillsBayou]

This is what I found at the base of one of our trees. By now, my coworkers know to just accept the fact that I do weird things with and around plants. "Bill's in the bushes again."

Looks like the seed cones break down over Winter. No idea if anything here is viable. Likely not. I'm thinking the squirrels had a buffet this Winter.

I should be looking into seed propagation. I need to know more.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I've harvested BC seed, right off the tree in autumn, broke up the "balls", then mixed that with moist sphagnum. All into a plastic bag, pop that into the refrigerator for 3 months. Don't bring out of the refrigerator until warm enough to go directly outside. If a few start while in fridge, don't worry, they will just sit as long as they are cold. I never bother with soaking or alcohol soak.

In my are with cool spring weather, BC often won't sprout until July heat kicks in. Once sprouted, they grow very fast.

 

[BillsBayou]

I've harvested BC seed, right off the tree in autumn, broke up the "balls", then mixed that with moist sphagnum. All into a plastic bag, pop that into the refrigerator for 3 months. Don't bring out of the refrigerator until warm enough to go directly outside. If a few start while in fridge, don't worry, they will just sit as long as they are cold. I never bother with soaking or alcohol soak.

In my are with cool spring weather, BC often won't sprout until July heat kicks in. Once sprouted, they grow very fast.

Thanks for this. A nice way to cold stratify.

 

[zelk]

Seed Germination Enhancement

Soaking in a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide for 24hrs had the best result. See the study for the best performing concentration to use:

http://hos.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/gdliu/CypressSeedGermination.pdf

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Joseph, I would ask somebody of age to oversee the part of the process requiring alcohol or I know most pharmacies sell "ethyl rubbing alcohol" and I would think this should work,, though you might still be carded to buy it. Fortunately (as a side note), ethyl rubbing alcohol has additives that make it extremely poisonous and fatal if consumed.

Most rubbing alcohol is isopropanol, I have never seen ethyl alcohol sold as rubbing alcohol. You can get ethanol at Home Depot or Lowe's, heck, I even think Walmart has it. You will find it in the paint department sold as denatured alcohol. The "denatured" part is a little benzene, or used to be, maybe something else now, that they throw in to make inconsumable. Well I guess you could still consume it, it would not be good for you.

 

[Mellow Mullet]

Joseph, I never bother with cold stratifying the seeds. I just break open the cones, get the seeds out and sow them in some regular potting soil that I keep very damp. I planted pond cypress and bald cypress a month ago and two of the pond cypress have already pushed up. All of the bald cypress that I have posted on the forum were grown from seed.

Do you have any seeds?