Growing JBP pine cones

[S-bender]

I have a few JBP trees that are 8 years old that I want to grow pine cones to harvest seed. I've only managed to get the small tiny cones which dry out and never get to size.

Any help or advice is most appreciated. Thanks

 

[sorce]

Reckon them are pollen cones. The male part.

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Potawatomi13]

When tree feels ready cones will grow.

 

[Shibui]

I've never had viable seed from cones on potted trees. I suspect that's from a lack of pollination.
Remember that pollen needs to transfer from the male cones to the female cone and pine pollen moves via wind. Male flowers are usually lower than the female cones which are normally right at the tip of spring candles so pollen needs to get UP to the female.
You'll probably need to wait for a dry day when male flowers are shedding pollen and shake them over the female cone to get reasonable pollination.

After that it is just a matter of keeping the tree well watered and fed for the next 18 months while the cones ripen.

Source has a point. Have you actually had female cones appear or just the male pollen cones?

 

[Yeahvince]

.

 

[S-bender]

Thanks for the replies. I get both male and females cones.


Shibui I suspect you may be right with keeping up the water. They don't grow past this stage.

 

[Shibui]

They are definitely female cones.
Pollination (lack of) could also be the cause of the cones aborting. There's no point in a tree putting energy into maturing cones unless there's a chance of having seeds.
Assuming you have cones at this stage now try making sure that the tree is completely happy and see how they go.
Next spring keep an eye out for the male cones releasing pollen - warm, dry days when you bump the tree clouds of pollen pour out - then work out some way of making sure that some of that pollen reaches the tiny female cones. That's easier when you have a couple of plants and can pick one up and tap the branches above the cones of another but you might have to get creative if you only have one tree.

I'm assuming that is a yatsubusa or similar variety as it has short needles and multiple buds. Not sure whether all of the JBP varieties are able to produce seed but I can't see any reason they shouldn't.