Japanese wisteria germination

[YaBoyMyth]

Does anyone have any tips to get Japanese wisteria seeds to germinate I have tried twice with no success. Once in damp paper towels and the send time in a mason jar that had fresh air let in daily and a little spray of water for humidity.

 

[Shibui]

Wisteria are legumes and have hard seed coats to protect seeds and delay germination.
For quick germination scarify seed coats - scratch with sandpaper or scrape them on concrete - just enough to cut through the shiny coat in one or two places. That lets water into the embryo and lets the seed get started quicker.
Boiling water treatment can also work - place seeds in a mug. Boil the kettle and pour boiling water over the seeds to half fill the mug then allow to cool overnight before sowing seeds as usual. Sounds like it will kill seeds but they are tougher than most people imagine.
In nature these type of seeds lie on the ground for months or years until the seed coat is scratched enough to allow water in or until a fire goes through and the heat cracks the waterproof coats.

It is likely you did not give the previous seeds enough time. Untreated seed can take a year or 2 for the hard coat to break down enough for germination. Germination is typically sporadic with a few seed growing each year over 2-5 years.

 

[Rivian]

Ive sown a couple hundred. Collect seedpods in Winter or Spring, take out the seeds, plant them in a pot and put it on your windowsill, inside the house. I plant them shallow. Theyll pop out of the ground after ~2 weeks, some do later.
Think I usually collect between Christmas and March. Maybe youre in a warmer climate and your pods dont get frost while on the mother plant?

 

[YaBoyMyth]

Wisteria are legumes and have hard seed coats to protect seeds and delay germination.
For quick germination scarify seed coats - scratch with sandpaper or scrape them on concrete - just enough to cut through the shiny coat in one or two places. That lets water into the embryo and lets the seed get started quicker.
Boiling water treatment can also work - place seeds in a mug. Boil the kettle and pour boiling water over the seeds to half fill the mug then allow to cool overnight before sowing seeds as usual. Sounds like it will kill seeds but they are tougher than most people imagine.
In nature these type of seeds lie on the ground for months or years until the seed coat is scratched enough to allow water in or until a fire goes through and the heat cracks the waterproof coats.

It is likely you did not give the previous seeds enough time. Untreated seed can take a year or 2 for the hard coat to break down enough for germination. Germination is typically sporadic with a few seed growing each year over 2-5 years.

Ok I will try scarification next spring when I attempt again. I assume it’s too late in season for anymore germination attempts?

 

[Shibui]

For me the germination season is just starting. I cannot see a location in your profile but guess you are in north somewhere and it is probably too late to bother now. Get prepared for next spring.

BTW add location to your profile so that replies from other members can be better tailored to your conditions and seasons.

 

[YaBoyMyth]

For me the germination season is just starting. I cannot see a location in your profile but guess you are in north somewhere and it is probably too late to bother now. Get prepared for next spring.

BTW add location to your profile so that replies from other members can be better tailored to your conditions and seasons.

Thanks! I added that info into my profile. And ya I’m in the Northern hemisphere. Southern California

 

[Njyamadori]

Watch Herons Bonsai Seed Sowing videos . He just puts seeds in soil in the Fall and in the spring he has tons of success

 

[rockm]

Throw them out in the yard next spring -away from your house. Trample them into the ground. Keep the ground kind of soggy, or at least don't let it dry out. Let them be. You will be overrun...

 

[YaBoyMyth]

Throw them out in the yard next spring -away from your house. Trample them into the ground. Keep the ground kind of soggy, or at least don't let it dry out. Let them be. You will be overrun...

Really? They germinate that easy with no stratification or scarification??