Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Received seeds today. Put them in fridge until I can get to them per directions. The africanus will be soaked tonight and planted tomorrow. Will need to bring in some soil and set up the heat mat.
Orion_metalhead - Celtis Africana - #1
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Orion_metalhead
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I put the (11) seeds into a mason jar of water tonight. They all sank immediately.
Also prepped some seed trays for germination. I am going to try using some bagged organic wood pellet fuel as a top mulch for 5/11 seeds... the stuff expands and holds water well, so My thought is it would be a good option in place of sphagnum, all of which for me is completely frozen.
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Also prepped some seed trays for germination. I am going to try using some bagged organic wood pellet fuel as a top mulch for 5/11 seeds... the stuff expands and holds water well, so My thought is it would be a good option in place of sphagnum, all of which for me is completely frozen.
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Orion_metalhead
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The (11) seeds came out of soak, and into six-pack seed trays. I placed a single seed in each cell. I covered all of the seeds with growing medium (perlite, turface, 8822 old soil) about 1/4" deep.
5 of the seeds I covered with a mulch of wood pellet fuel to maintain moisture as an experiment..
An extra tray was loaded with a bunch of old shimpaku juniper seeds of unknown viability.
The whole thing I loaded into a plastic box/container type thing to help maintain moisture levels and placed on a heating mat. Germination is expected in 15 - 30 days.
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5 of the seeds I covered with a mulch of wood pellet fuel to maintain moisture as an experiment..
An extra tray was loaded with a bunch of old shimpaku juniper seeds of unknown viability.
The whole thing I loaded into a plastic box/container type thing to help maintain moisture levels and placed on a heating mat. Germination is expected in 15 - 30 days.
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Orion_metalhead
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Germination of (3) of these noticed today. I expect to see others within the next couple days. I went ahead and opened the side of the humidity chamber to help with airflow.
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SeanS
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Cool! Celtis Africana is indigenous to South Africa, they are everywhere down here! Gardens, parks, empty pieces of land, pavements/sidewalks, cracks in walls, you name it! Anywhere a bird can poop!
As the seed packaging says we call them White Stinkwoods as the common name.
They also hybridise with Celtis sinensis, which is also just as widespread locally.
As the seed packaging says we call them White Stinkwoods as the common name.
They also hybridise with Celtis sinensis, which is also just as widespread locally.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Sean, Im going to try and treat these like a tropical species, since they are native up into Ethiopia and other parts of africa that do not get cold winters.
Have you tried them at all? Any specimen you can share in the pinned main topic?
Have you tried them at all? Any specimen you can share in the pinned main topic?
SeanS
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@Orion_metalhead I have one small one I grew from seed. I would treat them like regular deciduous, ours behave like deciduous in SA as we have a temperate climate with winters around freezing. I can’t speak for the Ethiopian trees unfortunately.
Orion_metalhead
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Maybe Ill treat a few as tropical and a few as temperate to see what kind of progress I can generate.
Orion_metalhead
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So far, 4/11 seeds germinated.
DaveNuts
Seedling
Looks like open substrate is the way to go for those. Doesnt look like humidity is the problem when you had them covered so the wood pellets look to have stifled the growth.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
I generally agree. I think the "mulch" so to speak caused them mold over. That said, 4 is enough for me lol.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
Lol... a fifth one in the unmulched cell.
Maybe more will show up?
Maybe more will show up?
Orion_metalhead
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Three more popped up in the mulched tray today. So we are 8/11.
SeanS
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@Orion_metalhead to give you an idea of how prolific Celtis (both Africana and Sinensis) are here in South Africa 
They even pop up in our lawn in early spring before we start mowing it.
They even pop up in our lawn in early spring before we start mowing it.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
9/11 right now. I think that's going to be it though. I don't see any signs of life from the last two.
Gabler
Masterpiece
Never forget!
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
10/11. Been giving a small amount of miracle grow with every few waterings.
DaveNuts
Seedling
This is really cool. Mine still need 7 weeks in the fridge! Jealous!
Aaron the Great
Mame
I agree, I only have 30 days of cold time. It's warming up a bit and I want to see something growing.
Orion_metalhead
Masterpiece
One of the reasons I specifically chose Africana was because they didnt require cold stratification. I figured it would be an immediate head start.
The ones requiring cold strat will go out early april.
The ones requiring cold strat will go out early april.
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