I originally thought I could grow bristlecone pines by planting untreated seeds directly into well-drained, rocky soil. After a couple of weeks, there's been no activity in their pots. I still had twenty-five seeds left, so a little over a week ago, I decided to try the usual route - the baggie method (pre-germinating the seeds in wet coffee filters). I really didn't expect to see any of the seeds germinate, but apparently they do very easily. Of my twenty-five seeds, fourteen have strong radicles, and several other are almost ready to be planted.
These radicles were very different from the other seeds I've worked with so far - very straight and rigid. Rather than planting these in the well-drained soil immediately, again, I'm going the usual route - cel-packs of seed-starting soil. After they sprout and grow their first season's branches, I'll move them into the rocky soil. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to keep these outside for the winter, so it looks like I might end up with somewhere near twenty indoor, living xmas trees... I'd better have a little talk with my wife...
Showing posts with label germination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label germination. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
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