How to Plant: Pot up seedling trees at the end of their first season, or transplant them to their permanent locations,

well marked with stakes. Potted trees may be held for a year or two while roots develop. Remarks: Older trees dont transplant well.

Spruce Picea spp.

Mature spruce trees like a good supply of moisture, but tolerate exposure to wind and cold. Their pendent cones ripen in the fall. Collecting Seeds : If you need a lot of seeds, try to collect they open, but even fallen cones will still contain a few of the small winged seeds for small plantings. Avoid over-drying the seeds. Theyre somewhat less substantial than those of the firs, and have a lifespan of only about three years. When to Plant: Sow the seeds in fall as soon as you collect them, or after a period of stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Dormancy in spruces is mild and probably not universal. You might find that unstratified imbibed seeds will germinate well under lights, but, as with most woody stored seeds for about two months. Disease : Like the seedlings of other conifers, spruce seedlings are susceptible to damping-off. Remarks: Seeds of Engelman and blue spruces can germinate at low temperatures. If fallplanted seedlings of these species appear before winter, mulch them and cover lightly with evergreen branches to ward off frost damage.

Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua

The prickly, round fruiting heads of the sweet gum tree manure in September and October. Most trees produce some seeds every year, with large crops occuring every three years or so. When to Plant : Shake out the small winged seeds and sow them immediately, so theyre receive a natural three-month chill to overcome the dormancy of their embryos. Stored seeds must be stratified first. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify stored seeds at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C) for at least a month before outdoor planting. How to Plant: Seed viability is low, so sow with a generous hand. Press the seeds lightly into the surface of the soil.

Sycamore Platanus occidentalis

Plane trees or buttonballs, as sycamores are also called, can produce seeds when they are as young as five years, if grown in the open. Trees growing close together will fruit later. Sycamores usually produce good crops in alternate years. The buttonball that falls from the tree in late winter really a densely-packed mass of thin, slender, pointed seeds. Its usually slightly smaller than a Ping-Pong ball. Collecting Seeds: Seed-bearing trees are tall, so unless you want to climb, youll to wait for the seed balls o fall. When to Plant : Sow seeds immediately or after stratification if stored. Breaking Dormancy: Promptly planted seeds usually germinate well without any pretreatment, but seeds that have been stored should be stratified for at least two months before planting. How to Plant: Crush the dried balls and sow the fibers in a well-prepared seedbed.

Tulip Liriodendron tulipifera

The straight-trunked tulip produces conelike fruits that look like tiny umbrellas when theyve lost their seeds. Each long, winged flake that snaps off from the cones pointed central shaft resembles an exclamation point and contains one or two seeds. Tulip trees start to bear at age 15 to 20 and produce good annual seed crops. When to Plant : The seeds deteriorate quickly; on average only about 10 percent are fertile, so they should be planted promptly. Stored seeds need stratification at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C) for two to three months to break dormancy. Purchased seeds may not germinate until the second spring. How to Plant: Because seeds deteriorate rapidly, plant thickly - about 50 to 75 seeds per linear foot. Thin to five to ten seedlings per square foot. Remarks: Pot up tulip tree seedlings during their first year, before their roots grow deep, because their long taproots make later transplanting difficult.

Walnut Juglans spp.

J.nigra is the black walnut, J. regia, the English, or, more properly, Persian, walnut. Walnuts produce male and female flowers on the same tree, but at different times - probably a safeguard-against too much self- pollination. You need at least two trees for good crops. The delicious edible seeds are oily nuts guarded by hard shells encased in husks. Collecting Seeds: Persian walnuts usually fall free of their husks, but black walnuts hit the ground still surrounded by the fleshy 1/4- to 3/8-inch-thick green covers. Black walnut husks can be difficult to remove if allowed to dry on the nut. It is not absolutely necessary to husk the seeds before planting. When to Plant : The nuts usually germinate naturally in spring after fall planting. Spring planting may be done after a period of stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify purchased seeds or stored seeds for three to four months 0 at 34 F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C).

How to Plant: Cover the nuts with 2 inches of soil. You might need to screen the seedbed to keep out hungry squirrels. Transplant walnuts to your chosen spot during their first year because their taproots can make later transplanting difficult. Remarks: Persian walnut seeds are more likely to dry out in storage than those of the black walnut, and the seedlings are very susceptible to frost injury.

SHRUBS
The general principles for starting shrubs from seed are the same as for trees. Shrubs bear their seeds at an earlier age than trees, and fewer of them develop taproots. The most outstanding difference is probably the fact that, because they play a smaller part in our economy, shrubs have been studied much less than trees. Because there is less detailed information available on starting shrubs from seed than for tree, your adventures in this area will be even more experimental, but no less rewarding.

Barberry Berberis spp.

This large, diverse group of plants bears good annual crops of berries. The familiar Japanese barberry often used for hedges produces red berries; other species produce purple and bluish black berries. The different species of barberry hybridize readily. Each fruit contains several berries. When to Plant : If you dont get the seeds planted in fall, when they ripen, dont worry. You can plant them as late as March (February in the mid-South), and they will still receive enough chilling to break dormancy. Breaking Dormancy: Seeds have mild dormancy, easily overcome by brief chilling. How to Plant: The pulp doesnt seem to contain any germination inhibitors, so you can plant the whole berry without extracting the seeds, although if mold has been a problem in your seedbed, it might be best to remove the seeds from the pulp. Diseases : Barberry seedlings are susceptible to damping-off, and the plant is also a host to black stem rust of wheat.

Blueberry Vaccinium spp.

Blueberry fruits vary widely in dormancy and chilling requirements. Some species will germinate without chilling. Collecting Seeds: Begin by collecting ripe fruits, always a pleasant job when there are plenty to eat, too, and keep them refrigerated for a few days. Then put the berries in the blender with 1/2 cup of water and blend them briefly just to break up the pulp. Let the blueberry slush stand in a jar until the good seeds settle. Pour off the pulp and the empty seeds. Next, dry the good seeds and refrigerate them. The seeds keep well.

When to Plant: Mix them with the stratifying medium, or try planting them in early spring in a flat of mixed sand and peat. Breaking Dormancy: In the absence of specific information for each them in variety lowbush, highbush, dwarf, box, and early blueberry, and red huckleberry - you might as well plan to stratify blueberry seeds for two to three months. Growing Conditions: Blueberries need an acid, well-drained soil. The best bushes weve ever grown were in front of a stone wall, where they received morning sun and light open shade in the afternoon. We kept them mulched with peat moss.

Cotoneaster Cotoneaster spp.

This varied group of plants ranges from ground covers to large shrubs. Different species cross readily. Cotoneasters purchased from nurseries may be hybrids. The red or black fruits, which resemble rose hips, ripen in fall and contain up to five seeds. Collecting Seeds : Most have a hard seed coat and need warm stratification before chilling to help to soften the seed coat. Collecting green berries might circumvent the hard seed coat problem, but there are no studies to prove it. Either give the seeds four months of warm stratification at 750F (240C) followed by about three months of chilling at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 40C), or sow acid-scarified seeds in a cold frame or seedbed in midsummer or fall. Dont let stratified seeds dry out before planting.

Elderberry Sambucus canadensis

Lacy umbels of white flowers turn to flat-topped clusters of purple-black berries. If youve ever made elderberry jam, you know what purple is. The seeds keep well, but they have dormant embryos and hard seed coats. Breaking Dormancy: A two- to three-month period of warm stratification at 680F to 860F (200C to 30 0C) followed by three-month chill at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C) should help to break dormancy. You can also cold-stratify the seeds and sow in spring. Either way, germination is often delayed until the second spring. How to Plant: Plant the whole berry if you have a good supply. If not, youll find three to five seeds in each berry. To extract the seeds, use the blender treatment described under blueberries. Low places well supplied with moisture make good sites for elderberries.

Gooseberry and Currant Ribes spp.

Both of these low shrubs and their many cousins produce smooth, round berries that contain many seeds and ripen in early to midsummer. Plants start to bear at 3 to 5 years. The seeds can remain viable for as long as 13 to 17 years.

When to Plant : Either sow seeds in fall or stratify them and plant in the spring. Breaking Dormancy: Many ripe seeds will germinate in spring after fall planting, but a certain number of seeds also seem to stay dormant for varying periods - an advantage for the plant in adapting to changing growing conditions, some seeds are always there waiting for better weather. Some Ribes seeds have hard seed coats, and most need a fairy long period of cold stratification. Stratify the seeds at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C) for three to four months. How to Plant: You can either plant whole berries or extract seeds as for blueberries. Remarks: Seeds of the Sierra gooseberries and possibly some others do not germinate well if planted fresh; they should be dried before sowing.

Hazelnut Corylus americana

The hazelnuts round, hard-shelled, dark tan nuts are encased in fringed husks from which they readily fall free. Collecting Seeds : When the husks dry, squirrels often get them first, so we pick the clusters of nuts while the husks are still green. When to Plant : Plant the nuts as soon as they fall, or keep them cool and plant them in October or November. Breaking Dormancy: For spring sowing, prechill the nuts for several months.

Holly Ilex spp.

The familiar round red holly berries are produced only by female plants. Bearing begins at eight to ten years. The berries, which ripen in late fall, contain one to four seeds. Breaking Dormancy: Hollies dont start easily from seed. In nature, their complex dormancy controls often delay germination until their third or fourth spring. Holly seeds have very tough seed coats, their embryos are immature, and they require chilling to break dormancy not an easy set of conditions to get around. Acid stratification will soften the seed coat, but it might damage the immature embryo. The best plan is probably to give winter- or spring-gathered seeds a period of warm stratification, 600F to 90 0F (160C to 32 0C), until the following fall. This will help to mature the embryo and soften the seed coats. Then sow the seeds in a seedbed will naturally receive the fairly intense winter chill they need in order to sprout.

Lilac Syringa spp.

Plant seeds only from lilacs that are not hybrids. The seeds keep well. The fruit is a twocelled capsule containing four flat, thin, 1/2-inch-long seeds. When to Plant: Sow the seeds in late summer as soon as they are mature, or stratify until spring.