Another Blizzard has started....looking at 10-18" of snow on top of 6' that has fallen in a little over a month
Decided to start to try to Germinate my Red Bud seeds that I've collected from my trees
I planted 4 Red Bud seedlings that I bought in the Spring of 2009.....1 Died
I've planted 4 more Spring of 2014.....1 Died -which they will replace
Rather then buy more I've decided to try to grow them from seed
Process from Online:
Collect seeds from pods, store them in a sealed jar in fridge.
Around Valentine’s Day, remove seeds from fridge & rub them a bit between 2 pcs of sandpaper.
This process will begin to remove tough outer layer & will aid in germination.
Once you see some of outer layer has been sanded off seeds, they are ready for the next step.
Boil some water in a pan, remove from heat, place sanded seeds in water.
Allow them to soak in this water for 3-4 days.
This step will soften seed coat & prepare seeds for germination.
Once seeds have been treated, they can be planted a 1/4” deep in small containers of moist sand or potting soil.
For 5-8 wks, planted seeds should be kept cool in fridge or an unheated garage.
This chilling period acts as an imitation winter.
If you live in an area with cold winters, seeds in their pots can be planted in the garden, providing soil is not yet frozen.
If planting pots outdoors, cover them with wire mesh so critters cannot dig them up.
After 5-8 wk chilling period, seeds may be placed outdoors & seeds will begin to germinate in spring.
Once seedlings have produced their 1st set of leaves, trees may be planted in a permanent location in well draining soil.
I may also try from Cuttings as that will give them a head start:
In early June, after flowering and leaf production, select a healthy redbud tree with lateral branches at least 4 inches in diameter.
Cut an 18-inch segment well above any branch junctions to ensure limb regeneration.
Make as small an angled cut as possible.
Clean the wound with an antifungal preparation to prevent infection.
Divide the cutting into three sections, 6 inches long.
Remove 1/2 inch of the bark at one tip of each section.
Place these sections in a warm sandy soil, 72 degrees F (20 C), for 4 weeks.
Cuttings from redbud trees will root quickly.
Plant in potting medium when the roots appear.
They need 4 more weeks in potting soil to develop strong tap roots.
Plant shortly after full root development, to enable the long tap roots to stabilize before frost.
I've been trimming the trees in some cases & throwing the cut-offs out
