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nir8

By Nir8

Israel Il

Hello! =]
I hope someboyd could help me with this!

I recently purchased 30 seeds of Prunus Serrulata. It came with intructions I hardly understand and that I have questions about. Hope someone here knows about this.

Instructions are:
"Japanese Flowering Cherry seed need a warm spell then a cold spell in order to mature the embryo and reduce the seed coat.
Scarification, Warm, then Cold stratification and moisture enhance germination.
Scarify: Soak 24 hours
Stratify: Warm 30-60 Days, then, Cold 90-120 days, 40 Degrees F
Germination: Sow 1/2” deep"

so first part I got, soak for a day in water.
what next? how do I get the seeds to be worm or cold? can I put it in the fridge? in a box? in sand? please will someone elaborate.

I'd appreciate any reply and hope you could help me get a nice tree =]


On plant Prunus serrulata


Answers

 

Once soaked, sow them in a pot of moist sand--don't crowd the seeds, you will need to transplant the seedlings, later--and put the pot in a perforated plastic bag. Stand the bagged pot in a sunny window for a month or two--for summer-like warmth--then in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. Be sure to check the sand regularly for moiture. After that, take the pot out of the bag, water it with half-strength liquid fertilizer, to jump start the seeds, and keep the pot in a sunny, warm spot to sprout.
Note that Japanese Flowering Cherries need fairly sharp winters to grow and flower well, so they may not do well in the mild winter areas of Israel.

21 Dec, 2011

 

TugB's instructions are absolutely clear and correct. I would add my concerns that if you live in an area of Israel with a mild winter the trees will not flower well. You might want to only start off ten seeds at a time unless you have a huge area of ground 30 seeds all sown at once could result in a lot of tree seedlings to deal with.

22 Dec, 2011

 

Hi!
Thank you tugbrethil and moon_grower for you quick replies, it is very helpful to me.
Now, about the climate concerns, since it's now winter in Israel - should I wait till spring? Because other than 4 months in refrigerator it needs the summer, just a thought.
Here's a the average monthly temp' where I live maybe this will help -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv#Climate

I am concerned about after all this it might not grow so I looked for cherry trees growing in Israel and I came up with a nursery that sells Prunus campanulata, can you tell if this tree is similar to my Prunus Serrulata? All I really want is a nice pink cherry tree that's why I got those seeds but it might be easier getting the full grown tree if the two are alike...

What do you say? =)

22 Dec, 2011

 

Prunus campanulata will give you a nice pink flowering cherry tree and if it is already growing in Israel is probably a better bet than Prunus serrulata, which would find the warm winters a real challenge.

22 Dec, 2011

 

According to my sister, who has been to Israel, Tel Aviv is pretty mild in the winter. Here in the Valley of the Sun, we substitute Flowering Peach, "Evergreen" Pear (Pyrus kawakamii), Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera), and Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume) for the Flowering Cherries and Dogwoods of colder climes.

22 Dec, 2011

 

Thanks guys!
Your help was very ..umm helpfull haha...
I will start the process with the seeds and let you know if it's going well, and then maybe I would post a picture of the tree (hopefully).

So anyway, just wanted to say thank you and have a merry christmas! a happy hanukkah and a happy new year! =]

30 Dec, 2011

 

You, too, Nir8!

30 Dec, 2011

 

Hey guys!

Just a little update, just finished WARM period of stratification (was 2 months, like you suggested), now I placed it in the refrigirator, in the vegetable drawer (which is what I read on another forum), Now waiting for 3-4 months.

Good day! [=

27 Jul, 2012

 

Good luck, Nir8! : )

27 Jul, 2012

 

Hi again everyone!

After 4 months in the refrigirator I finally saw a few days ago that some leaves came out of one of the seeds so I'm guessing everything is alright so far!

So now I'm gonna need your help on where to plant it? should I use a small planter at first or should I plant it now in a big planter (in hope of a big tree). I don't have a garden but I have a big roof so I can get a big enough planter for a small tree.

Also, it's wintertime now in Israel, I know you guys said the cherry needs a hard winter, but I'm afraid that if I put it outside when it rains it might hurt the little seed, so maybe put it outside but under some roof?

Hope you guys could help me, I'm afraid to wait to long since the seed has germinate.

Thanks! =]

17 Nov, 2012

 

Well, since the seed waited until winter to sprout, you may have to keep it indoors, or in a greenhouse environment, until spring, to give it the most growing time until it has to get ready for winter dormancy. If the winters are going to be cold enough for it to work at all, they will be too cold to allow the seedling to grow and make food even under shelter.

18 Nov, 2012

 

Oh I understand, so I'll plant it in a small planter and keep it in my house for about 6 months until spring?
How ofter do I water it, and does it needs daylight?

18 Nov, 2012

 

I would give it as much light as possible, including at least a few hours of direct sun. For watering, check it several times a week, and soak it well when the top 1/2 cm of soil is dry. Feed it regularly with any good houseplant food, according to package directions. If you can manage relatively cool night temperatures--around 18º C--it will appreciate it. I would also run a fan on low in the room, to ensure good air circulation, and prevent spider mites. If you can rig up a passive solar greenhouse, that would provide better growth conditions than trying to keep it as a houseplant, though you might have to water it more often. Around March, the nights should become warm enough to start hardening it off for life outside. Around late summer, it will probably stop growing, and start thickening its stems and buds for winter. I would put it on an eastern or northern exposure, to pick up the maximum chill over the winter, since it will need a minimum of 500 hours of temps between 2º and 7º to start growing again next spring.

19 Nov, 2012

 

Hello! Thanks Tugbrethill, these are great tips! I'll try to follow everything exactly like you said.
But before I'm planting I have one more question, 3 different seedlings have sprout, so do I plant all 3 together? and does 3 seeds means 3 trees or will they thin out naturally to 1? I just wanted 1 tree didn't plan to have 3, but I guess it's good since there's more chance one will survive, so how do I plant them?
just for a reminder, I'm starting with a small planter until spring, so if you thought this was only for 1 plant maybe you suggest me something else?

Here are picture of my seeds so far:

http://i.imgur.com/4pW20.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/T7CBj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YVoQ8.jpg

Are they looking fine?

22 Nov, 2012

 

I would try to plant them separately, orthin them out to the best seedling.

24 Nov, 2012

 

Thank you!

24 Nov, 2012

 

You're welcome!

25 Nov, 2012

 

Here they are:

http://i.imgur.com/abBaJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dQsz3.jpg

1 Dec, 2012

 

Hi guys!

Just a little update, I think everything is going the right way. The plant are growing SLOWLY (see pic in last post from 4 months ago) and today -

http://i.imgur.com/1Uyk4mD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nsJ0UqC.jpg

Is that normal? Are they the right size/ shape for this age?

Thanks! (:

6 Mar, 2013

 

anybody? haha

9 Mar, 2013

 

Cute little Cherry trees, Nir, and very healthy looking! Kudos!!
It will probably soon be time to harden them off to outside conditions. Good luck!

14 Mar, 2013

How do I say thanks?

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