Branch shooting out of European larch cone on tree?

[Aphystic]

hey, I’m out and about gathering some cones for blue atlas cedar and European larch.

I’ll include some photos, need help deciding which cones are best for cultivation. Also what are these shoots coming out of the cones on the tree?

European larch and blue atlas cedar


The blue atlas cedar was really tall and couldn’t reach any branches. Can I gather the cones I see at the top when they drop this autumn? Or are they too late to save at that point?

There are plenty of brown shaded cones at the top. Probably at least 30ft/10m up.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The shoots out of the cones are really cool! Never seen it in conifers! Other plants do this sometimes because a flower contains all the "parts" to become a branch; meristematic tissue. Cones usually dry out and this tissue dies when the cones are directing their sap stream to seeds but it seems that that didn't happen here! Awesome!
I would pick those and see if they root as cuttings: the lower edge of the cone connection to the branch is full of viable tissue. And if the needles are photosynthetic, they might root. Would make a cool starter tree for sure!

 

[Aphystic]

The shoots out of the cones are really cool! Never seen it in conifers! Other plants do this sometimes because a flower contains all the "parts" to become a branch; meristematic tissue. Cones usually dry out and this tissue dies when the cones are directing their sap stream to seeds but it seems that that didn't happen here! Awesome!
I would pick those and see if they root as cuttings: the lower edge of the cone connection to the branch is full of viable tissue. And if the needles are photosynthetic, they might root. Would make a cool starter tree for sure!

Do you reckon I should just put the entire cone in soil? Can I just break it off the branch at the bottom of the cone?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

That's what I'd do yes. At the intersection of the cone and the branch there's usually a thicker part, that thicker part is full of cells that might turn into roots more easily than the ones inside the cone itself.

 

[Aphystic]

That's what I'd do yes. At the intersection of the cone and the branch there's usually a thicker part, that thicker part is full of cells that might turn into roots more easily than the ones inside the cone itself.

Sorry for a lot of questions but do you mean like this?

 

[ShadyStump]

I've heard of children doing science projects with planting cones and growing trees from them. I never saw how it turned out for them in the end.
If I recall they planted just the stem of the cone, maybe up to the first or second row of the segments.
It would have to be young cones, though, probably still mostly closed with some green left in them.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Sorry for a lot of questions but do you mean like this? View attachment 505845

Yes, cut at the red line

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Yes, cut at the red line

But do use the ones with the live shoots!
All the others will only contain seeds, those you can just peel out of there after drying the cone, or shake them out from cones on the tree.

 

[Aphystic]

But do use the ones with the live shoots!
All the others will only contain seeds, those you can just peel out of there after drying the cone, or shake them out from cones on the tree.

Yeah, I’ll try both!

These I picked I figured I’d put in the freezer (or can I just leave them outdoors?) and plant in spring.

But I’ll update this thread later if my plant-a-cone-with-a-shoot thing works out!

 

[jradics]

Do you reckon I should just put the entire cone in soil? Can I just break it off the branch at the bottom of the cone?

I would just plant the whole cone

 

[Aphystic]

I would just plant the whole cone

And would you reckon it could be indoors with a grow light now straight away? I don’t think it’ll survive the winter outdoors

 

[jradics]

It may survive indoors but it wont thrive. I'd plant it in the ground and let nature take it's course.

 

[Aphystic]

Update: picked two cones and planted one so far. Picture #1 is how it looked before planting and then I planted it in a free draining mix of perlite and potting soil and some LECA at the bottom of the pot.
Let's see if this thing grows

Gonna keep it indoors until spring I reckon.

@Wires_Guy_wires took your advice, a little experiment!