When is a good time to collect Japanese Maple seed?

[junmilo]

Hi,

I'm in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...it's been pretty mild here lately...all the leaves are falling...my neighbour's got 2 bloodgood trees that's got lots of seeds. I'm tempting going to him and ask for permission to collect them. The day time temperature fluctuates between 1C to 17C.

SIncerely,

Jay

 

[bonsaibp]

Ask away before they fall off the tree.

 

[small trees]

Ask away before they fall off the tree.

Follow-up question: What do you do with them until springtime?

 

[coppice]

Plant them in soil and put a plank over them in their germination pan. Leave germinating pan outdoors in the winter weather. They will germinate next spring.

Neither freezing drying or refridgeration will help or increase the germination rate. The cycle of warming and freezing will help.

 

[0soyoung]

Follow-up question: What do you do with them until springtime?

You can separate the seed from the little wing coverings of the samaras. You may want to then wash the seed in a mild bleach solution (quarter cup bleach per gallon of water) and throw out the ones that float before placing them on a damp coffee filter and slipping it into a plastic bag that you put in your refrigerator. After 6 weeks to maybe as long as 3 months you can expect to find them to have germinated. If not, take the bag out of the refrigerator anyway and let it sit somewhere out of the way in your house - you should have germination within another 6 weeks.

Then pot up your seedlings!

A couple of times I've done what you're setting out to do. The second time starting with 50 viable seeds (sinkers). I got 7 to germinate. Now, 5 years later, I have two trees. I've also tried to cultivate volunteers (i.e., seeds that dropped and germinated in the ground under the 'mother' tree) and encountered mortality troubles regardless of whether I left them in situ or potted them. I am not trying to discourage you - it is indeed a fun project. Just prepare yourself for significant losses in the process. You may, indeed, have greater success than I.

 

[eron jonson]

you are supposed to collect when the wing is just starting to dry out on the tree. i cut the wings off, and right now am debating on what to do, most likely i will freeze half in the freezer in a brown paper bag, the other half i will put in a brown paper bag in the refridgerator. im too nervous and lazy to try and store in the refridgerator while moist in sand, peat, or sphagnum moss. im scared they will just mold over, but youre really supposed to add in a fungicide.

if you want to do it as the common technique,
collect when wing is drying on the tree,
remove the wings,
let dry until about december,
soak in warm water over-night,
mix moist sphagnum moss, peat, or sand with fungicide,
place all seeds into medium,
mix,
store in refridgerator for 90 days check periodically,
and pull out germinating seeds,
plant when 90 days is up (should now be march/april)

 

[Matt1]

I picked the seeds off the tree about a two weeks ago. they were still fresh looking. I am cold stratifying them now, am I just wasting my time or are they going to germinate?

 

[GrimLore]

At my Wife's Office they have a nice old red maple and every spring there are at least several seedlings 3-5 inches tall. I am saying this because being in the North East that tree probably does the same. Might want to ask him to collect the seedlings in the Spring - FAR easier then seed. We currently have 4 collected that way and this Spring I am looking to go there and get several more small ones for a forest arrangement. Either way if trying seeds makes you grin then go for it!