for the first time in twenty years my magnolia tree has produced seed. I
live in Yorkshire and would like to try and germinate the seed, do I heed
any special conditions or advice? Do I heed to plant the seed now or cool it
and plant next spring? Any advice. would be useful.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:03:56 -0000, "David Kershaw"
wrote:

for the first time in twenty years my magnolia tree has produced seed. I
live in Yorkshire and would like to try and germinate the seed, do I heed
any special conditions or advice? Do I heed to plant the seed now or cool it
and plant next spring? Any advice. would be useful.

I've never tried it, but here's a summary of what Treseder says in his
book on Magnolias.

It's probably too late to sow them now. Clean the seed to remove
fleshy bits of husk. Put them in a dry polythene bag into the bottom
of your refrigerator (not the freezer), until the spring. Then put
them into a glass of water, and discard the ones that float, as they
probably won't germinate. Sow the rest about half an inch deep in a
gritty acid compost in individual small pots. Water in using a fine
rose or spray. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Put in a frame or
cover with glass or polythene. Germination is greatly assisted by some
bottom heat. Shade the pots from direct sun. After germination, still
keep covered and shaded for a while, and regularly remove condensation
from inside the glass. As the seedlings develop, gradually remove the
cover and expose them to some direct sun to harden them off. Protect
from slugs etc. Pot on into acid, soil-based compost when the
seedlings are say six inches tall. Be careful when potting on, not to
damage the fragile young roots (this was the reason for sowing singly
in the beginning).


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Thanks Chris, I will try that with some of the seed.
Regards David
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:03:56 -0000, "David Kershaw"
wrote:

for the first time in twenty years my magnolia tree has produced seed. I
live in Yorkshire and would like to try and germinate the seed, do I heed
any special conditions or advice? Do I heed to plant the seed now or cool
it
and plant next spring? Any advice. would be useful.

I've never tried it, but here's a summary of what Treseder says in his
book on Magnolias.

It's probably too late to sow them now. Clean the seed to remove
fleshy bits of husk. Put them in a dry polythene bag into the bottom
of your refrigerator (not the freezer), until the spring. Then put
them into a glass of water, and discard the ones that float, as they
probably won't germinate. Sow the rest about half an inch deep in a
gritty acid compost in individual small pots. Water in using a fine
rose or spray. Keep the soil moist but not wet. Put in a frame or
cover with glass or polythene. Germination is greatly assisted by some
bottom heat. Shade the pots from direct sun. After germination, still
keep covered and shaded for a while, and regularly remove condensation
from inside the glass. As the seedlings develop, gradually remove the
cover and expose them to some direct sun to harden them off. Protect
from slugs etc. Pot on into acid, soil-based compost when the
seedlings are say six inches tall. Be careful when potting on, not to
damage the fragile young roots (this was the reason for sowing singly
in the beginning).


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"David Kershaw" wrote in message ...
Thanks Chris, I will try that with some of the seed.
Regards David
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:03:56 -0000, "David Kershaw"
wrote:

for the first time in twenty years my magnolia tree has produced seed. I
live in Yorkshire and would like to try and germinate the seed, do I heed
any special conditions or advice? Do I heed to plant the seed now or cool
it

David

Are the seeds 'nut like' in appearance, maybe the size of a small Cob
nut. I recall getting some pods on my Magnolia 5+ years ago, but I
think the squirrels got them before they were ripe.

Hi Philip, they were bright scarlet when I first collected them (now they
have dried to a deep dark red), they are shaped like a flattened haw hip,
hard with a thin covering of tissue.
Regards David
"Philip" wrote in message
m...
"David Kershaw" wrote in message
...
Thanks Chris, I will try that with some of the seed.
Regards David
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 20:03:56 -0000, "David Kershaw"
wrote:

for the first time in twenty years my magnolia tree has produced
seed. I
live in Yorkshire and would like to try and germinate the seed, do I
heed
any special conditions or advice? Do I heed to plant the seed now or
cool
it

David

Are the seeds 'nut like' in appearance, maybe the size of a small Cob
nut. I recall getting some pods on my Magnolia 5+ years ago, but I
think the squirrels got them before they were ripe.