Re: Shrub/Tree seedlings...
- To: propagation@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Shrub/Tree seedlings...
- From: D*
- Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 22:16:59 -0400
- References: <90.29b246c.261cd9a3@aol.com>
>alchemy@bellatlantic.net writes:
< How long (years?) will it take for
> ANY of them to become strong enough to plant outside.
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated >
Pat,
Wonderful timing! Tonight we had a guest speaker at our garden club meeting
who grows a number of different tree species from seed (in a corner of his
backyard). Then he gives them away as seedling trees.
The main hints from the talk;
Grow on outdoors, preferrably in a holding bed rather than in pots.
(already mentioned by 'AdamsEden')
Protect from squirrels, rabbits etc. (his solution were structures that
resembled mini hoop houses made from hardware cloth (sand screen)- he
called these his squirrel cages).
Shade young seedling trees - in nature most species would begin their lives
in the shade of other trees. Shade cloth, lath house or row cover would do
the trick.
You will be surprised at how quickly they will grow - several trees that I
grew from seed last year put on 12 to 24 inches of growth in their first
year! As an example, our speaker said that a Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
could be expected to bloom in approximately 5 years and at that point would
probably be about 5 feet tall.
Most of all .... have fun!
Dale
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Dale Smith, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Zone 5 (min -20C)
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