Cotoneaster

Hi Penny ! Don't have a bad consciense just because you nicked some berries from that bush. I have been into stealing seeds for a long time, but I really don't look on it as stealing. There is usually an abundance of seeds on many plants, and most of them will be scattered and go to waste, birds and rodents will eat others, so if you have 20 berries of seeds or so of a total of maybe 2000, what harm is it going to do. As long as you don't harm the plant by breaking off twigs, or mess it up in some other way, I think it's not something to lose sleep over. Some gardeners think gardening is like a competition, and the one who has the most unusual plants wins. I detest that attitude, and I feel that if I have some species that are "unusual", and have spare seeds over I 'd be glad to shre them with others. That will help conserve the species, and it might also help it become more popular.And best of all more people can enjoy it. Regarding the propagation of Cotoneaster I just received a box with whole berries or seeds of 15 different Cotoneaster species yesterday from a friend in England. He is sort of a Cotoneaster expert and has 130 species in cultivation. He said that you should clean the seeds thoroughly so that there is no pulp left on them. Then you should start your seeds outdoors, and leave them there until germination occurs. It may be some germination in the spring, but he told me that I should expect a peak in about 1 1/2 years, and it might take up to 4 1/2 years for germination to occur. They should be left outdoors all this time as the alternating temperatures are required for germination. I am enclosing my leftover seed list in case there is something on there you would like to try. Good luck, 
                                                                                                                                                  Paul :o) 

P.S. If you could take some photographs of the Cotoneaster you took seeds of, I could ask my English friend if he could take a look at them.

Leftover

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