Not one seed germinated!

[evtubbergh]

Hello all. I bought some Tea, Japanese Flowering Cherry, Dwarf Pomegranate and Chinese Wisteria seeds last year. We followed the instructions for cold stratification and sowing carefully but despite hat and sowing several of each type nothing has germinated.

Any advice?

[tomc]

I never had much luck with commerically collected tree seed. My basic advise is pick ripe seed from local to you trees and plant directly into germinating pans and cold stratify the whole pan.

[Gnome]

evtubbergh,

Hello all. I bought some Tea, Japanese Flowering Cherry, Dwarf Pomegranate and Chinese Wisteria seeds last year. We followed the instructions for cold stratification and sowing carefully but despite hat and sowing several of each type nothing has germinated.

Any advice?

I thought that Pomegranate are best sown fresh, at least that is what I did.

Norm

[evtubbergh]

So the problem is that none of these grow around here so I have to buy the seed if I want them.

The Dwarf Pomegranate says to keep it in the fridge. I did wonder since it spent a few weeks getting to me, not in the fridge.

It really is frustrating.

[tomc]

Is there a public market near you? I might ask local nurserymen.

The guy what picks the peaches or pomegranite is a good source of fresh local-to-you seed.

[rainbowgardener]

just checking, because some people get confused. You do know that keeping the seeds in the fridge / freezer is not the same as cold stratifying them? For cold stratification, they have to be planted, in moist potting mix and THEN chilled.

[imafan26]

I've grown pomegranates from seed. I usually is fresh and dwarf pomegranates at least here do not need to be stratified. They do take a while to germinate.

[evtubbergh]

Yes I know. And the pomegranates were not cold stratified. Each seed came with instructions that vary but I followed those carefully.

I would understand if only a few germinated or one kind did not at all because maybe I messed up but this seems a bit much!

[evtubbergh]

Gnome, I have no idea but they were sold to me and posted. It says to keep them in the fridge, nevermind that they spent weeks getting to me at any temperature.

[imafan26]

When I have bought inoculant which also should be refrigerated, it arrives in days not weeks. When you do order from a company, ask them how it is shipped. If it is insulated and how long it takes to get to you. Perishable items are usually shipped quickly.

[evtubbergh]

I knew the stuff was going to be posted and that takes weeks but I didn't know the seeds need to be refridgerated. Surely that is the responsibility of the seller? He knows he's posting and it takes weeks, he could easily not allow that item to be ordered with that shipping.

Either way though, none of the seeds germinated so that can't be the whole story.

[imafan26]

Japanese flowering cherry. Is that the same as Sakura or cherry blossom tree. Here it can only be grown in elevations around 1000 ft and above. It needs winter chill to bloom well.

[evtubbergh]

@imafan26 It might be. We get cold temps here, just without precipitation. If as bonsais they don't flower here in Joburg they will as large trees in the freestate as it gets very cold there.

It doesn't help though if they don't germinate!