Maple seeds sinking through soil?

[caters]

Now, I have grown maple seeds before but in ideal conditions they sprout in 2 days, it has been 3 days and so far I have watered them every other day(I have checked the soil for moisture every day and if it has moisture, I don't water them. I have noticed though that the seeds are sinking down. Is that a good thing? Does it mean that roots are growing and it shouldn't be long before I see a stem? Now yes I am growing them in the middle of winter but once spring comes I will bring them outside when it is warm enough and they will regulate themselves into the cycle they would have if planted during the spring. I also am keeping a cold draft from coming through for too long. But anyway, is it a good thing that my maple seeds are sinking?

The soil they are in is like a mixture of loam and sand with some bark in it. No, I haven't grown maple seeds in this soil before but I think the melted ice in the soil last year was too much moisture for sprouting seeds. Plus, the soil that is in the ravine near my back porch is in some places quite sandy and rocky and lots of maples, elms, and oaks thrive there. A sapling could survive high moisture but I think the reason no seeds sprouted last year was the ice that melted. This time, I don't have to worry about melted ice because I will transplant them in April, when I know that the sun and the elm sapling I have in 1 of my pots(an elm seed just happened to land there and start growing) have drawn out a lot of the moisture that originated from the ice.

[thanrose]

Don't disturb them right now, because it seems they are swelling and putting out that first root. Wait a couple more days before delicately wiggling one to see if it has started. I'm a bit further south, but red maples here should start their crimson leaf buds and flowers this month. Cold drafts shouldn't bother them but if you get ice indoors where they are, you might want to keep them warmer, I.e. not on a windowsill.

May I ask why you planted seed rather than transplant the numerous crowded seedlings in the ravine? Are you trying to cross breed them or propagate for a particular feature?

[caters]

No but I love the ravine as it is and would not want to disturb it. Plus I might be moving out with my Momma and Dad soon and if it happens to be a very open place, I will plant the trees in ground because my Momma loves woodlands but does want a large open space for gardening. So I am growing trees from seed because that is the only way I have grown them and because I don't want to disturb the ravine.

[thanrose]

That's cool. I always had seedling trees just because I'd see so many without a home and destined for mowing or early death. My main reason was if you were one of the many obsessed maple tree people out there, growing special cultivars and getting patents on others, then your seed just may have been one that doesn't sprout easily. Another thing is how your seed was collected. If you just picked samaras off the ground recently, they may have been dessicated or eaten by insects or damaged by disease. They may be just perfect, too. If you kept them from the early fall in a cool room, sealed in something to prevent them drying out, they should be fine.

Seriously, if you aren't aware of maple collections, google it. There are people with five maple trees in big pots on their apartment balconies, people paying tons for young sprouts of exceptionally fine parentage, beautiful photos of autumn colors in an array of peach to pink to scarlet and purple on their different expensive trees. Makes me feel not so bad with five pairs of flipflops.

[caters]

That's cool. I always had seedling trees just because I'd see so many without a home and destined for mowing or early death. My main reason was if you were one of the many obsessed maple tree people out there, growing special cultivars and getting patents on others, then your seed just may have been one that doesn't sprout easily. Another thing is how your seed was collected. If you just picked samaras off the ground recently, they may have been dessicated or eaten by insects or damaged by disease. They may be just perfect, too. If you kept them from the early fall in a cool room, sealed in something to prevent them drying out, they should be fine.

Seriously, if you aren't aware of maple collections, google it. There are people with five maple trees in big pots on their apartment balconies, people paying tons for young sprouts of exceptionally fine parentage, beautiful photos of autumn colors in an array of peach to pink to scarlet and purple on their different expensive trees. Makes me feel not so bad with five pairs of flipflops.

Well the samaras were actually collected last summer and I felt the seeds before planting and they were hard just like they were when initially harvested. I kept them in a paper towel that was folded to prevent too much drying and I kept them cool but not freezing cold. In fact, being eaten by insects is one reason why I harvested 10 and have currently planted 3 of them.