Growing trees from seed

[SitkaSpruce]

Really enjoying growing trees from seed.
I'd never tried this before, not even an acorn as there would be nowhere to plant them.
Really enjoying seeing how they begin and develop

So far we've grown oak and alder.
This year we have beech and ash just germinating. waiting for more oak.
Birch manage to sow themselves into pots

This is a very helpful site on how to collect and sow trees

http://treegrowing.tcv.org.uk

Anyone else growing from seed?

[trs]

Oak, Hazel, lots of Rowan, Sycamore, Goat Willow and trying some Holly this year.
I've never had any success with Alder or Beech, but keep trying every so often.

Just wish I had somewhere to plant them .

Tony

[Tarrel]

What a superb link. Thanks for posting!

I'm currently growing sycamore from seedlings that were springing up all over the garden. I've lifted them and put them into individual cells in a seed tray, with a mixture of soil from their ultimate destination and compost. The aim is to move them into the tree nursery in the autumn for a year or so, then plant out in the woodland.

We have plans to do quite a bit of planting over the next few years, so growing from seed could save us a lot of money!

[oldclaypaws]

Wherever theres light, we get natural regeneration and have thousands of seedlings waiting for the chance, mainly ash, hazel, holly, elm and sycamore. No need to grow willow from seed, just wack a fresh cut 2" green branch section into the ground. Oak seedlings tend to get mildew unless its a very open space. Tree guards to protect from deer necessary with all young trees < 4'6", as my poor wild cherry will testify.

When I was young I used to grow acorns into oak trees and give them away with pot sales. Wonder where they all ended up?

Something immensely satisfying about planting trees, my father liked conifers and left all our previous houses with a show of scots pines, larches and spruces. Some of them are now 40-50ft high. (although as he nears 86, Dad has by contrast shrunk from 6'3" to 6')

[SitkaSpruce]

I've put a few willow cuttings into the wood. No need to sow holly, rowan or birch as the wind and the birds have added those. Hopefully some ash will self sow- there are trees just over the wall but only located 1 sapling so far.
Our beech seeds are now all up and getting 1st true leaves. This autumns oak trees now coming up. They are much earlier than last spring's oak. The oaks from last year have flushed and some have already put on 3".

[The Barrowers]

Got Oaks in pots growing nicely. Do I transplant into bigger pots at some stage? Do I need to feed for the early years or just leave

Rowan now 1 inch tall also in a pot

[SitkaSpruce]

I plant several acorns in a pot so end up with 2-5 baby oaks in a pot. I split them up after one year, so I have last years crop in a 1 litre pot each and this years crop are several baby oaks in a pot. site suggests ok to keep oak in a 1 litre pot till plant out at about 8" high.
last year was the first year we tried oaks and they didn't come up till May, this year's are much earlier, coming up in April and some are already 6" tall.
you may need to feed once whatever nutrients in the compost are used up. I've put some slow release granules in mine but am also giving occasional feeds. alder shouldn't need feeding as make nitrogen but in practice they get whatever all the rest get. I've got quite a nursery now. The variability in leaf form between the oaks is amazing. we also have a lot of beech now, they were v easy to grow with all germinating.
not sure if last year's oaks will be ready to plant out this year i.e. after 2yrs of growth or if they'll need another year.