Identifying and Germinating Seeds

Many of the trees and shrubs grow readily from seeds. It is always great fun gathering the fruits, berries and various seed pods, mainly because many of these plants grow readily from seed. Although some seeds may take a longer time to germinate, others will take a comparatively short time.

Besides the original seeds other kinds of hybrid seeds are also available. These can be sown in early spring that is about the month of March. Seeds can be sown either in seed boxes or pots filled with seed composts.

The containers where the seeds will be sown, should be properly drained, by placing a good layer of rocks at the bottom of the container. Once them are sown, you can cover them sufficiently with fine compost. The containers should then be placed in a cool place or an unheated seed greenhouse.

The pots have to be well watered or else the drying out of the soil will inhibit germination. If preferred, some seeds may be sown in drills in a prepared bed in the open garden.

Once the seeds germinate and the seedlings are large enough to handle easily, they can be pricked out into other seed boxes.

Seeds having the hard outer coverings have to be stratified before sowing. Fleshy berries and fruits must be stratified during the winter, preceding sowing, in order to soften the hard coats of the seeds.

This speeds up germination in the spring. First make small holes in the lid of the tin so that air can get to the seeds. Then place alternate layers of equal parts of moist peat and sand and berries in the tin.

Finally, the tin is buried in the ground for the winter. Of course, put one species or variety of berry in any one tin and be careful to label each tin with the appropriate name. Many gardeners like to use ordinary clay flower pots for stratifying seeds.

Again, the berries are placed between layers of moist peat and sand and the pots are placed under a north-facing wall for the winter. It is essential, though, to cover them securely with wire netting to pre-vent vermin from disturbing the seeds.

The hybrid shrubs and trees will not come truly from the seed, but nevertheless there is always the chance that a very different kind of a plant may be produced. Nowadays there is a trend to produce different and rare kind of hybrid plants and trees thus making available, rare and unusual kinds of flowers and fruits.