How to Plant: Plant the nuts 1/2 inch deep and mulch with 1 to 2 inches of peat moss.

Bury several nuts in the pots where you want to have a hickory tree, and then cut off all but the strongest seedlings. Remarks: Hickories are difficult to transplant successfully.

Hornbeam Carpinus betulus

Clusters of ribbed nutlets ripen in late summer and fall. Under natural conditions, seeds often germinate late - in their second spring. Collecting Seeds: Experienced woodsmen recommend collecting the seeds while theyre still slightly green. When to Plant : Fresh seeds should be sown immediately without allowing them to dry. Seeds treated in this way have germinated the spring after planting. If seeds are collected when brown and dry, stratify them before planting. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify seeds for three to four months at 340F to 40 0F (1 0C to 40C). How to Plant: Place them in a seedbed of good, friable soil, mulch fall sowings, and provide light shade for the seedlings during their first year.

Larch Larix laricina

L. Laricina is the tamarack, L. Delidua, the European larch. Larches hybridize readily, and good seed crops are periodic - every three to six years for the tamarack and every three to ten years for the European larch. The seeds should remain viable for at least three years if kept cool and dry. Collecting Seeds : Collect fresh, dry cones in the fall, picking from the tree if possible because cones may remain on the tree until seeds have blown away. When to Plant: Either sow the winged, triangular seeds in the fall or stratify them and plant them in spring. Breaking Dormancy: Most larch seeds germinate well without any pretreatment, but some will enter an easily-broken dormancy. Stratify them for three months at 320F to 41 0F (00C to 5 0C). Growing Conditions: Shade the seedlings for the first two years. Larches like a good supply of moisture.

Linden Tilia americana

T. americana is the American linden, T.cordata, the European linden. The hauntingly fragrant June and July blossoms of the linden are followed in early fall be small seed pellets. These

are attached by wiry stems to the leaflike bract that earlier accompanied each cluster of flowers. The pelletlike capsules most commonly contain a single seed, but may contain two to four. If youre looking for a seed-starting challenge, try the linden. Its seeds are probably the most difficult to start of any familiar tree. In nature, the seeds dont germinate until the second spring, and even then incompletely, with more stragglers following over the next six to seven years. Even methods like acid treatment are not always effective in breaking dormancy. Both the linden seed and its woody covering are very hard, and its embryo is dormant and possibly immature. In order to break its especially deep and complex dormancy, both the seed coat and its pericarp covering must be softened to admit water, and the embryo must undergo a period of afterripening. Collecting Seeds: Pick the seeds while theyre still green, before the seed coats harden. You can either pluck them as soon as the fruit color change from green to buff or be more daring and pick a few weeks before the color change. For early seed harvests, you should just barely be able to puncture the outer covering of the seed with the thumbnail. If they are too tender, wait a week. When to Plant : Sow green seeds immediately, or plant stored or dried seeds after stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify brown, dry seeds at 500F to 85 0F (100C to 290C) for four to five months to mature the embryos, then chill for four to five weeks at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 40C). You can also try acid scarification. First use nitric acid to soften the pericarp, then sulfuric acid to etch the seed coats. Soak the acid-treated seeds in water for 24 hours and stratify for four months. Remarks: The good news about starting lindens from seed is that once seedlings do appear, they are vigorous and grow rapidly.

Locust Robinia pseudoacacia

Panicles of white, pealike flowers in May turn to brown pods by fall, each containing four to ten black seeds, each about 1/4 inch long. Black locusts may bear as young as six years, but years of abundant pod production are periodic. Collecting Seeds: Collect the pods in fall white theyre still whole. When to Plant : Plant seeds in fall, soon after they drop. Breaking Dormancy: The impermeable seed coats can cause dormancy, so nick or abrade the seeds and treat them with boiling water before planting, or use acid scarification for about ten minutes to one hour. How to Plant: Cover them with about 1/4 inch of soil, sand, or sand and sawdust. Raised beds make transplanting easier. Remarks: Locusts volunteer readily in our garden and hedgerows, so youll probably get plenty of trees if you plant seeds casually in sunny places where you might like to have then growing.

Magnolia

Magnolia spp.
Magnolias may bear ten years after planting, and they usually produce good annual seed crops. The magnolias showy spring flowers turn to 3- to 5-inch-long cones honeycombed with seed-containing follicles. The fleshy follicles split open to release 1/2-inch-long red drupes - an exotic-looking arrangement. Collecting Seeds : As the cones start to split, spread them out to dry a bit so theyll release more seeds, which should not be allowed to dry. When to Plant : Sow the seeds immediately or after stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify seeds for three to six months at 320F to 41 0F (0 0C to 50C). How to Plant: Seedlings appreciate half shade during their first summer. Pot them up while theyre still small so their extensive root system wont be lost in transplanting.

Maple Acer spp.

Most trees of this large and diverse genus grow easily from seed if you dont let the seeds dry out. Technically samaras, the winged seeds are often called maple keys. Maples usually produce abundant annual seed crops. When to Plant : Plant collected seeds immediately. Stored seeds must be stratified first. Breaking Dormancy: If allowed to dry, the seeds develop hard coats. A two- to three month period of warm stratification 680F to 86 0F (200C to 300C) followed by two to three months of cold stratification promotes better germination in maples. These conditions are met by prompt planting of seeds soon after they fall. How to Plant: You can plant seeds when still green, before the wings dry completely. In that case, leave the wings on. Its all right to remove wings from dried seeds before planting if you wish. A seedbed enriched with leaf mold will encourage a good root system.

Mulberry Morus alba

M. alba is the white mulberry, M.nigra, the black mulberry. Mulberry trees begin to bear about five years. Each mulberry is actually a multiple fruit composed of small drupes. The seeds probably have some dormancy, but theyre not difficult to start. Collecting Seeds : Save out some good large berries while youre out there munching under the tree. Wash the pulp from the seeds. When to Plant : I started seeds of M.alba under grow lights and, even without stratifying, got a few seedlings. The germination rate was low, though. Next time, Id stratify the seeds first, or plant them in the fall after soaking them in cold water for several days. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify the seeds for one to three months at 340F to 400F (10C to 0 4 C).

How to Plant: Cover the seeds very lightly with fine soil, and give the nursery bed partial shade for two to three weeks after seedlings germinate.

Oak Quercus spp.

This large group of trees includes species with a wide range od forms and germinating times. White oaks shed their acorns the same season theyre formed; black oaks retain their until the following season. Collecting Seeds: Its best to collect acorns from trees near others of the same species, because self- pollinated oak trees produce seeds of poor quality. When to Plant : Seeds of the white oak can be planted immediately; they dont go dormant and will often germinate in fall. Black oak acorns need to be chilled to break dormancy. Sow them immediately, or stratify them and plant in spring. Breaking Dormancy: Stratify black oak acorns for two to three months at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C). How to Plant: Plant only sound acorns, without any evident cracking or weevil damage. Dont let the acorn dry. Fall-planted black oak acorns will germinate fairly late in spring. Keep the seedbed lightly shaded. Remarks: Depending on the local population, you might need to screen your oak seedbed to keep out squirrels.

Pear Pyrus communis

As fruits go, pear trees can be to bear, an some varieties have their off years, too. The ripe fruits contain four to ten seeds. A seedling pear we have here on the farm blossomed for the first time in its tenth spring. Collecting Seeds: Pick seeds out of ripe fruits and rinse them in a strainer. Breaking Dormancy: Pear seeds can be treated like apple seeds, but they need less chilling. Stratify presoaked seeds at 320F to 36 0F (00C to 2 0C) for eight to ten weeks. Disease : Powdery mildew can sometimes be a problem. To help prevent it, arrange for good air circulation in the seedling bed.

Pine Pinus spp.

Pine seeds vary greatly, from the large edible pinyon (P.edulis) nuts to the very small flakes of the mugo pine (P.mugo). all are borne in cones of varying sizes. Most cones grows fairly high on the tree. They ripen and shed seeds in fall and winter. Collecting Seeds: If possible, collect the cones just before they open, and dry them to free the seeds. Cones of a few pine species are held together by resin that has a high melting point,

and they will germinate best after fire melts the resin and releases the seeds. Some species of pine produce good crops annually, others only periodically. Pine seeds have a long storage life - five to ten years is not unusual, as long as they are kept cool and dry. When to Plant : Plant them in the fall or after a period of stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Like those of most conifers, pine seeds will often germinate well without any treatment, but chilling them for six weeks before planting at 340F to 40 0F (1 0C to 40C), or planting them in the fall will result in more complete germination. For seeds grown in the south, a shorter stratification period will be sufficient, but such seedlings will be more frost tender then those raised from northern-grown seeds. How to Plant : Some growers use a sterile soil mix to start pine seeds, because they are subject to damping-off.

Prunus spp.
This genus includes the stone fruits, such as P.cerasus, sour cherry, P. persica, peach; P.armeniaca, apricot; P.domestica, plum; and P. dulcis, almond. Seeds of this genus, especially peaches and apricots, volunteer freely around our farm. We often toss the pits around in spots on our land where we think a peach tree would be welcome. Since peach trees are short-lived in our area, often succumbing to borers and disease after bearing for only a few years, this simple stratify ensures that we always have at least some bearing peaches. Apricot blossoms are often killed by a sneak frost in late spring, so its nice to have plenty of trees in different locations. Collecting Seeds : For international planting, collect sound pits from ripe fruits and clean off the pulp. You can float off empty seeds. When to Plant: Dont let the seeds dry for more than a few weeks before you plant them. Sow seeds in August or early September, or in spring after a period of stratification. Breaking Dormancy: Most of these summer-ripening fruit seeds will germinate better if they have a short period, at least two weeks, of warm stratification at 680F to 86 0F (20 0C to 300C) followed by six months or so of cool stratification at 340F to 40 0F (10C to 4 0C). You can approximate these conditions by sowing the seeds in August or early September. If you stratify the seeds in the refrigerator, sow them as early as possible in spring.

Redbud Cercis canadensis

C.canadensis is the Eastern redbud, C.occidentalis, the California redbud. When the redbuds bloom in April, the fringes of our woods blush deep pink. A few of our naturally-seeded trees have lighter, shell-pink blossoms. The flat brown pods are borne in abundance, each containing 7 to 12 seeds. Collecting Seeds: Collect the pods as soon as they turn dry and brittle. When to Plant : Freshly collected seeds planted in fall should germinate in spring, scarify the seeds by nicking or sanding and then treating them with boiling water, or use acid scarification. Stratifying seeds for 5 to 8 weeks for eastern species or 12 weeks for western species will help to break dormancy.