We decided to try out germinating Norway spruce seeds.
Dramatic results: A Norway spruce springs to life! Using 30 days of cold stratification
The results were quite worthwhile. The Norway spruce is a very good all-around tree with many uses. Often it is planted as a shelter belt tree or in plantations for wood harvest. This tree seed is great for the amateur grower and gardener and makes a great addition to any piece of land. If you can nurture this from seed to tree, you will be rewarded with a hardy, well-rounded specimen.
Native to northern Europe and Asia, the Norway spruce is a long-lived tree in the right conditions. It grows in forests throughout the continent, sometimes to 300 years old or more. It's known for its large, heavy cones compared to most spruces. It's easy to extract the seeds from the large cones and use them to grow your own spruce forest.
As of now, the second set of true leaves are coming in and forming a trunk. We'll keep you updated on the progress! This and other trees are currently undergoing trials in our germination tray, including Douglas Fir and others.
So far so good! The growth is promising. A miraculous fountain of green flows forth.
All pictures are original content from our seed germination trials.
There's something very beautiful about these photos. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your post @vegiseeds! Following, because I think I can learn from your expertise:)
Any suggestions for germinating coastal Redwood trees? I collected seed at UC Santa Cruz last year.
Unlike some other conifers, coastal Redwood doesn't require cold stratification. The usual protocol is to soak for 24 hours in water and then move to a moist growing medium for 2-4 weeks until emergence. This site has some helpful information and comments if you'd like to learn more.
Thanks! Going to start a few and secretly plant them on campus at University of California, San Diego.