Growing Rowan from collected berries/seed

[scbk]

I've never tried this myself, has anyone on here done this, and have any advice? Best to mash them up and separate the seeds, or leave them whole? Leave them in a pot of sand over winter?

[Stubby]

7 hours ago, scbk said:

I've never tried this myself, has anyone on here done this, and have any advice? Best to mash them up and separate the seeds, or leave them whole? Leave them in a pot of sand over winter?

I don't know if it applies to Rowan but some seeds need to be frozen first .

[sime42]

Some seeds need to go through a bird first. Just saying ....

 

[peds]

Is that need-need, or do they just need to have a simulated process? I would have thought that some gentle rotting or fermentation, then soaking, then mechanical separation of seed and pulp, followed by a spell in the freezer or being forgotten about behind the shed for the winter, would be a decent enough simulation for most seeds.

 

It could quite well be that some seeds need a specific acid or enzyme from the guts of a bird though, it wouldn't surprise me at all. 

 

Edit:

This process seems logical enough...

Rowan - How to Grow a Rowan Tree (Mountain Ash) with TCV

TREEGROWING.TCV.ORG.UK

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Rowan can be a tricky tree to grow. With care and this short guide, you'll be collecting the...

 

I'll be doing the above with hawthorn this winter, trying to find out if native seed-propagated can ever be commercially viable over cuttings grown in Holland, which we absolutely need to stop using... for everything. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:24 by peds

[Rushes]

Rowans are generous in their seed. I just gathered a lot, they were at different stages of maturity and threw them in a pot. Some came up many didn't, but I wasn't looking for commercial germination rates - just enough for me.

Don't worry to much.

 

Only advice that might be worth something, harvest the seeds from a mature tree that is growing in a similar situation to yours if you are looking for longevity [rowans aren't known for it]

[marktownend]

I've got 4 small rowan saplings growing in pots that came up from seeds I was sent by an elderly aunt in autumn 2022, seem to remember I just squished them and chucked them in the pots but may have separated the seeds. I've not given them much care, those that came up grew remarkably little in the first year then I lost a few over the winter and the 4 survivors grew quickly at the start of spring this year but are still quite weedy, only about 30cm tall. But they definitely didn't go through a bird so no magic acid needed. Need to decide whether to risk keeping them in pots another year or just to plant them out this autumn/winter and let them fend for themselves.

[Stere]

Seen alot of self seeders about in places they will never get a chance to grow verges etc might be easy just to transplant some

[devon TWiG]

I have had a 100% failure rate trying to grow them from seed !!! 😁 I now find seedlings and pot them or make sure that deer can not get at them as they seem to be their favourite fodder , early growth is fast ...

[scbk]

2 hours ago, devon TWiG said:

I have had a 100% failure rate trying to grow them from seed !!! 😁 I now find seedlings and pot them or make sure that deer can not get at them as they seem to be their favourite fodder , early growth is fast ...

Out of interest, what was your method, to achieve a 100% failure rate?