Monkey Puzzle seeding tips wtd

[clyde]

hi guys

 

tried to grow monkey puzzles for a few years now with little success, managed to produce 3 plants out of around 50 seeds potted, seeds are in are in sharp sand/peat mix placed in poly tunnel. what is there a best time to collect the cones, tried a few tricks frezzing and light torching but still having the same results, was also looking to try dawn redwoods any advise welcome.

[john k]

I was at Bedgebury Pinetum last week and they have half a polytunnel of them so obviously know a thing or two! Might be worth dropping them a line.

[niftysteve]

i got a batch of seed (40) from ebay and have got at least 30 monky puzzle trees growing now

[StephF]

hi guys

 

tried to grow monkey puzzles for a few years now with little success, managed to produce 3 plants out of around 50 seeds potted, seeds are in are in sharp sand/peat mix placed in poly tunnel. what is there a best time to collect the cones, tried a few tricks frezzing and light torching but still having the same results, was also looking to try dawn redwoods any advise welcome.

 

We have found the Dawn Redwood very easy to grow from seed, have done loads over the years, and they grow very fast, no special treatment, but they are not very frost hardy. Never had any success with Monkey puzzle seeds.

[nepia]

MP seedlings are very prone to damping off and similar afflictions. Niftysteve, did you get yours with an instruction leaflet? I tried that route a few years ago and germinated about 2 from 20; they lasted a week! It seems that everything has to be sterile and your fingers very crossed.

 

Good luck.

[pgkevet]

I bought 10 MP seeds from ebay last September... my reading suggests fresh seeds important.. nothing special i did.. just small pots of B&Q multipurpose and stuck them on the conservatory windowsill...7 germinated.

 

I did notice an ebay ad last week for bulk seedlings of MP 100 (One hundred) 11-12cm high Monkey Puzzle Trees Environmental Christmas gift | eBay

 

I do quite fancy planting a hundred or so on a spare patch here..but since statistically I won't be around when they get to any decent production - and they really wouldn't get to being planted out until a few years old and able to compete with their environment - so I'd need to start cheap with seeds (if anyone knows of a fertile tree (pair/group)) at pennies per seed....?

[niftysteve]

MP seedlings are very prone to damping off and similar afflictions. Niftysteve, did you get yours with an instruction leaflet? I tried that route a few years ago and germinated about 2 from 20; they lasted a week! It seems that everything has to be sterile and your fingers very crossed.

 

Good luck.

 

no instruction leaflet with mine i just filled a seed tree with multi purpose compost pushed the seed s about a 1/3 in watered and left them. its also best not to water too often as they rot out easily if too wet

[nepia]

no instruction leaflet with mine i just filled a seed tree with multi purpose compost pushed the seed s about a 1/3 in watered and left them. its also best not to water too often as they rot out easily if too wet

 

 

Looks like you beat the damping off then. Also that I fell for some marketing hype!

[niftysteve]

Looks like you beat the damping off then. Also that I fell for some marketing hype!

 

checked the seedlings today i have 34 MP seedlings growing

[face cord]

from wiki

 

 

 

The tree is wind pollinated. The female (seed) cones, which mature in autumn about 18 months after pollination, are globose, large, 12–20 cm diameter, and hold about 200 seeds.

 

So theorectically a mature tree must produce thousands of seeds?!

 

Seeds seem expensive on ebay. Being a tight bastard kind of object to pay for something as abundant as that.

 

Not many stands of them around though usually single specimen type trees that won't produce viable seeds... most likely

 

Will have to keep an eye out for locations of any stands. Then collect a 1000's of seeds

Edited January 25, 2012 by face cord

[niftysteve]

Got home early today and repotted the trees heres a pic , the seeds were put in last may