Shouldn't need any pre-treatment. A month's cold moist stratification might make germination a bit more uniform, but in mid April, I'd say it would be best to plant right away.

Resin

Hi Resin

In a warm place do you think they will germinate ok?
also I will cold stratify some of these seeds.

torreya, It may depend on where you got the seed too.
So who did you get it from?

I've got a bunch coming soon that I hope to cold strat for 2 weeks or so, but Resin is right time is short with it being April.

Oh, don't forget to soak them in cool water first for at least a day.

Nate

Hi Nate

I got my seeds from schumacher whats your source?

Good to hear!
My order is with them as well, I had to go through some import permit hassle since I am in Canada, but they should be on their way now. They have a new crop in and I hope that it makes up for the old one.

Let me know how you do!

Thanks,
Nate

Hi Nate

How did you get your first lot to of c libani v stenocoma to germinate? I have also some Larix mastersiana seed from
schumacher.

Torreya,

I didn't! I did everything I could with a 1/4 pound of seed and I got three! But I don't think Cedrus keep that well, so if they were older seed than that would explain the viability issues.

What I usually do though is;
Soak the seeds for a few days in cold water (fridge), they say that the seeds that sink are usually the viable ones...
Then I stratify them for a month in moist, not wet, peat or soil less mix in a bag in the fridge, many recommend sand as well, but I like the acidity of peat based mixes.
Then usually before a month is up you will see (hopefully) emerging radicles from some of the seed. This is when I usually plant them. If the radicles are still hesitating after a month (i.e. not showing) you can try the "baggie method" in a warm window. But at this point, if you ever are at this point there will be a lot of bad seed that will quickly rot in this warm environment.
Plant the seed by just poking the emerging radicle into the soil medium and they'll take over from there.

I'd recommend starting them outside in part shade where they will receive good airflow.

Basically, a lot of sinking seed after a day or so in water is a good sign.

Best of "luck"

Nate

My experience is very similar to Nate's. I had a 1/4 pound of seed and I got 5 seedlings - 4 of which, survived. I, too, soaked the seed prior to sowing and almost all of the seed sank during the soaking process, but I still had very low germination.

It's funny, too, in that one of the seedlings has VERY long needles and the other seedlings have short needles.
Mike

Nate and Mike

Have you ever had pseudolarix seed and got germniation
I had some but never got any germination but you might
know how to get these seeds to grow.

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Last spring (March 2006), I climbed the cedar trees (c. libani var. unknown) in my local park and picked a few cones which were still tightly packed. I followed instructions (from this forum) and soaked the entire cones in a cold water jar in the fridge, then, using wrenches and pliers, I twisted and broke the cones open to get the seeds.

The seeds must have been very fresh, because many of them germinated when I used the "wet paper towel" method. Due to lack of space, I kept only 2 (see pix), and now I keep wondering if there is a way to know what var. these seedlings are. The parent trees are all fairly young, with many branches pointing skyward. The needles on the parent trees are sort of dark green, not bluish, and less than 3 cm long. The cones are sort of in between, not really pointy, but not flat-ended either.

I realize that my description is vague, but is there a way to know what var. these seedlings are? The seeds are collected from a neighborhood park, the trees may be of different var., so could the seeds be a cross?

Bigoudee

"The seeds are collected from a neighborhood park, the trees may be of different var., so could the seeds be a cross?"

Yes, that could well be. I guess what's needed are detailed photos of the foliage and cones of all the cedars in the area ;-)

Resin

I have sown the seeds and put them in the fridge
im doing what Nate does to gat them to germinate