Tsuga canadensis from seed

10 years ago

Hey guys, i need some tips on how to best grow Tsuga canadensis from seed. I realize it may be a little late for this now, but if so, I'll just try next year. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Kyle

Featured Answer

sc77 (6b MA)

10 years ago

I'd have to echo Redspruces warning about HWA. No doubt it can be managed, and if I had existing mature Eastern hemlock (which I do) that were doing ok, I would leave them and manage the adelgids... but it's not ideal.

Growing a tree from seed takes time/effort, so you might as well start with something that is likely to be disease free for many years. Your other issue is that all the hemlock cones are going to be empty this time of year (too late) once they open up, the majority of the seed falls out. You would have needed to harvest them in the fall while still sealed, then let them dry out in a bag or wherever, as Mike suggests.

That said, seed is cheap. You can get Chinese & Japanese hemlock seed from Sheffield's today. It's a 90 day cold strat, so they would be ready to plant by Early/Mid March. They are pretty easy to germinate, especially the Chinese hemlock. I lost a bunch during the summer though, didn't do a good job of babysitting them. But the process is fun, and I will have some nice, HWA resistant hemlocks in years to come, that will eventually replace all my eastern hemlock.

1. Get seed

2. 24hr soak in water

3. Mix seed with perlite or damp paper towel and place in fridge for 90 days

4. Plant in 50/50 peat/perlite mix with bright, but not direct sun.

Good Luck!

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
do you have the seed ... whats the source ... what condition are they in .... have they been pre treated in any way ...

ken
redspruce
10 years ago
East TN might be infected with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a bug that kills hemlocks. Where I live in NC lots of dead trees unfortunately.
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Kyle (East TN, 6b/7a)
Original Author
10 years ago
That's my main issue, Ken. I know where plenty of seed producing Hemlock are, but I don't know the best way to get the seed from the cones.

Redspruce: yes, the majority of the Hemlocks here are infected, but I don't see what that has to do with anything pertaining to seed. The HWA is a big reason I want to grow some of my own hemlocks. I'm not positive of why this is, but the Hemlocks that are in people's yards around here, or just naturally isolated from other trees to some extent, seem to consistently be in much better health.
redspruce
10 years ago
Only reason I mentioned HWA is it might kill your trees when you get them big enough to plant. Where I live kinda a waste now to plant hemlock.

I would just collect the cones and let them dry. They should open up once dry and seeds should fall out.
Mike McGarvey
10 years ago
I put cones in a paper sack under cover on the back deck and let them open. Shake the sack once in awhile and seeds all go to the bottom of the sack with the remainder on top.

Mike
Kyle (East TN, 6b/7a)
Original Author
10 years ago
That's what I'll try, Mike.

Redspruce: HWA doesn't kill them all of a sudden, and treating a few trees isn't hard or that expensive.