Seed collection

[overpaidmuniguy]

Does anyone know of any books which go into detail regarding collecting seed from trees, particularly timing of collection in different species?
Thanks.

 

[guymayor]

I like dirr's propagation manual.

 

[Tree_Machine]

Collecting seedlings can be more instant. Try your clients' gutters beneath a tree you like.

Also beneath the trees that line a river bank, seeding come up by the kajillions, all same specie, and often they germinate at once, so you collect a few dozen to hundreds.

I collected a bucketful of germinated red oak, the acorns had nestled into the lawn over the summer/fall and the next spring, it was just amazing, hundreds.

I only mention this sort of thing because I'm not sure there are any books dedicated to collecting seedlings.

 

[Tree_Machine]

Indiana Jones Seed collection

I was recruited to collect seed in Costa Rica about 8 or 9 years ago. Our hosts knew where the trees were and I was there to climb or show them how to best get the seeds out of the different species of trees. They drove us all over the country, generally knowing where the trees were, but always looking for new discoveries. Mid-trip my wife and I were taken fishing up near the Nicaragua border. We looked for cocobolo trees going from tarpon spot to to tarpon spot on a remote northern river tributary system. It was fresh-to-brackish water and there were both alligators and crocodiles. Looking back, it maybe wasn't the best idea to do the hikes in a deep, river jungle for tropical tree seed; yes there was danger, but it was my <u>wife</u> who doesn't like crocodiles, and doesn't like fishing that really made things scary.

We got a lot of seed on the trip, I mean, it was silly we got so many. The expectation was that I'd climb out on and shake the limbs. Many of the trees I would have liked to climb, but we had a long trip going and it was more fun to keep seeing new species of trees and stay on the move. The secret weapon was the shotline. I would throw a shotbag line out over the terminal end of the limb where we saw a great number of seeds and then shake the crap out of it. If I'd a had it to do over again, I'd have brought two shotline setups.

I don't know if that'll be in any of the books you find, either but maybe.

 

[guymayor]

Re: Indiana Jones Seed collection

ha--good story jim. last week i had a client ask me to whack back a hickory because on nuts hitting car. i had my guy trim a bit then shake limbs like crazy and it just rained nuts!

overall re timing it's when the nuts are ripening that they fall--easy enough to observe, but if you want seasonality it's in dirr's manual.

 

[overpaidmuniguy]

Re: Indiana Jones Seed collection

I came up with a few nice Yellow buckeye seedlings that sprouted in the first big crotch of a willow, sort of like gutter collection.

Somehow I figured you'd have better results if you could time the collection right and collect before they fall, maybe there's not much to gain. Besides, climbing is good exercise, something I don't get during the workday too often.

I'm running out of excuses why I don't have a copy of Dirr's manual for my own yet, seems I constantly run into needing it and not having it...

Aside from starting some nut trees, there is an American elm close to where I grew up that I've been watching for years, and I'm going to ask the property owners if I could gather some seed. It was surrounded by others which died over the past 5 years or so, and hasn't yet been affected by DED. I'm sure the season I gather seed it will get diseased and croak, but you never know.

Limb shaking sounds practical too, throwline practice to boot. I'll try to pretend I'm in Costa Rica too, a bit of a disappiontment though to open your eyes and see that you're still in Cleveland...