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From Seed to Sapling: A Comprehensive Guide to Ginkgo biloba Seed Germination

From Seed to Sapling: A Comprehensive Guide to Ginkgo biloba Seed Germination

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Growing Ginkgo biloba from seed

Embarking on the journey of Ginkgo seed germination with cold stratification is a thrilling endeavor for horticulturists and tree enthusiasts alike. Ginkgo biloba, with its ancient lineage, unique leaves, and potential health benefits, holds a special place in the world of botanical wonders. In this comprehensive guide, we will unravel the intricacies of Ginkgo biloba seed germination, including the essential step of cold stratification, providing a step-by-step exploration from harvesting to nurturing the delicate seedlings.

Harvesting Ginkgo Seeds

Harvesting ginkgo seeds is a crucial first step. Wait until late fall when the fruit surrounding the seeds emits a pungent odor, indicating they are ready for harvest. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the fleshy outer layer, which can cause skin irritation. Collect seeds from healthy, disease-free trees.

Seed Preparation – Soaking and Scarifying

To prepare ginkgo seeds for germination and cold stratification, start by soaking them in water for 24 to 48 hours. This process helps soften the hard seed coat and promotes water absorption. Following soaking, some horticulturists choose to scarify the seed coat. Gently file or sand one end of the seed to create a slight opening, aiding in water absorption and germination.

Cold Stratification

Cold stratification mimics the natural winter conditions that many seeds require to break dormancy. Place the soaked and scarified ginkgo seeds in a damp paper towel or sphagnum moss within a plastic bag. Seal the bag and refrigerate it for a cold stratification period of 60 to 90 days. This process is essential for triggering the germination process.

Choosing the Right Growing Medium

Selecting an optimal growing medium is crucial for ginkgo seed germination. A mixture of potting soil and perlite or sand provides a well-draining and nutrient-rich environment. Fill individual containers or seed trays with the growing medium, ensuring they have drainage holes to prevent waterlogging.

Planting Ginkgo Seeds

Plant the cold-stratified, soaked, and scarified ginkgo seeds about one inch deep in the prepared containers. Space the seeds apart to allow adequate room for root development. Gently press the soil over the seeds to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. Water the containers thoroughly.

Creating the Ideal Germination Conditions

Maintaining optimal conditions is crucial for successful Ginkgo biloba seed germination. Place the containers in a warm location with a consistent temperature between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius). To create a greenhouse effect, cover the containers with plastic wrap or use a clear plastic dome to retain moisture and warmth.

Monitoring and Patience

Ginkgo biloba seeds are known for variable germination times, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Regularly check the moisture levels in the growing medium, ensuring it remains consistently damp but not waterlogged. Be patient, as ginkgo seeds may exhibit staggered germination, with some seeds sprouting before others.

Transplanting Ginkgo Seedlings

Once the ginkgo seedlings have developed a pair of true leaves, they are ready for transplanting. Gently remove the seedlings from their containers, taking care not to damage the delicate roots. Transplant the seedlings into larger containers or directly into the garden if outdoor conditions are favorable.

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Starting Phyllostachys nigra ‘Henon’ seeds

Starting Phyllostachys nigra ‘Henon’ seeds

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I received some bamboo seeds from fredgpops (another bamboo enthusiast from Bambooweb) last October and less than a week later, one of them sprouted. The seedling I got, was an offspring of Phyllostachys nigra ‘Henon’ bamboo. Sadly none of the regular nigra or Chusquea gigantea had germinated, I hope I can try again next year.

Young Phyllostachys nigra ‘Henon’ seedling

Sole survivor

The seeds I received were mostly empty, underdeveloped or damaged. I think that hungry birds already took care of them, before the seeds were collected. I expected at least some germination from the remaining seeds, but they eventually started rotting and perished. Some of the damage and poor germination could be the result of slow transport from The US to Slovenia.
One of the seeds, however, sprouted very fast and started growing vigorously from the early beginning. It doesn’t have any leaf coloration or other apparent characteristics that would make it look special.

3 months old seedling

Problem with mites

When the seedling was a couple of months old, I made a mistake and brought in some mite infected cuttings. Since the plants are somewhat congested under the grow lights, mites started colonizing the area. In only a couple of weeks, they were everywhere. The most hit were my Hibiscus rosa-sinensis seedlings which dropped leaves completely. The infected Nerium oleander cuttings got badly damaged as well. I sprayed the whole area and nearly killed my carnivorous plant collection in the process, but it seems that mites perished in the process.

Slow growth after a couple of shoots

After the mite infection, the seedling stopped shooting every couple of weeks and remained at 4 shoots it had before. As the seedling stopped shooting, I thought that mites caused it to suffer. As I noticed later, it wasn’t even slowing down – not at all. Most if not all Phyllostachys I’ve grown so far, and I’ve grown many, managed to put out numerous shoots at their juvenile stage, before they eventually started running and ceased to produce shoots. At that point, when the seedlings started running, they only produced whip shoots from the exposed rhizomes. They just wait for the spring to arrive to start their regular shooting cycle.

Runners!

As I poked around the pot when I watered the seedling, roughly 3 months after germination, I noticed the first runner escaping far away from the initial clump on the edge of the pot. Since bamboo seedlings usually starts running at least a year after sowing, it came as a surprise – yet, I’ve seen the same thing happen with my Phyllostachys arcana seedlings before. As it seems, grow lights I use make a great difference and can really speed-up seedling’s development. Around a month later, less than 4 months old juvenile already colonized the pot with rhizomes and started to deform its plastic nursery pot.

Multiple runners trying to escape the pot

Another bamboo in my collection

From the point when bamboo starts actively running, its growth usually gets exponential. Bamboo effectively uses all the resources it can lay its roots on and if it feels comfortable enough in the given climate, starts rapid development towards the mature stage. If I find proper location with enough space and nutrients, I’m sure I can expect first 1cm+ diameter culms in less than 2 years. From that point everything goes even faster.

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How not to get scammed when buying seeds online

How not to get scammed when buying seeds online

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Buying seeds online

Why I even bother buying seeds online? The main reason is, there are not so many exotic seeds to be found in shops around here. Prices can be much, much lower online and there’s always a chance you find something rare you’d like to start growing. I have bought quite a lot of seeds and I usually got what I ordered. When I tried buying carnivore plant’s seeds online using both Aliexpress and eBay, I almost got scammed. I received seeds of some local weeds from China instead of Venus Flytrap (Dionaea) and Pitcher plants (Nepenthes). Luckily I was able to make a complaint and they resolved in my favor. If I would not know how the real seeds look like, I would be growing weeds for a while, before even noticing. Usually scammers have good rating and you can’t always see negative feedback that would raise an alarm.

Things to avoid

1. If plants look too good to be true, they are usually fake. Avoid at all costs!
2. Rare, hard to get seeds are almost never cheap – even online! Keep away from extremely cheap seeds, they are either fake or way too old to sprout.
3. Large amount of seeds is often an indicator that something isn’t right. Bulk amounts of cheap seeds usually means you’ll get weed seeds.
4. Seeds of sterile plants (hybrids) or plants that can’t be (easily) propagated using seeds (Orchids for example)
5. Sellers that has seeds from any of the above in their shop. Usually the most obvious seeds are not the only seeds that are fake. Try to ignore these sellers.

What you can do before the purchase

Research! Make sure you know how the seeds look like, so you can be sure you got the right seeds when you get them.
Ask seller about the seeds origin or ask if you suspect something is wrong. If the seller ignores your question – avoid.
Think two times before you click ‘Buy’. Checking more than one seller usually helps and you easily see sellers that stand out with strangely low price and obviously fake plants.
Read other buyer’s reviews. Sometimes it’s pain in the rear, because there are usually tons of good reviews of buyers that were ecstatic when they got the seeds.

If you do get scammed …

You’ve been ripped off, now what? If you are sure you received fake seeds, complain to the seller and start the complaint process in the online store. I have been cheated that way several times and usually got the money back, because the seeds were obviously fake.
Try to write an item review and warn other potential buyers about the issue.

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Growing Dionaea From Seeds

Growing Dionaea From Seeds

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Buying Cheap Dionaea Seeds

First sprouts emerging!
First sprouts emerging!

I tried my luck by buying Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) seeds on eBay. As I’ve already found out, it’s not really the best idea to buy carnivorous plant seeds from eBay or Aliexpress. It’s almost impossible to receive the seeds you would like. I’ve learned my lession when I bought Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Chili seeds. I received some seriously interesting hybrids and a nice collection of yellow, red and orange habaneros. Despite my better judgement, I decided to try getting Dionaea muscipula seeds from 3 different sellers. I have bought Dionaea ‘Dark Red’ (10 seeds) and a bag of mixed random seeds (15 seeds) that might be crosses of who knows what from German seller.

The seeds arrived quickly and I planted them on January 3rd. In a bit more than two weeks, first seeds started sprouting. In the pot with red form, the first sprouts actually arrived with a red tint. The sprouts of VFT seedlings from the Dionaea mix seed pack on the other hand all appeared green. Perhaps the seller was truthful after all!

Slightly red sprout of Dionaea muscipula
Slightly red sprout of Dionaea muscipula

Germination occurred in less than 3 weeks
Germination occurred in less than 3 weeks

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I also bought two packages from different Chinese vendors. 10 Dionaea Muscipula Giant Clip seeds from eBay and gigantic pack of 100 Red Dragon Flytrap seeds from Aliexpress. The first package did not arrive after more than a month and the seller kindly offered to send me another package. The large pack of seeds from Aliexpress arrived quickly and I have instantly noticed that the seeds looked different – I’ve been scamed. I opened a dispute and got my 40 cents back. 🙂 I might try to grow the fake seeds and write about what the seller actually sent.

The seedlings

2 weeks old Dionaea seedling
2 weeks old Dionaea seedling

The seedlings grew faster than I had expected. I was a bit worried they would not do well in pure peat, but they accepted it quite well.
I have decided to remove the plastic cover as soon as I’ve seen that most of the seeds have sprouted. Mold was already starting to grow as there were white threads growing all over the wet peat. Uncovering did not harm the seedlings. I was doing my best to keep the air moisture as high as possible. Air humidity was between 40% to 60% during most of the time.

Red trap colour was evident from the beginning
Red trap colour was evident from the beginning

Seeds from Dark red cultivar were showing sings of red coloration from the early start. Cotyledons seem to be a bit darker green, but as soon as the first carnivorous leaves appeared, the red color was evident. Strangely, the pot with mixed seeds should also have red variety, yet none of the 15 seedlings turned out to be red. Most of the seedlings pushed out one true leaf at once, but there were a few that managed to start with two. There was some diversity among the seedlings. Some had thick and others narrow cotyledons, there was one, with only one, conjoined cotyledon, some were more glossy and some had rough edges.

Young seedlings grow quite fast
Young seedlings grow quite fast

As the young seedlings grow and mature, it will be fun to see if any of them starts showing some kind of unique characteristic that would make it different from other Venus Flytraps. Seller took the seeds from cross-pollinated  plants, grown outside in the open, which means the resulting seedlings can be interesting. I hope to get some interesting and hardy Flytraps from these seeds.
I’m definitely going to grow more Dionaea seeds in the future, but before that, I want to go step further by growing Nepenthes seeds. I am trying my luck again by purchasing the seeds online. Wish me luck, I will need it! 😉

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