Shrubs and trees grow faster than most of us realize. Given a good start, it will be only a few years before you will be pruning back many of the shrub species to keep them within reasonable size bounds, and by then the seedling trees also will be making good progress. On a more mundane scale, you are saving a considerable money expenditure when you grow these woody plants from seed, beside putting part of yourself into your plantings, and storing in your memory experiences that will give you future pleasure.

You will find in growing trees and shrubs from seed that some special terms may be used which you may not encounter when starting annuals and perennials from seed. Such terms as "double dormancy" and "after ripening" are concerned mostly with seeds of woody plants. "Stratification" is another term often encountered with some of these woody plant seeds. The following explain these terms, plus descriptions of cultural symbols used in the chart to follow:

Double Dormancy: Seeds must go through a warm period followed by winter cold. Germination is in the following spring.

After Ripening: Storing at a cool temperature (35 to 40°), then raising the temperature to 75°, more or less a reverse temperature wise of double dormancy.

Stratification: Some tree and shrub seeds will not germi- nate soon after they ripen, yet perish if permitted to dry out. Stratification consists of mixing seeds with sand or sand and peat moss, or by placing layers of sand or sand and peat moss alternately with layers of seeds in boxes, then burying the boxes 6 inches deep outdoors in a well-drained soil in a shaded spot. Fine seeds can be spread between layers of cheesecloth as they are buried in the sand or sand and peat moss. Germination comes the following spring.

Caution: Seeds stored in a refrigerator without contact with moisture will not germinate in such a dry atmosphere. They must be mixed with a moist planting medium to assure germination.

CULTURE SYMBOLS

2 - Soak seeds before sowing.
3 - Sow in early spring while soil is cool.
4 - Sow in early spring or latest fall.
5 - Sow in heat in sunny window, frame or greenhouse, or under fluorescent lights. Sowing may be done at almost any season.
7 - Sow in autumn or early winter in open beds. Germination will take place the following spring. Cold is needed to start them. May also be sown in early spring if given proper refrigerator treatment.

8 - Stratify by planting seed in seeding medium, then exposing to low temperatures in the 32° to 45° range.

Culture

Symbol                         Name                              Comments

2 - 3                               Albizzia                        Hard seed coat. Soak in hot water 24 hours. Sow as soon
                                                                            as ripe.
7                                    Arbutus unedo           Prefers somewhat acid soil and seeding media.
7                                    Azaleas                       Late autumn or early winter seeding preferred.
7                                   Berberis spp.              Late autumn seeding preferred.
5                                   Buddleia davidii          Use heat (75° to 80°).
7                                   Buddleia alternifolia   Seeds tiny. Sow only in autumn.
3 - 7                             Calluna (Heather)       Seeds dust-like, handle carefully.
2 - 5                             Camellia                       Alternate: See jar and peat system appended. Often used.
2 - 7                             Cedrus                         Soak seeds for 4 hours for spring sowings.
2 - 7                             Cercis                           Soak seeds for 40 minutes in sulphuric acid, followed by
                                                                            soaking in water for 36 hours. Or soak in hot water
                                                                            for spring sowing.
2 - 5                            Calamondin                 Soak for 4 hours before sowing.
7 - 8                            Chionanthus                Requires period of warm exposure of 3 to 5 months in
                                                                            ground followed by 3 months
                                                                            at 32° to 40°.
2 - 5                            Citrus                             Sow as soon as ripe or soak dried seed&                                                                              sow  in spring.
2 - 5                            Coffea                           Soak for 1-2 hours before sowing. Shade lightly.
7 - 8                            Cornus florida             Late autumn best sowing time. For spring sowing, stratify
                                                                           at 40° 120 to 140 days.
7 - 8                            Cotoneaster                Late autumn or early winter preferred. Alternate: Store
                                                                           in damp peat in glass jar. Refrigerate for 2 months.
                                                                           Plant seeds in early spring.
7 - 8                            Cupressus                  Autumn sowing preferred. Otherwise, a period of low
                                                                           temperature stratification.
2 - 4                            Cytisus                         Soak seeds for 3-4 hours before spring sowing.
7                                  Daphne                        For spring planting, refrigerate for 2 months in damp
                                                                           peat in closed jar or plastic bag.
2 - 7                             Eleagnus                    Give sulphuric acid treatment as for Cercis, followed by
                                                                           several days of water soaking. Shorter treatment
                                                                           required for autumn sowing.
5                                   Eucalyptus                  Needs bottom heat of 75°-80°.
7                                   Erica (Heath)              See Calluna for description.
2 - 5                             Erythrina                      Soaking seeds hasten germination.
5                                   Fatsia                          Use sulphuric acid treatment as for Cercis for quicker
                                                                           germination, otherwise, it takes up to 2 years.
5                                   Ficus                           Easily grown from seed.
5                                   Gardenia                    Best germination with bottom heat.
7                                  Franklinia                    Needs shade, ample moisture, acid media.
7                                  Ginkgo                         Seeds may be refrigerated for quicker germination. See
                                                                           Daphne.
7 - 8                             Ilex (hollies)                Autumn germination best or stratify and sow in spring.
7                                  Hydrangea                   Seeds very small.
5                                  Jacaranda                   Give heat of 75-80°.
3-5-8                          Juniperus                     Hard coated. Stratify at 32° to 50° 30 to 60 days. Sow                                                                         spring.
7                                  Kalmia                          Same as for Azaleas.
7                                  Laburnum vulgare      Autumn sowing slightly preferable.
5                                  Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle) Sow in fall under glass.
3 - 8                            Ligustrum                     Stratify and sow in spring.
7 - 8                            Magnolia                       Stratify as soon as ripe and sow in winter or spring.
4                                  Mahonia                        Often germinates second spring.
7                                  Nandina                        Sow in open winter or spring.
7 - 8                             Peony                            Has double dormancy. Plant late summer or early fall to
                                                                            have a warm period followed by natural winter cold.
7 - 8                             Peony,                           Tree Mix seed in slightly moist sand in pot or flat. Bury in
                                                                            ground covered with shallow layer of soil or sand.
3 - 8                            Photinia                         Stratify 38 days. Sow in spring.
7                                  Picea (spruces)           Late autumn sowing preferred.
7                                  Pinus (pines)               Lightly shade seed bed.
5                                  Pittosporum                 Germinates best with bottom heat.
2 - 5                            Poinciana                      Hard seeds require many hours of presoaking.
5                                  Poncirus trufoliata       Easily grown from seed.
7 - 8                            Prunus                           Germinates first spring.
5                                   Psidium (S. guava)     Seeds very fine. Needs care in covering and watering.
3 - 8                            Pyracantha                     Stratify and sow in spring.
7                                  Rhododendron             See Azalea instructions.
7                                  Rose                               Some species (R. multiflora) need after ripening                                                             storing for two months at 40°, then raising temperature                                                                          75°. Keep seeds in slightly moist material.
7                                  Sophora                         Needs no special treatment.
7 - 8                             Taxus                             Have double dormancy. Stratify cleaned seeds in damp
                                                                             peat for 3 months at 55-70°. preferably varying. Follow
                                                                              by four months at 40-45°. Planting in outdoor seed bed
                                                                             is slower, with germination the second spring                                                                      autumn sowing.
2 - 7                              Thea sinensis           Same as for Camellia.
7 - 8                               Viburnum                   Some species have double dormancy. Same treatment as                                                                       for Taxus. Sow V. opulus in late summer or early fall - at
                                                                            least 60 days before ground freezes.

JAR AND PEAT SYSTEM FOR GERMINATING CAMELLIAS

Gather seeds as soon as they ripen in the fall. Place them in a glass jar with moistened peat moss, and keep indoors where germination may be observed. Keep jar closed. In a few weeks, seeds will begin to show new roots. As soon as seedlings develop roots about 1 1/2 inches in length, take them out, trim off the root tips (they will form tap roots otherwise), and plant in individual pots for growing on. Leave rest of seeds in the jar, and prepare for planting as they germinate over aperiod of another several weeks.