West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources Station Bulletins And Design 1-1-1962 Growing Christmas trees from seed Earl H. Tryon H. G. Woodrum Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/ wv_agricultural_and_forestry_experiment_station_bulletins Digital Commons Citation Tryon, Earl H. and Woodrum, H. G., "Growing Christmas trees from seed" (1962). West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletins. 472. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/wv_agricultural_and_forestry_experiment_station_bulletins/444 This Bulletin is brought to you for free and open access by the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources And Design at The Research Repository @ WVU. It has been accepted for inclusion in West Virginia Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletins by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/growingchristmas472tryo 9 GROWING CHRISTMAS TREES FROM SEED rsf K on % r ,f VIRC-WjA UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION THE AUTHORS Authors of Growing Christmas Trees from Seed are E. H. Tryon, Silviculturist in the Agricultural Experiment Station and Pro- fessor of Silviculture in the Division of Forestry, and H. G. Woodrum, Superinten- dent of State Forest Tree Nursery, Lakin, West Virginia. West Virginia University Agricultural Experiment Station College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home Economics A. H. VanLandingham, Director MORGANTOWN Growing Christmas Trees from Seed E. H. TRYON and H. G. WOODRUM Production PINES, spruces, and firs which ation should be given to the five are suitable for Christmas trees following conditions : may be raised from seed by 1. The soil should be light in ;he Christmas tree grower. The texture, preferably a sandy loam. lome production of trees from Never choose a heavy clay soil, ;eed requires a great deal more as the roots of the seedlings are /vork and time than simply order- subject to injury when the seed- ng and handling seedlings from lings are lifted from the seedbed. i state or commercial nursery. A heavy soil may crust on the However, there are advantages surface when dry and delay ger- or the grower who has his own mination, and seedlings growing iursery seedbeds. Certain pre- in such soil are more subject to ferred Christmas tree species, not disease and frost heaving. Also, lways readily available from a heavy soil often remains wet nurseries, may be produced in in the spring, delaying regular these seedbeds. Home production nursery operations. also assures the grower that his rees will available for plant- be 2. The soil should be reason- ng at his convenience. ably fertile, but should not be Tree seedlings can be raised high in lime. A pH of 5.0 to 6.0 like from seed by methods quite is preferred for Christmas tree those in used gardening. The species. It is unlikely that the selection of the seedbed site soil pH will be too low, although where the Christmas tree seed- it may be somewhat below pH lings are to is first be grown the 5.0 and still be suitable. However, step to be undertaken, and also soils which have been limed, one of the most important. The especially within the last year or selection of a poor site will in- two, may have a pH above 6.5 crease the difficulty of raising and should not be used. This the stock, and could result in higher pH may cause yellowing failure of the project. of the foliage and reduce growth. It also favors a disease called Selection of Nursery Site "damping-off." It is a good idea When selecting a nursery site to play safe, regardless of the for seedbeds, careful consider- past treatment of the area, and send a soil sample to the West sites for a nursery may be in all Virginia University Agricultural frost area. Experiment Station in Morgan- to your town be tested. Contact §g()(| SOllfC'6 County Agricultural Agent for in Seed for the production of structions in collecting and ship Christmas tree seedlings may be ping the soil sample. obtained from commercial seed 3. The ground should slope dealers or from cones carefully slightly, as both good water and selected, collected, and processed air drainage are necessary. by the grower. Seedlings grown I from local native seed are well 4. A water supply must be near- adapted climatically to local by, as the seedbeds require water- growing conditions. However, ing during dry periods from the the grower will probably elect to time the seeds are sown until the purchase seed from reputable seedlings are removed. commercial dealers 1 in order to 5. If possible, avoid areas where eliminate a great deal of time and frequent frosts are known to oc- labor. Such seed, usually of good cur. Unfortunately, the better iSee Appendix B. SEEDBEDS in a small home nursery in Randolph County, West Virginia. In the seedbed at the left may be seen the end of a Norway spruce unit adjoining a Scotch pine unit. The water line standing by the beds at the right (arrow) supplies water for the seedbeds. Seedlings, which will grow into Christmas trees, have been planted on the hillsides. quality and with a known germi- nation capacity, may be pur- chased in small quantities, even as small as one ounce. Seed to be sown in the spring- should be ordered during the preceding fall, possibly in October or November. When ordering the seed, it is sug- gested that for each seedlot the following information be request- ed : (a) kind and variety of seed, (b) percentage of germination, (c) purity, and (d) locality, in- cluding elevation, where the seed was collected. Seed Storage The seed, regardless of source, should be stored properly until sown in the seedbed. As soon as the seed is obtained it should DRY, cold storage of small lots of be dried before storing. This tree seed may be accomplished by placing the seed in a jar with a tight operation is especially important lid. The tag contains the species if the seed has been collected name and other information on the locally rather than purchased seedlot in the jar. Store in a re- frigerator until needed. For best re- from a commercial dealer. To dry, sults do not store longer than one year. merely spread the seed out in a pan or tray in the sun or in a sound for several years. How- warm room. Do not dry in an ever, it is recommended that the oven. Next, the seed should be storage period be only until the stored under dry, cold conditions. seed is sown in the spring or un- It should be placed in a jar or til it is to be stratified. tin with a tight cover and stored Seed of Austrian pine, Scotch in a cold place, preferably at a pine, and Douglas-fir may be kept temperature between 34° and 38° under dry, cold conditions until F. Small lots of seed may be put sown in the spring, without prior in an airtight jar, such as a Mason stratification, if seeded early. jar, and placed in a refrigerator. The seed of balsam fir, Fraser Stored in this manner, seed of fir, and concolor fir, however, some of the species may remain will not be ready to germinate when removed from storage be- when only a drop or two of water cause of a condition of embryo can be squeezed from a handful dormancy. In order to break this of the peat. Also, stratification embryo dormancy, balsam and may be accomplished by placing concolor fir seed should be strati- the seed in a plastic screen bag in fied at least three months prior an outdoor pit dug one or two to sowing, and Fraser fir seed feet deep in a light-textured, well- six weeks prior to sowing. Strati- drained soil. The seed should be fication can be accomplished by put in the pit during the fall or putting the seed in a narrow early winter, covered to ground plastic screen bag and placing level, and left until needed the this bag in slightly moist peat following spring. However, the with a temperature near 38° F. seed tends to heat up towards the for the required period. The end of the period of stratification moisture content is satisfactory and should be carefully watched. SEEDS of certain species, such as the firs, require stratification before they can germinate. To stratify, put the seed in a bag of plastic screening and close the bag by lacing it with flexible wire. Then place the bag in cold, moist peat. Germination of all the species listed is hastened by proper stratification. If heating starts, the seed should Spring sowing should be done be removed from the peat, stirred, as soon as the soil has dried out and allowed to cool in a cold enough to be worked, usually in room (usually 18 to 48 hours), April, although some years it may and then returned to stratification be earlier. In other years weather until needed. Continued heating conditions may not be favorable may require that this cooling pro- for sowing until the early part of cess be repeated. June. These dates will vary with Seed of white pine, red pine, altitude and latitude. Fall sow- and the spruces will give better ing may be done as the seed is and quicker germination results collected. Balsam fir, concolor if they are stratified approximate- fir, Fraser fir, and white pine ly six weeks prior to sowing in may be seeded in the fall in order the spring.