eucalyptus

Hi

I am in Brisbane and am shortly moving house. I want to propagate the large
flowering eucalyptus we planted in this garden, so I can plant it on our new
1/2 acre. I have read that it's easier to propagate eucalyptus from seed
rather than cuttings. How does one get the seed from the gumnut, and is
there any special things I should do to the seed before planting it??

Thanks

Audrey Harvey
(the black thumb!!)

"Audrey" scotiablue at optusnet dot com dot au wrote in
:

Hi

I am in Brisbane and am shortly moving house. I want to propagate the
large flowering eucalyptus we planted in this garden, so I can plant
it on our new 1/2 acre. I have read that it's easier to propagate
eucalyptus from seed rather than cuttings. How does one get the seed
from the gumnut, and is there any special things I should do to the
seed before planting it??

Thanks

Audrey Harvey
(the black thumb!!)


Hello,

I think that the best thing to do is do try and get gumnuts which have not
opened (but look ripe) and place them in a brown paperbag in the dark. They
should then open (after a while). I know that this method works for
callistomens and other seeds in hard seed pods. Usually eucalypts do not
need any treatment however germination can vary quite dramatically, so I
suggest collecting quite a few gumnuts.(in Growing Australian native plants
from seed they state that only 20 to 25 percent of seed produces vigorous
seedlings suitable for pricking out.

Hope this helps

David

"Audrey" scotiablue at optusnet dot com dot au wrote in message
...
Hi

I am in Brisbane and am shortly moving house. I want to propagate the
large
flowering eucalyptus we planted in this garden, so I can plant it on our
new
1/2 acre. I have read that it's easier to propagate eucalyptus from seed
rather than cuttings. How does one get the seed from the gumnut, and is
there any special things I should do to the seed before planting it??

Thanks

Audrey Harvey
(the black thumb!!)

Collect mature gumnuts (brown woody) from the tree, and even any on the
ground underneath. Check in the bottom of them that they haven't opened up.
Place them in a paper bag or envelope, and sit them on a window sill.
Give it a week maybe more, but eventually they will open up, and you will be
left with very very fine seeds. I always describe them as looking like
"whiskers" from shaving after a day growth :-)
You can leave the seeds in there until you are ready to sow them, or put
them in another bag, either way, it's better they are stored in paper.
When you are ready to sow them, get some seed raising mix and put it in a
punnet. Sprinkle the seeds on top, then give a very light sprinkle of seed
raising mix on top. If you have a sieve to sprinkle soil on the seeds that's
better. Keep moist with a mister, and good luck.

OR

If there are any gardens below, or close to this tree, have a look around
and see if any seedlings have popped up. If they have, you could try digging
them out (take soil with them), and pot them up. That's provided there are
no other different Eucalypts nearby, otherwise you may get one of those,
unless you identify the seedlings.

Good luck

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