Thanks. Very informative.

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 20:56:27 +0100, Janet Baraclough..
wrote:

The message
from Monroe contains these words:

Fairly simple, uneducated question here. I honestly don't know. We had
a mountain ash that lived some 20-odd years. Over the last few years
the tree had slowly been on the wane; compounded by serious drought in
our area. We finally cut it down this spring. Over the course of it's
life, we dutifully cut the suckers growing from the base of the tree.
What I'm wondering, is whether the suckers, if selectively cut and the
healthiest left to grow, actually grow into a mature tree?

Yes. They are native here in Scotland. Cut stumps regrow into an
attractive multi-stemmed vase-shaped tree; just choose how many stems
you want.

A reply on a garden web forum indicates
propogation fir this tree is limited to seed or grafting. Has anyone
any experience doing this?

Growing them from seed is very easy. Wait till the berries are really
ripe then rub them in a fine (kitchen) seive under a running tap, to
wash off the fleshy bit and skin, leaving the seeds behind; spread them
on a kitchen towel to dry off. Then I put them in a small ziplok plastic
envelope with a spoonful of moist sand or peat, and leave it cool in the
fridge (not freezer) until March. Sow in a pot outdoors, and they come
up like cress. Seedling trees grow very fast, I'd have a 5ft tree in 4
years and (depending on variety) it could be flowering and fruiting at
6. YMMV depending on climate.

Janet.

--

Monroe