8
what kind of acid do I use for treatment
(and in what concentration)?
8
I recommend you purchace, borrow, or otherwise obtain "THe Reference Manual
of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture" by Michael A. Dirr
and Charles W. Heuser, Jr. It contains a wealth of information and
guidelines for all sorts of propagation. Here is the section relating to
"Hard seed coats" (page 17) - condensed by me.
Hard seed coats can be broken down by:
1. Fall plant and let nature take its course.
2. Mechanical means such as a file or abrasive wheel.
3. Hot water soaks -- Water is heated to 190 F and poured over the seeds
which steep for 6 to 12 (24) hours. Then the water is drained and the seeds
are planted.
4. Acid treatment -- Use sulfuric acid or nitric acid. Exercise extreme
care since these acids are caustic.
a. Wear goggles and protective clothing.
b. Use a large glass vessel.
c. Place seeds inside dry glass vessel and add about twice volume of
acid over seeds. Stir with repeatedly with glass rod for prescribed time
period (in this case 60 minutes).
d. Always check seed for coat thickness by extracting a vey, rinsing
and cutting in half with pruners. Different seed lots of the same species
may have thinner or thicker coats.
e. Decant acid and seeds through a screening device and wash under cold
water for 5 to 10 minutes to remove acid.
f. Spread seeds on paper, separate to make sure they do not glump
together and allow to dry at room temperature.
g. Seeds are now ready to sow or can be placed in cold-moist or
warm-moist stratification treatments (Cold moist in this case).
I personally have never tried this method, but it is what the book
recommends. I would really suggest you get a copy of this book. It
contains a great deal of information about soils and environment for most
woody plants in addition to propigation techniques.
Good Luck!
Sean Nemecek - Cadillac, MI - Zone 4b or 5a
"True ingenuity values love for itself."
- John Howe from "Of Delighting in God"
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