Advice needed please about what to do with some ginkgo seeds I picked
up at the weekend. If anyone has picked up any of these you will know
that they smell awful, so luckily I had a plastic bag in my pocket.
I've got 5 berries which I've put outside on top of a pot of soil.
What to do now? Can I plant them as they are or do I have to remove
the smelly pulp? Perhpas soaking in water might help?
I grew a ginkgo from seed about 40 years ago, but that was bought dry
seed! No I don't have a 40 year old ginkgo. It must have died on me
sometime!
TIA

Pam in Bristol

On 14/11/2010 20:41, Pam Moore wrote:
Advice needed please about what to do with some ginkgo seeds I picked
up at the weekend. If anyone has picked up any of these you will know
that they smell awful, so luckily I had a plastic bag in my pocket.
I've got 5 berries which I've put outside on top of a pot of soil.
What to do now? Can I plant them as they are or do I have to remove
the smelly pulp? Perhpas soaking in water might help?
I grew a ginkgo from seed about 40 years ago, but that was bought dry
seed! No I don't have a 40 year old ginkgo. It must have died on me
sometime!
TIA

I don't know about Ginkgo seeds specifically, but my way of dealing with
hardy tree seeds is to put them in a pot with decent compost, label,
stick outside so they get the worst of the weather, and forget about
them! I give them a quick once-over every week or two once spring has
appeared just to make sure they haven't dried out.

There may be certain seeds which benefit from specific treatments
(washing to remove inhibitors? scarification?) and give better
germination rates, but in general just leaving them alone will give you
sufficient seedlings if the seeds were viable in the first place.

--

Jeff

On 14/11/2010 20:41, Pam Moore wrote:
Advice needed please about what to do with some ginkgo seeds I picked
up at the weekend. If anyone has picked up any of these you will know
that they smell awful, so luckily I had a plastic bag in my pocket.
I've got 5 berries which I've put outside on top of a pot of soil.
What to do now? Can I plant them as they are or do I have to remove
the smelly pulp? Perhpas soaking in water might help?

Afraid you want rid of all the smelly pulp. The trees are single sex and
most ornamentals sold are males to avoid the smelly fallout.

I grew a ginkgo from seed about 40 years ago, but that was bought dry
seed! No I don't have a 40 year old ginkgo. It must have died on me
sometime!
TIA

They are tough as old boots once they establish. One of mine from seed
is now about 7' tall after ~10years. Strange angular growth pattern more
like a pine tree, but with their characteristic deciduous ginko leaves
and smelly fruit. The nut itself is a delicacy in Japan after the smelly
pulp has been removed and the kernel treated and cooked.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:41:22 +0000, Martin Brown
wrote:

The nut itself is a delicacy in Japan after the smelly
pulp has been removed and the kernel treated and cooked.

Don't think I'll bother to try that, Martin, thanks!
I was just hoping I didn't have to deal with the smelly pulp but I'll
have a go.
Thanks to all for advice. I've grown many trees from seed, but not
found fresh seeds before. These were from Bath Botanic Garden.

Pam in Bristol