Collect the seed in dry weather conditions by holding a paper bag over a cluster of seed capsules and giving it a good shake. This should produce thousands of tiny seeds.

Storage
Pohutukawa seeds lose their viability quickly -where absolutely necessary, store them temporarily in the refrigerator (not the freezer).

Propagation

1. Prepare a number of shallow seedling trays. Fill to 50mm (2 inches) with sterilised seed-raising mix, or leaf-mould and loam (finely sieved and free of weeds.)
2. Sow the seed thinly on the dampened raising mix. Thick sowing can cause the seedlings to rot. You will want at least one centimetre between each seedling.
3. Cover the seed very thinly with fine sand – the seeds should he just barely covered. Make sure the sand is from a river, not from the coast
4. Cover the tray with a sheet of plastic or glass and put two layers of newspaper over the top to keep the seedlings out of direct light.
5. Check from seven days on. As soon as the germination starts, remove the glass and paper and water lightly (with a fine mist spray). Keep the soil just moist - don't over-water.
6. Keep the seedlings in a sheltered spot out of the wind, direct sun and away from frost.
7. At about three months, the seedlings should he around one centimetre high with four m six leaves. At this stage, prick them out into separate containers (a good chance to recycle plastic yoghurt and margarine containers.)
8. The planting mixture should be a commercial potting mixture or a leaf/loam mixture with added fertiliser.
9. Pot into large containers as the plants grow.
10. Trees need to he grown for two years planting out. During the growing period, prune the lower twigs for easier handling later on.