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Raising Native Trees from Seed Prior Publication Growing native plants from locally sourced seed ensures a good supply of plants well
suited to local conditions. Take the seed when it is ripe. Larger seeds can be collected after they have fallen
from the tree. In the case of very small seed, or where undergrowth is heavy, seed can be
taken from the tree, judging ripeness by the extent to which seed, seed capsules or fruit
are detachable. Be careful not to damage the trees, and don't take more seeds than you
need. General Seed-raising Instructions Additional Species Specific Information General Seed-raising Instructions Soil Mixture A good general soil mixture, by volume, for all seeds is as follows:
Mix thoroughly and keep moist. For every 18kg of this mixture add a mixture of:
Work the mixture well and to keep moist and friable. Sowing Fill a wooden box or plastic dish with 5-7cm of the soil mixture, well firmed down. Scatter the seed thinly on the surface and cover with soil to twice the depth of the seed. Fine seeds need only a very light covering. Be careful not to cover too deeply. Cover boxes with glass and place in a warm, sheltered place. Watering After a good initial soaking, regulate watering by the condition of the soil and don’t be too hasty in applying water. Saturate the soil slowly with a fine spray (an atorniser spray pump is best). "Pricking out" This should be done when the seedlings are 5-7.5cm high. L~ft and separate tlic ~ccd1mgs and plant them 5cm apart in fresh soil. Press in firmly and keep the soil moist. There is no need to cover them with glass provided there is shelter from wind and frost. Give some protection from summer sun during the hottest part of the day. Potting Out As the seedlings grow they will need potting out, first into small pots and then into larger pots or polythene bags. Check the need for repotting by the amount of root growth. Use the same soil mixture and loosen up matted roots and compacted soil. Re-potting is good for seedlings, so don't start them off in unnecessarily large pots. Housing for Propagating Some form of shelter is essential, but this need not be elaborate. The simplest and least expensive shelter is a cold frame. Four boards about 15cm wide will do for the sides and an old window will make a good top. Drill holes in the sides for ventilation. As the seedlings grow they should be gradually transferred to a more open situation so they become 'hardened off' for planting out. A simple framework covered with scrim or fine metal gauze will protect the plants from extremes of temperature and wind. Species Specific Information Akeake, Houpara, Kahikatea, Karamu, Kohekohe, Makomako, Mahoe, Mapou, New Zealand Flax (Harakeke), Ngaio, Putaputaweta, Raurekau, Rimu, Tarata, Taupata, Titoki, Totara These all have soft seed which can be prepared as follows.
Karo and Kohuhu These have soft seed which is very sticky. Don't place in water but sprinkle with sand while removing seed from capsule. Kowhai These seeds germinate readily if they are not allowed to become too hard. Take the pods from the tree when their colour is turtling from green-yellow to light brown. Remove the seeds and test gently by squeezing. They should be medium soft and cream in colour. Sow immediately. Rewarewa Flowers appear during early December and the pods holding the seed form during January and February. The seed, delicate and winged, should be taken when the pods start to open in March. Sow soon after removing from the pod without trying to remove the wing. Houhere The wing-like seed matures much later than rewarewa and can best be collected by shaking a seeding branch onto a flat dish. Sow immediately and cover only very lightly with soil. Pohutukawa and Rangiora Great care is needed as the seeds of these trees are very fine. Collect by gently shaking seeds from pods onto a flat dish. Sow in a 5O~5O mixture of sand and soil and cover with a very llght coating of sand or finely-sieved sphagnum moss. Kaka beak Collect when the pods open. Sow immediately and cover only very lightly with soil. Matai, Miro, Hinau, Porokaiwhirhi, Tawa, Karaka The seeds of these trees are all quite large and have a hard outer shell. They can be readily collected from the ground. All soft fruit should be removed but no attempt made to remove the hard shell. They should be left exposed indoors for two or three weeks to dry out. Because of their hard coating these seeds take a long time to germinate. Keywords |