Seed Planting

Plant ASAP

Seeds should be planted as soon as they are collected. Tree seeds must experience winter’s cold (a process called ‘stratification’) in order to germinate properly, so put the buckets outdoors after planting.

Planting the Seeds in Buckets

Testing for Seed Viability:
Some seeds, such as acorns, reveal their viability with a water test. Put the seeds in a bucket of water… The ones that sink are good, those that float are not.

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Seed Quantity Per Bucket:
Cover the soil with seeds because some won't germinate, or mice will eat some of the tender shoots in the spring. Survival can vary from season to season. If you have excellent germination and minimal rodent damage, spread the buckets out to give the seedlings more room.

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Planting Depth:
Plant the seeds to a depth hat is equal to the thickness of the seed.

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Cover and Water:
Cover the seeds with a layer of soil that is about the thickness of the seed. Tiny seeds, like sycamores, need a very thin layer, although it needs to be thick enough to cover the seeds completely, even after watering.

Water well, adding more soil if necessary.

Protect the Seeds from Critters
- Wire Mesh -

Seedlings usually grow up through the 1”x1” holes in cage wire, without a problem (as are the buckeye seedlings in the top picture). Seedlings have greater difficulty navigating their way up through the 1/2”x1/2” holes of hardware cloth.

If seedlings get caught on either mesh, you can redirect them with a crochet hook. Be gentle in your guiding, so you don’t break the tender seedling.

Note: Details on cutting the mesh is provided on the ‘Getting Started’ page.

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Binder clips:
Secure the mesh to the buckets with 3/4" binder clips. These can be purchased at any office supply store, or less expensively in-bulk online.

Winter Care

Protect From Winter Extremes:
Spread a thin layer of freshly-fallen leaves over your plantings (on top of the wire mesh), to simulate a natural woodland environment. If possible, pile leaves around the sides of the buckets to insulate against winter cold.

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Winter watering:
Your initial watering, plus autumn rains, should be adequate. You can check the moisture content by poking your finger into the soil - water only if soil feels really dry.

Early Spring Care:

This is the time to read Tending the Seedlings because it is important to start checking your plantings in early spring for signs of sprouting. You need to remove the leaves that served as a winter blanket in a timely manner, or the seedlings will rot or be terribly misshapen.

Being that the ‘leaf blanket’ also held moisture in, you now need to start watering regularly. This is especially important with small seeds that are close to the surface of the soil.

Seeds that were protected with mesh will likely need help finding their way up through the mesh - a crochet hook helps in redirecting them. Do not remove the mesh because the critters will go after the seeds even after they’ve sprouted.