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| Hi all,
My mil gave me some camellia seeds from my husband's grandmother's garden. These will be a precious heirloom if I can get them to grow! What is the best way to plant these, when/where should they be planted, and what special care do they need? TIA! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Camellia seeds need to be harvested and germinated very shortly after they have fallen from the shrub. In other words, you cannot save them them without special handling. I was given many seeds some time ago in moist, long leafed sphagnum moss. I stored them in the 'fridge in a plastic bag (in that moss) for several weeks and when I pulled them out they were all germinated. I planted them in a coarse textured nursery mix into their own small pots right afterwards. If I had let them dry out for that same period of time, the would have died. |
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| Oh, how disappointing. I don't know how long these have been sitting around. Argh. Well, I guess I'll have to forget it unless someone can get more seeds at the right time. What time of year do camellias drop their seeds? thanks for your help |
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| I agree with rhizo_1 that it is essential to plant camellia seeds as soon as they are "ripe"; otherwise, you will have little, if any, success with their germination. In the Southeastern United States, seeds of _Camellia japonica_ ripen in late August and September--maybe into early October, depending on the variety. The seeds are carried in apple-like pods that burst when ripe. If seeds are allowed to fall onto the ground, many of them will germinate under the mother plant. If you look around your grandmother-in-law's camellias, you may find seedlings in abundance. If so, pull some of them up and pot them. I would do this while the seedlings are dormant. That should ensure more transplanting success. Camellia seeds are, however, as easy to germinate as garden beans. Just chunk a few fresh ones into the soil, stand back, and watch them germinate after a few months. You can expect to wait for years before seeing blossoms produced by your seedlings, and they may be entirely different in appearance from Mommer. |
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| Oh, how disappointing. I don't know how long these have been sitting around. Argh. Well, I guess I'll have to forget it unless someone can get more seeds at the right time. What time of year do camellias drop their seeds? thanks for your help |
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| First thing I would do is get a container of water and drop them in-- if any of them float--pitch them, next to nothing chance of them being viable. Then the ones that sink, soak them in hot water,about 115 degrees for 5 minutes. Then get you some canadian sphagnum moss and soak it in hot water till it becomes saturated, squeeze out the excess put the seeds in the middle, drop into a zip lock bag, place in warm/hot area(aprox. 90 degrees F) and wait till you see roots growing.I germinate a lot of seeds like that9 camellias, citrus). If you have it , you can add a eyedropper full of gib acid in the seed soak process. |
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