Tree Seeds: First Batch Update 9/15/20

This post is a little overdue, however, it’s coming to you right now! This is the second update on my first batch of tree seeds. At this point, the seedlings are about five weeks old. Unfortunately, the Siberian Elms, Elephant Ear Trees, and Camphor Trees have still not sprouted and I am starting to think that they will not germinate. On the bright side, the Royal Poinciana and Jacaranda seedlings have been doing great!

Royal Poinciana

Originally, I planted two Royal Poinciana tree seeds. Only one ended up germinating, however, it has been growing extremely fast and is by far the most successful seedling. I have started to post about this tree separately since it has gotten so large and will no longer post about it in the tree seed updates. If you haven’t already, check out the posts about the Royal Poinciana re-potting and the growth update!

Jacaranda

Since the last post, no additional Jacaranda trees ended up sprouting. However, the four that did sprout have started to grow pretty fast! Since last time, four new branches have grown in on each seedling with a few sets of leaves. Each seedling has developed two larger branches and two smaller branches on top. Along each branch, there are five-round pointed leaves. At the very center of the stem, there is a brand new bud of growth just waiting to grow in.

I have kept the soil moist since these seeds germinated. I do not allow the soil to dry out since the root system on these trees is so small. I plan to keep these seedlings in the egg carton until they get a bit larger. Each of their trunks is extremely skinny and I’m afraid I would damage the seedlings if I tried to move them now. They are all leaning to the side with some of the branches pointed toward the soil. I think this is because they are bending towards the sunlight that’s coming through the window. I will rotate the egg carton so that they will start to bend back the other way. Once they get a little bigger, I can also use some wire to straighten them out.

Considerations

This batch of seedlings has been steadily growing strong. Only five seeds have germinated so far. Out of the hundred-something seeds planted in this tray, it is a little disappointing that only five ended up sprouting. I will be keeping my eye out for any late bloomers but at this point, I do suspect any to pop up.

If you missed the initial update about the first batch of tree seeds, you can check it out here. Stay tuned later today for the updates about the second and third batch of seeds! As usual, you can find all these pictures and more in the Gallery.