How to plant red maple seeds? A detailed guide to the planting method
The branches and leaves of the red maple are purplish-red, brilliant and eye-catching, with high ornamental value. It is widely used as an ornamental tree in garden green spaces and courtyards, mainly planted as solitary specimens or scattered plantings, and is best placed in the center of a lawn, in front of and behind tall buildings, at corners and other spots, where red leaves and green trees set each other off beautifully. It can also be grown in pots and shaped into exposed-root, rock-clinging, cliff-style, dry-trunk and other forms. Let's take a look below at how to plant red maple seeds!
How to select red maple seeds
Before sowing red maple seeds, the seeds must first be selected. Whether the seeds are well chosen directly affects whether sowing succeeds. It is best to use seeds harvested in the current year, because the longer the seeds are stored, the lower their germination rate. At the same time, choose seeds that are plump, free of damage or deformity, and free of pests and diseases.
Disinfection and germination promotion of red maple seeds
1. Disinfection: Disinfection involves two concepts. One refers to disinfecting the seeds, and the other refers to disinfecting the sowing medium. For household seed disinfection, it is common to soak the seeds in hot water at about 60°C for a quarter of an hour, and then use warm water to promote germination for 12-24 hours. For disinfecting the sowing medium, the best method is to put it in a pot and heat it until hot, which will scald to death any pests and diseases.
2. Germination promotion: Generally, half a month before planting, first rub off the seed wings, then soak the seeds in warm water (at about the same temperature as face-washing water) for 12-24 hours, until the seeds absorb water and swell.
Sowing methods for red maple seeds
1. Trench sowing: Generally, red maple seeds begin to germinate in 15-20 days. Once germination reaches 20%, they can all be sown (you can also first pick out the seeds that have already germinated). Sow 3 kg of red maple seeds per mu. On the already prepared ridges, open small trenches 10 cm deep and 20 cm wide, and sow the seeds together with sand into the opened trenches. Sowing should be even.
2. Covering with soil and building sheds: After sowing, cover the seeds with a layer of moist fine soil. The soil cover must not be too thick; generally 0.5-1 cm is sufficient, as too thick a cover affects germination. At the same time, set up a small plastic shed, and above the small plastic shed set up a sunshade net arched shed. Note that the plastic arched shed should be below and the sunshade net arched shed above, and the distance between the two arched sheds should be greater than 20 cm to maintain the effect of ventilation and cooling.
3. Daily management: Within 1 month after sowing is the key period for red maple germination. Observe frequently to maintain the temperature and humidity inside the arched shed. If you put your hand deep into the film arched shed and it does not feel hot to the touch, that indicates the temperature is suitable. If the temperature is found to be too high, ventilate immediately, and use the method of spraying water at both ends of the film arched shed to cool it down. When the seedlings grow to 5-10 cm, remove the film arched shed, while the sunshade net arched shed continues to be retained. After the seedlings grow to 20-30 cm, use the method of uncovering the sunshade net in the morning and evening and covering it at noon to harden the seedlings. After 2 weeks, remove the sunshade net entirely.
4. Water, fertilizer and weeding: After the small seedlings grow to 10 cm, foliar fertilizer or a small amount of urea can be used. Remember that fertilization should follow the method of small amounts applied multiple times, and must not be excessive at one time, to prevent burning the seedlings. At present, there is still no effective herbicide that does not harm red maple seedlings, so manual weeding is generally used.