western-queensland-gardening-guide.pdf - South West NRM

Chapter 5. Propagation of trees and shrubs from seed
Obtaining seed
Having chosen a range of species to be propagated, seeds may be obtained from the
following sources:
+B commercial seed merchants
Forestry Seed Store, at Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly
your own seed collection or from a local collector.
Make sure the seeds you obtain are actually the species you wish to propagate. A
slight difference in the name could be a totally different plant.
Some seeds deteriorate very quickly, so you may have to sow them i
else store them under certain conditions. Most seed lives longer if stored in a
refrigerator.
Pre-germination treahnent of seed
l'he seeds of many plants have evolved ways to help them survive harsh conditions.
Hard seed coats may prevent the seed from drying out or protect it from predators.
They also cause the seed to remain dormant until suitable conditions exist for
germination. Pre-germination treatments are used to break this dormancy. Some
ation treatments are described in Tabie 9. Some seeds need
other treatments, such as damaging the seed coat, or cold moist storage to mimic a
temperate winter.
Table 9. Common pre-germination treatments
I Nil treatment (Treatment A)
I Cold water soak
Hot water soak
Seed can be sown directly
Pour cold water over seeds in a container and
soak for:
2 4 hours (Treatment B) 14 8 hours (Treatment C) I
Pour just-boiled water over seeds in a container I
and soak for:
. 24 hours (Treatment D)
48 hours (Treatment €1