American Sycamore Seeding

In this first video of 2019, TreeLab manager Aaron discusses American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) seeds and the method that is used at the greenhouse for seed propagation.

[@YardeningwithAnne]

I collected some seed pods from a very old sycamore today. She is close to being taken by erosion at local park. I'm carrying her legacy on, and you helped! Thank you!

[@terryf5131]

Awesome!! So glad I found this...had no idea so many seeds on one pod..I got some from my grandma's tree... it's HUGE.. I'm guessing it's at least 200 years old..the house is 105...and old pictures show it huge in 1918! Thanks so much..I gonna grow a whole family of these babies.

[@amytrout2923]

Oh my soul! So glad I saw this! I collected some from my daughter's tree! I was going to plant the pits! Thank you so much!

[@HallieIzzle]

I did plant the pits. lol Nothing sprouted and I couldn't find any information online. Thank you for this video!

[@julieten2774]

Boy am I lucky to find your video. I was walking in the park across from my house and came across the seed pods of the American Sycamore and was wondering if I could start them from the seed. I guess I can. After looking them up I am amazed that they grow where I am located (Pueblo, CO) because everything I have read on them they like or can tolerate being wet. It is a semi-arid high desert here. It gets cold in the winter and very hot and dry in the summer. Wish me luck.

[@mr.strongwood2161]

How did it do

[@savage22bolt32]

​@@mr.strongwood2161Don't ya just love when someone posts an interesting story, then people ask questions and the original poster ignores everyone?

[@SubscriptionToLife]

Great video man, you know this is, from my findings at least, the only KZbin video covering Sycamore seed planting. Thanks! Beasts of the East! The American Sycamore.

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Thanks for the feedback Brett! It is my hope to highlight some aspects of growing our lovely native plants that you usually don’t see! Plus, it is a great opportunity to give the public a “behind the scenes” look into the world of nurseries and horticulture! Thanks for the support!

[@johnmitchell7944]

Wow!! I planted the hard parts and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't sprout.

[@irishvoyageur]

I germinate the seed in a flat tray, then transfer healthy seedlings into much larger seedling containers. Cell size is about 2 in and 5 to 8 inches deep. They are left in containers for year 1. Then they are transplanted out to larger containers 4x4x10 in year two. They are planted out in year three. They will be about 2-3 ft tall at the start of year 3. Note sycamore do not require stratification but I normally stratify the seed anyway for about 30 days at 35-38F.

[@serge7530]

Great video, it'd be great if you could make a second part showing the outcome of this seeding. I've seen other vídeos showing planting limbs, isn't that easier and faster?

[@PaskoNataliya]

since long time ago I was looking for this video , and now I found it by lucky.. thank you for sharing .

[@f.demascio1857]

I just took a bag full of sycamore achines out of my freezer yesterday. Wasn't sure if they needed a stratification or not, as the fully developed "fruit" spends a winter on the tree. It's mid-summer 2024. Might have to wait a bit before propagation.

[@jankokominka7000]

Thank you so much.. useful informations.

[@briansmith9698]

Aaron McFarland Kind remind's me of Birch seeds. Birch seeds need light to germinate. I always thought thing in middle was seed glad I watched your video I have cloned few sycamores from cuttings

[@mediocrefloridaman]

Thank you!

[@CrownTown10]

Anyone have a source for horticultural information on Sycamore trees? Like preferred soil pH, best levels of micronutrients, temperature of soil, etc? Thanks in advance, and thanks for the great video. Keep them coming!

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Hello! I didn’t go that in-depth in regards to the germination and growing on of the trees. I use Pro-Mix (don’t recall which one it was for this) for my germination and continued growth of the trees and then use a general purpose, slow release fertilizer. The sycamores all grow like a weed in the environment I’ve created so I guess it is working!

[@rosiperez2495]

Thank you 😊

[@PotatoTroll]

So when do you water these?

[@legalbeagle6853]

Hey Arron, I got some Sycamore Seeds off a tree today, Late May in southern new england. Should I try to plant them or is too late for this year?

[@ahmedarrahmane1794]

what is the adequate time to germinate seeds in north africa algeria tunisia..thank you sir

[@arifurmollah4386]

I have a question for you 🙋‍♂️, where can I store Sycamore seeds before germination? Where can I store them? Where? I want to keep the Sycamore seeds viable for a very long time. I wanted to keep them viable. I wanted to do this. I wanted to keep the Sycamore seeds viable longer is because I am trying to germinate Sycamore seeds only. Please answer all of my questions.

[@bigpanda6787]

Can you do this with loblolly’s too?

[@arthurrizzi7952]

My cousin brought me these seeds from Canada, I live in Brazil in a Cwa climate region. Can I grow It here?

[@marcosricardosilva]

Is it possible to grow them indoors at this time of year? Will they sprout? I have London Plane Tree seeds, I guess it's the hybrid. Great video.

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

You could probably start them indoors but you’d have to keep them heated until any chance of frost in the Spring has passed. There is a chance they will sprout but they may require a period of cold (which usually can be solved by putting them in the fridge for 30 days). There is a sycamore that is native to Europe, generally called the London Plane Tree, so you may have the straight species. If so, it should grow! If it is a hybrid (which they have often hybridized the European and American species, then your chances are slim. Thanks!

[@rewamaorigurl]

Cool how are they going now??? Would love to see an update.

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Harry Brown It was a mixed bag of success! We had a lot of freezing and thawing that occurred and I had mixed results!

[@MrTahoe32]

Maybe an odd question but what is the earliest you could harvest the seeds from a tree?

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Usually once the seed pods have started to turn to the golden/blonde color. At that point they are usually pretty easy to pull apart but if you see any of them beginning to fluff open they are ready! You could try harvesting them now but I wouldn’t count on having high germination (here in central VA I’m beginning to see some seeds probably able to be harvested early).

[@jeffspencer5418]

Hey Aaron, I have a bunch of this years seedlings growing wild on my property in Indiana. I would like to transplant to different places on the same property. Can I just dig them and move them or do I need to put them in pots to overwinter?

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Jeff Spencer Hello! Your seedlings would appreciate you waiting until cooler temperatures in Fall or moving in early Spring! Do your best to get as many roots as you can (dig a larger root ball than seems necessary, especially attempting to get whatever taproot the seedlings have put out)! If transplanting this Fall (and also in Spring) I would suggest mulching your seedlings afterwards to help retain moisture in the soil and regulate the root zone temperatures (from both heat and cold, creating less extreme fluctuations in soil temperature). Hopefully that’s helpful and best of luck!

[@jeffspencer5418]

Aaron McFarland so just wait and then transplant to the spot where I want them, and not pot them at all? Thanks!

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Jeff Spencer Correct! I would totally skip the process of potting them up if you have spots available for them to get planted into right away!

[@lillen6778]

Do the seeds need a cold period before they become active like other seeds? (example: pecan)

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Yes! I would suggest collecting seed in the fall and then sowing into trays Left outside overwinter in a cold frame. Or if you’re lucky enough to find seed in the spring that was sitting around outside you should be able to sow it right away.

[@Matt-ly1pz]

Was going to look for you on Instagram, but didn't see anything under "tree lab". What should I search? I too am growing a bunch of native trees and could possibly share some Texas native seeds with you if they'd survive up there in VA.

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Hello Matt! You can find us on Instagram at enrichmond_treelab!

[@Lubohrivnak]

Should i keep small plants in shadow? Leaves are burning behind sunny window indoors...

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

It probably wouldn’t hurt to keep them in morning sun but afternoon shade until they start to gain some size. I’d also look at slowly moving them into more sunlight so they gradually get used to more sunlight since they will one day be planted and growing in full sun!

[@VictoriaSanchez-jh1ov]

You inspired me to go to Home Depot and buy a seed starter kit and I followed your steps. I placed seed in 18 cells and as of today I have 16 germinating sycamore whittle trees! How long do we wait to take them out of the cells and plant them individually in a pot?

[@VictoriaSanchez-jh1ov]

I just seeded them last week and they’re growing! I expected it to take months? Now what 😮 ?

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

@Victoria Sanchez Leave them in the cell trays outdoors overwinter, mulching the trays to help insulate the roots. Usually I transplant out of cell trays when roots have mostly filled out the plug cell.

[@raphlvlogs271]

Can you use egg containers to germinate tree seeds?

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

You most certainly can! Be aware that if you are using the cardboard/paper cartons that they will potentially retain more moisture/may decompose before your seedling is ready to be transplanted.

[@papary7717]

What’s your location? Do we follow same directions in Ohio?

[@terryf5131]

Oh...one question..some of the pods are dry and brown...and some are green and moist..any idea which is gonna do better?

[@f.demascio1857]

Dry brown

[@michaelpalmer4382]

How can I dry my seed balls to separate apart like your's do?

[@f.demascio1857]

Collect them from the tree after they become dry & brown.

[@arifurmollah4386]

Do American Sycamore seeds require cold stratification to germinate? Do they require cold stratification to germinate? Or no?

[@f.demascio1857]

They actually stratify on the tree thru the previous winter.

[@WorksforMe]

Hey Aaron, I tried the same last year but I picked up the seed pods from the ground in early spring and planted seeds in a pot, indoors. All of them sprouted but wilted within a few days. did you see similar problems? Wonder what I did wrong.

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Hello! A potential problem that you may have encountered is something called “damping-off” of seedlings. This occurs in cooler temperatures with a wet soil where potential diseases or pathogens in the soil basically rot the seedlings. The only thing I can say to try and prevent this from happening in the future is to keep the seeds a slightly warmer space and to keep the potting media/soil on the dry side. Also, if you haven’t, try using brand new potting media to reduce the risk of diseases being present; using new or well cleaned (if re-using) containers is also important. Hopefully this is helpful!

[@WorksforMe]

@@aaronmcfarland6226 hey Aaron thanks! I think I used old potting media, old soil, but at 70 degrees indoor... btw, do the seedlings need humid environment like cuttings do.. i.e green space? hopefully not. This way i can just set the potting media outside. I'm going to guess its ok since that's what happens in the nature. this is similar to what you did I think. what was your success rate with your seedlings ?

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Works for Me! The seedlings don’t really need a humid environment and I would suggest keeping them in “normal” conditions (not covered, not misted/kept humid). Even at 70 there is a chance that consistent moisture level in the soil and around the seedling stems can cause the to rot. If you have the space available and will to try you could try tilling up a small portion of your yard, creating a nice loose soil and direct seed into it. Then you’ll have your best chances to mimic nature. Success rate wasn’t too bad (I didn’t pay close enough attention to get germination %) but I unfortunately (or fortunately) had so many other orders and plant needs this past growing season I wasn’t able to afford the seedling space in the nursery and they were donated to the local forest edge.

[@WorksforMe]

@@aaronmcfarland6226 OK great, thanks! in terms of timing for seed planting, should I do it in winter (Dec ?)

[@aaronmcfarland6226]

Works for Me! Depends on your location. Since I’m located in Richmond, VA I seeded during the cooler months (December-February) and allowed nature to work its magic (since these seeds require a cold stratification). I’d say the one thing to be wary of is that your seeds don’t get too wet if left outside in the normal conditions! Keep in mind that your soil in plugs or in a seed tray will freeze much quicker and more thoroughly as compared to a natural soil and your seeds will therefore experience much higher temperature swings during freeze/thaw.

[@andrewsmith9772]

can we see follow up ,please

[@HaZe_Da_PiTBuLL]

So what’s the nut in the middle now I have no seeds I threw them all out and I have a nut

[@f.demascio1857]

Oops

[@user-tx6bd9tz9d]

لماذا لا توجد في العراق

[@nikkidickinsonofficial4955]

So what happened?!!!

[@metederviscemaloglu]

Hello Sir, could you tell me the name of book that you used in this video?

[@f.demascio1857]

I just went to look up your location as i too am in RVA. Wanted to see about collaboration or volunteering. But it looks like you may have been screwed by the Enrichmond fiasco.

[@PedroBastozz]

no work. scam.