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sandih
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
Posts: 1077
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: Texas Mountain Laurel |
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I recently harvested seed pods from a Tx Mountain Laurel and I'll be darned if I get get the pods open! I'm obviously trying to start some plants from seed as Howard suggested in his Texas Tree Book.
Any suggestions? |
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sandih
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
Posts: 1077
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| actually, just found that a nutcracker does the job. |
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sandih
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
Posts: 1077
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| OK new question for the same topic of Tx Mountain Laurels. In Howards book he says to score the hard seeds with a nail file. Does that mean just to scrape them up with the part you'd normally file your nails with or do you use the pointed end to scratch the seed? |
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Tony M
Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 1087
Location: McKinney,TEXAS
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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The objective is to make it easier for the seed inside the shell to germinate. Nature keeps seeds in the ground for years and they break open when the time and conditions are right. You are trying to force the situation by "scarifying" the seed which will assist most of them in germinating the first year. Some people soak them, others sand some of the hard surface off.
Tony |
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sandih
Joined: 04 Apr 2003
Posts: 1077
Location: Dallas,TEXAS
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:48 am Post subject: |
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thanks...although I knew what the objective was ....
I'm just referring to Howard's comments in the book about using the nail file (or sandpaper). How drastic is the sanding of the surface? or is it just scraping it up? Sorry, I just don't want to go overboard and ruin them. |
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