Actually I have a specimen of A. schneiderianum which is looking quite ill, but has some viable looking seed. This species is sometimes considered synonymous with campbellii. My hope is that what works for the latter will also work for the former, since at the least they are closely related. Anyway I would very much like to grow this seed on, (especially given the situation where the mother may not survive), and my question is, assuming it is like campbelli, when is the best time to collect it? Should I wait until it's fully ripe and browning, or will that make the pericarp too hard, e.g. as can happen with buergerianum? Would it be better to pick green? Should I plant immediately or stratify over winter? Thanks in advance for your expertise, -E P.S. if I'm not mistaken this will be my thousandth post to this forum, that's pretty scary! ;)
I think collecting maple species in general before the seed hardens is thought to be a good idea. The main benefit is quicker sprouting.
wow 1000!...mine is dead after this very hot summer and one very wet winter...rapport year 2012 19 maples dead,40 damage ..:-(
Thanks Ron, I'll collect it next weekend. I take it you're saying the seed should go directly into stratification before it has a chance to harden? @Alex, my sympathies for your awful losses. It was a very difficult winter here too. I also lost very many plants, but they were mostly my own seedlings and not grafts I had spent money for. Still and all I lost nearly 100 palmatum seedlings, with many interesting and variegated ones in the group. My only surviving palmatum seedlings are not very interesting; and what's more mice ate practically everything I had in seed beds! :( As well as the palmatums I lost 20 variegated pseudoplatanus, a bunch of davidii selections, all but 1 pseudosieboldianum and micranthum seedlings, etc etc. Because of the rain the snails were absolutely out of control, and between them and pseudomonas... -E
