A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees Redbud seeds

We were wondering how to harvest, & plant the seeds from our Eastern Redbud trees. My DH thinks we should give it a try.
I have read 2 differnt way to go about it---so now I am confused.

Funny. I have never seen seeds on my western redbud (I'm assuming it is a western because of where I live). But last year and this I have pulled up baby redbud trees growing where I don't want them. Just yesterday I was pulling. If I let them grow where they fall I would have a choking stand of trees.
OK, I lied. I went out and looked and there are a million little flat peapods on my redbud. And I now remember seeing them before.
I'm not sure of an answer to your question though. But I am going to tell you what I do.
Some seeds need stratification (chilling) and some need some type of scarifying (A nick, soaking or even a bird attempting to digest them). Mother Nature provides those things in the wild. I will harvest seeds and treat them much like Mother Nature does with maybe some better soil than she provides around here. I will pot them either on the surface or barely covered and tuck them into an ideal situation with enough water, light and shade. Then I forget them and see what springs up in a few weeks or months. I am all about easy and natural.
My plant propagation book (for commercial production) says best to soak in sulfuric acid for an hour then chill for 3 months. The soaking is for that heavy seedcoat. The chilling is for a dormant embryo. But it also says fall planting of untreated seeds may work. And cuttings work in spring and early summer and so does air layering.
I just think you may want to try a little of each if you have a lot of seed? Then see what works for you best.

thanks much Tina-=-I will tell Rod.
what do you think of boiling the seeds for 30 minutes to sofen the outer shell of the seeds?? That is one thing I read. sounds to me like it would kill the whole seed though.
and do I wait until the pod falls to begin my experiments ??????

According to my seed book...
Sow Redbud seeds outdoors in the fall for germination in the following spring or summer
-or-
Soak Redbud seeds in hot [i](not boiling) water for 24 hours followed by placing the seed in moist, sandy potting mix then putting in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
Remove from refrigerator and keep the soil temp at 70-75* until germination, which can take several months.
Treating seeds with a legume innoculent will speed up germination[/i]
Redbud trees do not transplant well...

First, Bill is right. Never boil seeds. That will kill most of them. The hot water bath is good idea.
Next, I look for when seeds begin to fall naturally before I harvest them. I figure they are pretty much matured by then. Unless some critters are going for them. Then I strike fast or I never see them again.
I dug up one of my larger volunteer redbud trees a couple months ago to place in a different spot. It was only about 10 inches tall though. It is doing well. Also my redbud full grown tree was pot grown from seed. And transplanted from the pot to the ground just fine about 18 years ago. I would not try to move a larger one, though, whenever I read that they don't like it.

Thanks to you both--it is greatly appreciated.