As the weather has been a bit cooler and more humid I thought I would prick out a
tray of the young Callicarpa seedlings to see how they cope with being done at this time of the year instead of in the spring. They were a bit slow to germinate but once they got started they all came up in about a month. It not a species I have had much experience with so I thought I would just experiment with a few. So far they are holding there own.
I'm potting them into my deciduous tree mix which is akadama and Leca in a 3:2 ratio. This will give them great aeration and drainage to make fresh roots. The small soft pots will be fine to use for the purposes of this experiment. They are pretty vigorous growers and will soon fill these pots with fine roots.
Last year I stratified and planted some Styrax japonica seeds. They tend to grow better from
seed than they do from cuttings. It is also much easier to take some care and get a small wire on them and put some exaggerated bends into the flexible shoots. I have found that cuttings will take root easily enough but then the cutting will just sit there, not growing at all. Most of the cuttings will not take well to being transplanted and many will die. Despite this fact I do still try to take cuttings from them. I just can't help it!
The seeds on the other hand are more reliable. With a very staggered germination they come up when they feel like it and some of the seed I potted up in February this year are still germinating. Four more popped up last week.
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