sequoia seeds germination, and first "planting" of sprouts method, in which container?

Question

I received Giant and Red sequoia seeds a few weeks ago (never used those before) and the producer indicates on package to leave those soak 24 hours in water, drain and leave seeds 20 days in the fridge. is this process correct ? (as I read in prior post "I've germinated seeds for 6 WEEKS" (not 20 days in a fridge).... is using a fridge useful , then ? Or was such longer germination about seeds already in soil ?

also, what kind of container size and height should be used, small ones, each seed in an individual hole ? ( like as using an egg plastic package as "holes")

would it be useful to disperse all seeds f.i. in a flat 40 x 40 x 4 cm container, and once the plants are coming out, and each produce a set of leaves, transplant those fragile stuff each in a black plastic bag, and if so, in a relatively high one ( 20 cm height ?) as the other local pines sprouts I used here are extremely fragile and don't like frequent container change. thanks for any answer.

Answer 1

Need a little more clarity for a reasonable answer, but you mention two different varieties of Sequoia, Giant and Red. If you mean Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood sequoia) and Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant sequoia) then the germination procedures are slightly different, so I hope you know which seeds are which.

Both need cold stratification to germinate, which is why you're told to put them in the fridge, but it's usual to put Giant Sequoia seeds in a bag in damp perlite in the fridge, then sow them into your seed trays or pots afterwards. Redwood sequoia seeds are sown into their trays or pots, then given the cold treatment, but I wouldn't have thought anyone would want a tray of soil or a lot of pots full of soil in their fridge...sowing in fall removes the problem, because the trays of soil can be left outside over winter to get their cold stratification.

More information and instructions here http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-sequoias-seeds-46311.html

Answer 2

Any pot will do. But make sure it's large.

1. Put the seeds in a glass of cool water for 24 hours
2. lay them out on two layers of damp paper towel for 3-4 weeks in the fridge
3. Remove the towel pack and put the array in a dark ambient temperature environment for 24 hours.
4. Now you can open and sort thru the seed pile, if you see some white or green they've germinated.
5. plant the seeds in small containers using a soil mix. If you cant replicate what they typically grow in, commercially available evergreen tree potting mix is fine. Spray with water, moisten the soil but don't soak it. Or one trick Flood the pot soil in it's container before you plant 24 hours in advance, The soil is adequately moist once it drains.
6. Put them in indirect sun, 10-12 hours with adequate hydration they'll grow Just fine. Keep the soil moist with spray bottle so the soil is spongey when poked.
7. After a month; Move the seedlings to individual planter pot, preferably as large as possible, these trees despite their reputation for age; are notoriously fast growers. You wanna have the largest available pots you can as they will get big fairly quickly.

One trick for adequate Growth, is to give your trees very early on a Mycorrhizal inoculation. These beneficial fungi The mycorrhizal fungus basically serves as an extension of the plant root system, exploring soil far beyond the roots' reach and transporting water and nutrients to the roots; by producing micro filaments thousands of times smaller than a normal root, these filaments soak up nutrients like a sponge and give it to the plant, In exchange for a steady diet of sugars. For example: Tree on the right, same age but grown without a myco inoculation Tree on the left, Same Age