Douglas fir cone seed harvest and planting medium - Ask Extension
Have many cones laying on ground from recent power line tree falling. How best to remove seeds from cones and what type of seed bed to plant seeds. ...
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Douglas fir cone seed harvest and planting medium #482743
Asked September 04, 2018, 11:43 AM EDT
Have many cones laying on ground from recent power line tree falling. How best to remove seeds from cones and what type of seed bed to plant seeds. We will have some logging continued when weather permits and would like to look at doing some future planting (small scale). I realize it may take several years to obtain a transplantable tree.
Thank you for any info. Sincerely Lonnie Leonard
Douglas County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Lonnie,
According to Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants (Rose, Chachulski, & Haase, 1998 - OSU Press), the following method should be used to propagate Douglas-fir cones:
"Douglas-fir seed reaches maturity in August or early September. Collect the cones when they develop a brownish or purplish tinge; this can be as early as mid-August in warm, low elevation areas and as late as October at higher elevations. In any given locality, the ideal collection time lasts only two or three weeks (Owston and Stein 1974). Dry the cones in well-ventilated sacks. They can be stored for three or four months under dry, well-ventilated conditions. Open the cones by air drying in warm, dry weather or by air drying for 8-21 days, then heating a kiln at 35-40 degrees C for 16-48 hours. Separate and clean seeds by tumbling the dried cones, screening out the seed, dewinging, and fanning or blowing. Seeds can be stored at 6-9% moisture content at -5 to 0 degrees C for 20 years. Sow in the fall and allow to stratify naturally overwinter or stratify at 0-4 degrees C for 30-40 days and sow in the spring. Sow in the ground or in small containers (Owston and Stein 1974)."
I would also encourage you to read this blog post from Penn State to learn about another method for propagating Douglas-fir seedlings from collected seed (http://sites.psu.edu/plantpropagationsbysean/2014/11/23/how-to-grow-a-douglas-fir-from-seed/).
Please let me know if you have any other questions. You can reach me at <personal data hidden>.
According to Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants (Rose, Chachulski, & Haase, 1998 - OSU Press), the following method should be used to propagate Douglas-fir cones:
"Douglas-fir seed reaches maturity in August or early September. Collect the cones when they develop a brownish or purplish tinge; this can be as early as mid-August in warm, low elevation areas and as late as October at higher elevations. In any given locality, the ideal collection time lasts only two or three weeks (Owston and Stein 1974). Dry the cones in well-ventilated sacks. They can be stored for three or four months under dry, well-ventilated conditions. Open the cones by air drying in warm, dry weather or by air drying for 8-21 days, then heating a kiln at 35-40 degrees C for 16-48 hours. Separate and clean seeds by tumbling the dried cones, screening out the seed, dewinging, and fanning or blowing. Seeds can be stored at 6-9% moisture content at -5 to 0 degrees C for 20 years. Sow in the fall and allow to stratify naturally overwinter or stratify at 0-4 degrees C for 30-40 days and sow in the spring. Sow in the ground or in small containers (Owston and Stein 1974)."
I would also encourage you to read this blog post from Penn State to learn about another method for propagating Douglas-fir seedlings from collected seed (http://sites.psu.edu/plantpropagationsbysean/2014/11/23/how-to-grow-a-douglas-fir-from-seed/).
Please let me know if you have any other questions. You can reach me at <personal data hidden>.
