Any tips for germinating Bunya Pine seeds?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by dyllos, Mar 5, 2014.

  1. dyllos

    dyllos Junior Member

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    very keen to grow this tree and was just given some seeds, so please let us know if you have had success in planting and germinating any? thanks
     
  2. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    Keep moist in hessian bag untill they germinate then into potting mix!
     
  3. dyllos

    dyllos Junior Member

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    Alrighty, will try that - how long did it take yours to germinate?

    I have put 3 into the large worm box I have to try that method..
     
  4. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    they dont do much here till spring! cold winter here
    where are you?
    rats and other critters predate the tasty nuts8)
    should be possible to grow directly from seed into groud (has anyone had any success ??)
     
  5. dyllos

    dyllos Junior Member

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    in Stanthorpe, 800m elevation. It was my understanding that the sooner the seeds are 'planted' i.e. germinated, the better as they do not last? we still have plenty of warmth during the days and will obviously protect them through the Winter if they do start growing..
     
  6. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    My father planted many Bunyas in subtropical Mid North Coast by planting seed directly into ground.
     
  7. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    there should be some old blackfella tricks!!????
     
  8. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    What depth!!!!???? Did he cover with mulch?

    The cove who gave me a uteload of bunyas took the rest to another cocky who fed them to his sheep and cattle They loved them
    i guess the kernals have a good leval of nutrients!!!
    What a fodder tree!
     
  9. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I don't know how often you read these but from memory, straight into the dirt at with a covering. This was 20 years ago. I would gather that the twice the width the seed depth would be relevant in this situation.

    If you like, I can ask the aussie plant nursery guru at work and find out he propagates for the production line. I did download an article/pdf study (which I can not find again) about the propagation rates for the seeds. Ranged from months to 1.5 years for the same batch, so don't be disheartened by spotty germination. They may eventually come up in the end.

    How did the cocky get the kernels out efficiently?
     
  10. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    the cows sort of pawed them apart im told
    That would make a good film!!!
    Considering this is the oldest form of agriculture in the world we dont seem to know much about it!!!
    Sure ask ya mate!!
     
  11. void_genesis

    void_genesis Junior Member

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    I just planted a large grove of bunya pines by clearing a small 30 cm spot in my pasture, digging to a spade depth and then planting 3 freshly removed seeds into each hole. This was about a month ago. I sowed them to about 5-10 cm depth on their sides. I planted them about 7 m apart in a grid, 14 of them all up from two different cone collections from miles apart from each other so the pollination should be good when them mature.

    I just went to have a look at them and one has already germinated after the recent rain. Fresh seed is definitely the best. I didn't use any mulch. I'm going to have to fence the spot off from the cows next time they get in the paddock and for the next few years to let them get above trampling size.
     
  12. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    Outside the convent where my nuts came from the seedlings are growing themselves amongst agapanthis!!
     
  13. Mirrabooka

    Mirrabooka Junior Member

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    I bought my seedlings from the guy at Yandina who wears the Che Guevara tee shirt. He and his colleague are extremely generous with their knowledge, and the seedling now constitute what I believe is the Mornington Peninsula's first Bunya Pine forest (admittedly only 60cm tall at this stage). Remember that the original seed sprout sends out the shoot that will need to burrow into potting mix or well matured compost/mulch some centimeters away, it is from that secondary spot the roots and shoots will grow from- why such a system has evolved is intriguing- perhaps it is to fool the bush rats that usually eat the seeds. Do take a look at "growing trees in a grassy paddock" post for a possible strategy to elude the seed eating rat calamity.
     
  14. Mirrabooka

    Mirrabooka Junior Member

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    ....oops....the guy at Yandina Market...
     
  15. Gonhar

    Gonhar Junior Member

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    You got your nuts from a convent? :nod:
     
  16. andrew curr

    andrew curr Moderator

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    Im probably not the first!
    Na its not convent any moore (women strangely stopped wanting to be nuns)
    i guess these trees were planted over 100 years ago !!
     
  17. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Photo time....
     
  18. Curramore1

    Curramore1 Junior Member

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    Gender:
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    Primary Producer
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    Curramore, Blackall Range, S E Queensland, Aust.
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    Sub-tropical to temperate 2000mm rain, elevated 350-475m
    Hello all,
    if you want seed next year message me about Christmas time as they fall here in January and early February during the usual wet season. They fall a fortnight earlier in Nambour and a month earlier up around Cooroy and Gympie. I have about 100 or so large, mature trees which generally drop 10-30 cones of nuts each a year. This year was a good crop, but the wild pigs are on to them and you have to be quick. They will germinate in the cone if you leave them in a damp, shady spot and then you can just separate and sit on top of a course potting mix, but it must be deep as they have a massive long tap root as seedlings.
    Question: How did the bunya trees get to grow at the top of hills here if the seed cones all roll down the hills not upwards?
     
  19. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Answer: Cockatoos?
     

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