Growing Trees From Seeds
2021-01-19
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Maple and oak trees with branches full of seeds at the end of summer got American plant expert Lee Reich thinking about how trees grow.
2He remembers how, a few years ago, he decided to drop an apple seed into some soil he had placed in a small container.
3Reich imagined his small seed would turn into a beautiful apple tree.
4But, it didn't work out.
5The seed germinated and started growing.
6But then, it stopped growing when it was just 10 centimeters tall.
7How come?
8Reich said most seeds that come from colder parts of the world need special treatment before they will grow.
9He found out that he was lucky his seed grew at all!
10Reich now knows how to grow a tree from seeds.
11When those seeds fall from the branches of tall trees, they cannot start growing right away.
12Reich noted that the young trees would die during the cold winter if they start growing immediately.
13So, most seeds know how to stay asleep during the winter until warmer weather comes.
14That is when they can grow well.
15But, if you do not want to wait all winter for your seeds to grow, Reich has some suggestions.
16Reich said you can "fool the seed" into starting to grow.
17The way to do this is by placing the seeds into plastic bags filled with potting soil that is a little wet.
18Then put the bags into a cool place like a garage or refrigerator.
19The process is known as "stratification."
20It is important to keep the seeds cool, but not too cold, for a few months.
21The temperature needs to be above freezing but below 10 degrees Celsius.
22Reich said you might have a little more work to do before stratification, depending on what kind of seed you are growing.
23Harder seeds first need to be softened to let water get in.
24Such hard seeds come from redbud, juniper and hornbeam trees.
25To get water inside the seed, you need to nick them with a small, sharp object.
26The other way to soften a seed's hard shell is to put them in soil and leave them in a warm room for two or three months.
27Then you can begin stratification.
28Once the seeds are stratified and conditions are right, they will start to grow roots.
29For sugar maple trees it might take three months.
30For apple seeds, it might take only two months.
31But Reich shares a warning.
32Don't forget about your stratifying seeds!
33One week, he said, they could be asleep.
34The next week, they could have fat, white roots.
35Once your seeds start to grow roots, you can put them in a container, or pot.
36Or, if you are not ready, keep them somewhere cool until you are ready to plant them outdoors.
37Reich noted that some people may wonder what the point is of all this trouble when you can just buy a small tree at a garden center.
38"You're a gardener, you like to grow plants," he explained.
39Reich also said how satisfying it is to look up after many years at a tall tree that you once started from just a seed.
40I'm Dan Friedell.
1Maple and oak trees with branches full of seeds at the end of summer got American plant expert Lee Reich thinking about how trees grow. 2He remembers how, a few years ago, he decided to drop an apple seed into some soil he had placed in a small container. Reich imagined his small seed would turn into a beautiful apple tree. But, it didn't work out. The seed germinated and started growing. But then, it stopped growing when it was just 10 centimeters tall. 3How come? 4Reich said most seeds that come from colder parts of the world need special treatment before they will grow. He found out that he was lucky his seed grew at all! 5Reich now knows how to grow a tree from seeds. When those seeds fall from the branches of tall trees, they cannot start growing right away. Reich noted that the young trees would die during the cold winter if they start growing immediately. 6So, most seeds know how to stay asleep during the winter until warmer weather comes. That is when they can grow well. But, if you do not want to wait all winter for your seeds to grow, Reich has some suggestions. 7'Fool the seed' 8Reich said you can "fool the seed" into starting to grow. 9The way to do this is by placing the seeds into plastic bags filled with potting soil that is a little wet. Then put the bags into a cool place like a garage or refrigerator. The process is known as "stratification." 10It is important to keep the seeds cool, but not too cold, for a few months. The temperature needs to be above freezing but below 10 degrees Celsius. 11Reich said you might have a little more work to do before stratification, depending on what kind of seed you are growing. 12Harder seeds first need to be softened to let water get in. Such hard seeds come from redbud, juniper and hornbeam trees. 13To get water inside the seed, you need to nick them with a small, sharp object. The other way to soften a seed's hard shell is to put them in soil and leave them in a warm room for two or three months. Then you can begin stratification. 14Once the seeds are stratified and conditions are right, they will start to grow roots. For sugar maple trees it might take three months. For apple seeds, it might take only two months. 15But Reich shares a warning. Don't forget about your stratifying seeds! One week, he said, they could be asleep. The next week, they could have fat, white roots. Once your seeds start to grow roots, you can put them in a container, or pot. Or, if you are not ready, keep them somewhere cool until you are ready to plant them outdoors. 16Reich noted that some people may wonder what the point is of all this trouble when you can just buy a small tree at a garden center. 17"You're a gardener, you like to grow plants," he explained. 18Reich also said how satisfying it is to look up after many years at a tall tree that you once started from just a seed. 19I'm Dan Friedell. 20Lee Reich reported this story for the Associated Press. Dan Friedell adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 21_______________________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23branch -n. a part of a tree that grows out from the main body, or trunk 24gardening -n. the act of taking care of the plants on an area of ground (v. garden) 25germinate- v. to begin to grow (a seed) 26pot- v. to plant something in a pot 27garage- n. a building or part of a building where a car is kept 28refrigerator - n. a device or room that is used to keep things (such as food and drinks) cold 29stratification - n. the act of arranging something in layers 30nick- v. to cut or damage a small part of the surface of something 31We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.