during the month of April(ish). Who wouldn't want a million of these in their yard? The one above is an Oklahoma Redbud. There is also an Eastern (more of a pink) and Alba (a white one). Although we have never seen a white one in person, we are sure they are just as cool as their pictures. Redbuds are particularly neat because they flower on their trunks and branches. After looking at these trees at nurseries, Stan decided that we just needed to grow our own. So he ordered/gathered seeds. He got some from this tree at a nearby park:
He did LOTS of reading online about how to scarify (help wear down the hard outer seed) and stratify (simulate winter) the seeds so that we would have better germination rates. He ordered some sulfuric acid to help in the process and this awesome suit:
So he wouldn't die if he got some acid on him :) He tried a couple different methods so that we made sure to find one that worked. Some seeds he left in water for 24 hours (or longer if the seeds did not seem to imbibe (fill with water). Some he put in the acid for 15 minutes (these were left in the fridge for a "longer winter") or 60 minutes. Some he used sand paper on and then put in water. Seeds were put in the fridge for either one or two months and then planted in egg cartons on a warming pad.
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| First signs of life! |
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| We bought this light to help with getting some "sun" without the sun. |
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| Stan grew a tree! Multiple trees! |
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| They are actually growing! |
I will post further updates about these awesome plants. I am so impressed with how well Stan has done at this venture. He has been so careful and has yielded a great group of trees. I am so excited for them to grow up!
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