Green In The Seed Pots

Eleven days ago trailing arbutus seeds were moved from the refrigerator to carefully prepared natural soil.  How is that for a contradiction in terms?  Covered with plastic film, the pots have undergone visual inspection several times each day.  We thought that we saw specks of green and today the plastic film was set aside so that we could have a closer look.  Examination with a loupe revealed the fine hairs on both the stems and leaves that are so characteristic of arbutus plants.  We think that a few of our seeds have germinated.

The round reddish brown objects are swollen arbutus seeds.  A really close look will reveal their characteristic pattern of white spots.  The three spots of green are thought to be newly sprouted arbutus plants.  Both the seeds and the plants are incredibly small.  The gigantic tan logs are actually pieces of shredded pine needles.  The size of both the seeds and the new plants makes one wonder how new arbutus plants ever survive in the wild.  A stiff breeze could easily uproot them at this stage of development.  Any loss of moisture now would surely end them.  These factors may explain why we have yet to see new plants from seed produced here and left outdoors.

The William Cullina book in the photo contains the most comprehensive information about working with arbutus that we have been able to find.  It warns that the big danger now is damping off.  High humidity was necessary to coax the seeds into sprouting but now the seed leaves must be allowed to dry some.  Since we have never been successful at this we split the potential for damage.  One pot was uncovered so that the leaves could dry.  The unsprouted seeds in this pot may also dry out and die.  The second pot was left covered.  The new plants may succumb to damping off but more seeds may sprout.

Successfully growing arbutus plants from seed remains in the distant future but we have a solid start.  If we have even a single mature plant from these seeds we will be thrilled.  Arbutus plants outside are getting closer to opening their flower buds.  We are concerned about the effects of our cold winter days that included no snow cover.  We are also concerned about the impact on the more newly transplanted arbutus that endured a hot dry fall when I was unable to bring them water.  Those buds look shriveled and brown but we remain hopeful.  Perhaps it is now time for us to quit fooling around and get some lettuce seeds planted.

By May first, it was obvious that all of the sprouts were in fact common weeds.  For some reason I continue to defy conventional wisdom concerning the use of a sterile potting medium and insist on using natural soil.  While no weeds grow under the white pine tree where I harvested the potting soil, weed seeds were in residence there.  I have yet to have an arbutus seed sprout and none of my cuttings have ever rooted.  New plants from seed produced here have not yet made an appearance.

Out Of The Freezer

Becky's first response to this picture asked for the identity of the subject.  It shows a folded waxed paper envelope containing arbutus seeds.  Tucked inside of a zip lock bag, these seeds have passed months in the refrigerator.  January saw them in the freezer and now they are back in the refrigerator.  The plan is to plant them indoors next month.

Arbutus has stubbornly refused to take part in my attempts to propagate it.  More than one hundred cuttings have failed to root.  Heel cuttings taken from new growth turned brown and died.  Stem cuttings did the same.  A special rooting compound did not change the outcome.  On the plus side, it is amazing just how long the cuttings remained green when absolutely no roots formed.

Seeds have also stubbornly refused to germinate here.  Ants and rodents have eaten the sticky sweet pulp holding the seeds together in the seed berry.  The books describe how the seeds are cast aside while the pulp is devoured.  So far no new plants have appeared near our treasured transplants.  I tried planting seeds in a sterile medium near the adult plants.  Some seeds were stirred in while others were simply scattered on the surface.  In two years the only green that appeared here was a weed.

So the plan for this year is to try and get seeds to germinate indoors.  Some seeds will be scattered on the surface and the clear dome covered pots will be placed on a south facing window sill.  Other seeds will find their pots on the heating pad under artificial lights.  Expectations are very low in light of past repeated failures.  There must be a crucial step that I am missing.  It might involve the seed passing through the digestive system of a specific living creature.  If that is indeed the case, I will never see arbutus plants from these seeds.

Bright sunshine and warm temperatures had us walking about outside.  We visited our remote transplants and sat on their protective stone wall.  Clusters of flower buds are visible and we are patiently waiting for those sweet scented blossoms.

Seeds and Ants Everywhere

We need a written record of when events happen here especially with the arbutus.  Last year's newly moved plants are beginning to open their seed berries now.  Ants were working all over the patch when we visited today.  One was caught in the act of chewing off a tasty piece of the white supporting part of the seed berry.  Both black and tan seeds are scattered about as it is the white flesh that the ants are after.  This plant opened pink colored flowers this year and the seeds are tan rather than black.  This is nothing more than an observation since we do not know with any degree of certainty the accuracy of what we think that we see.

Two styles have been separated from the remains of the flowers.  A close look will reveal an ant working the center spot where the style was.  The structure of this newly opened seed berry strongly suggests a second flower very different from the original but beautiful in its own right.

This picture was cropped in an attempt to make visible the white spots that cover the surface of each seed.  Total success is elusive.  Here we also have black seeds and red seeds growing on the same plant.  The black seed are just coming into daylight as the wrappers are just starting to open.  We find more puzzles than answers.

This arbutus leaf was withered and cemented closed.  Investigation revealed the caterpillar responsible for the damaged leaf.  It resembles a lesser maple spanworm that becomes a small white moth.  They are the most common night flyers that gather around porch lights.  These  pests need to find another food source as they will be dispatched on sight.  Arbutus is protected here.