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Growing Ginkgoes from seed

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By: Jeff Blackadar Back to the web version

Ginkgo Seed Propagation instructions

The method listed below is what works for me, I adapted it from a method I used to grow Avocado seeds. I never had any luck planting the seeds in a pot and letting them grow but this may have been due to the quality of the seeds I purchased.
Seed Sources:
Female trees in fall
Pick the seeds from the tree. Wear gloves and don't get any of the seed coating on yourself. Remove the pulpy coating (wear gloves). Put them in a zip lock bag in the fridge until you are ready to plant them. You may leave the seeds on the ground until January in order to allow their embryo to fully develop. Of course, beware of nut gatherers who may take your seeds!
Oriental food stores
You can sometimes get viable Ginkgo seeds at low prices. Sometimes these seeds are in a fridge. The seeds are known as white nuts or Ginnan (in Japanese)
Seed houses
Richters sell ginkgo seeds online: www.richters.com (follow the link for Herb Catalog ONLINE) The seeds I ordered from Richters over the years have had an excellent germination rate.

ZIP-Lock bag seed propagation

Materials:

Method:
Add water to peat moss, mixing and kneading as you go. Dry peatmoss produces a fine, dirty dust which is hard to clean up and is bad for your lungs so try to do this outside. Mix the peat moss and water until the peat moss is moist but not dripping wet. Peat moss holds a lot of water, but test the moisture content by making a ball of peat moss in your fist. If the ball holds its form the moss is moist enough. If the peat moss is dripping water add a little more peat moss.

Put two hand fulls of moist peat moss in a zip lock bag. Put in up to 5 Ginkgo seeds and then zip up the bag. The peat moss will allow the seeds to germinate but the acidity of the peat moss will ward off any dampening off fungus that may threaten your seedlings. Put the baggies somewhere you can check on them. I've placed mine on a bookshelf at room temperature with good results.

The first seeds should start to sprout in 2-3 weeks. Other seeds will sprout over the coming weeks. After the seeds have sprouted and produced a few leaves and roots remove them from the zip lock bag. Don't leave the seedlings in the bag too long after they have produced some top growth or else they will have more trouble adjusting to life outside of the zip lock bag and probably die back.

Pot up the seedlings in 4 inch pots. Ensure that they are watered especially at first. You may wish to mist them for about a week after they have been transplanted as it is a difficult period of adjustment for the seedlings.

After a few months in the 4 inch pots the seedlings may be planted outside. You can successfully start seeds at any time of the year and transplanting can take place during any frost free month of the year; transplanting during the height of summer is not recommended. The seedlings won't survive inside a house for much more than a year. For seeds gathered this fall, it is best to wait until after January before growing them as the embryo needs that time to mature.

Jeff Blackadar

see also:
Eastern Chapter, Society Ontario Nut Growers (ECSONG) A Nut Growers' Manual & Growing Ginkgoes

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