Germinating Albizia julibrissi, Pink Silk Tree Seeds (Part 2)

It is day three of germinating Albizia julibrissi seeds, and we have sprouts!

Of the ten seeds, seven of them have begun to sprout, including the one I had accidentally injured. 

Here is today's photo journal:

As shown in a couple of the photos, I had taken baggies C and S+C  (clipped and scarified + clipped) and held them in my hands to take a closer look at them. While I had washed my hands just a few minutes before, I also may or may not have been rushing a bit for work and munching on avocado toast opening the sprouts up to breadcrumb contamination, so those two bags were rinsed and the paper towel changed.

While there isn't a very large sample size, the five originally scarified seeds seem to be doing better or growing faster compared to the five that were not as a collective. The exception would be the big one paced in the center of the baggie, which was notably softer than the others part-way through the pre-germination soaking process.

It was recommended to transfer the seeds after they have developed roots 2cm long so that may be the next benchmark for part 3.

Germinating Albizia julibrissi, Pink Silk Tree Seeds (Part 1)

Over the past day I have been intermittently occupied with trying to germinate some Albizia julibrissi, pink silk trees. I've never tended to bonsai trees before but have always found them adorable and today's post is about my first steps in a second attempt at growing some from seed.

My first attempt was after receiving a kit from my good friend, Lauren, but unfortunately none of the seeds sprouted. This time I'll be using some of the equipment from that kit, but doing more supplementary research to educate myself on how to successfully raise some tiny trees.

Between the instructions on the packaging and what I read on the internet, there was a wide variety of methods for germination that can mainly be sorted into mechanical help and water-based methods, but either way there was a strong focus on getting the water to absorb into the seed despite the hard outer casing.

Over the past 26 hours or so, I have made my own process a messy mishmash of sources that using near boiling water, boiling water, nondescript "warm but not boiling water", and water at 32deg C, as well as making small cuts, scraping the outer shell, and slipping its end with a nail clipper. They include the ones to follow:

http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1968-28--propagation-of-albizia-julibrissin.pdf

https://dailyimprovisations.com/experiments-sprout-mimosa-tree-seeds-albizia-julibrissin/

https://www.gardenguides.com/79504-propagate-silk-tree-seeds.html

https://bonsaisupply.ca/products/silk-tree-albizia-julibrissin-bonsai-seeds#:~:text=Germination%20Instructions%20for%20Silk%20Tree%20Seeds%3A&text=Soak%20them%20in%20warm%20water,soil%20thoroughly%20before%20planting%20seeds.

https://twiningvinegarden.com/shop/trees-shrubs/foliage/albizia-julibrissin-seeds-silk-mimosa-tree/#:~:text=Place%20seed%20in%20resealable%20baggie,long%20into%20communal%20growing%20pot.

Here is a photo story of the (very messy, nonlinear, patchwork) journey up til now:

Submerged all 10 seeds in a glass of warm, but not boiling water. (Maybe about 40 degrees C)

 

The next morning

A few hours later... evil plastic bag time, around 4pm

Super psyched one of the scarified ones is starting to sprout!

My process is very patchwork with too many changing variables to have an actual control group, but it is a learning experience.

Next time I will be more conservative in my clipping of the outer casing, and make it more directed at the edge where the opening will be more helpful as opposed to just scarring it across anywhere that feels convenient to hold. I will also go straight to more mechanical means of getting through the hard outer casing.

For now the seeds are sitting in the warmest part of my home, and hopefully this saga will continue with some interesting progress to tell of.