#tree seeds

[jefkphotography]

Tree branches, tree leaves and tree seeds.

[katiajewelbox]

Seeds are miraculous little things if you ponder them... They contain the potential for a whole plant in a biological "time capsule". As gardeners in Europe and the Northern Hemisphere start planning their seed orders, it's a perfect time to learn more about germination. Germination is the term for an organism growing into a whole adult plant from a seed or a spore, and it is used scientifically to talk about fungi and bacteria as well as plants. A typical plant seed contains a plant embryo, food reserves, and a seed coat. Depending on the species, mature seeds can be stored for years since the plant embryo is in a dehydrated state of suspended animation.

In nature, germinating at the wrong time in unfavourable conditions could spell disaster for the new plant. Seeds rely on the signals from water, temperature, oxygen, and light.

Soaking seeds is an excellent way to start germination. The seed coat is gently scarified with sandpaper or a nail file to break the watertight seal and allow water to enter the seed interior. The seeds often double in size as their tissues soak up the water in a process called imbibition. Water activates hydrolytic enzymes which start the seed's biological metabolism.

Tree seeds from temperate climates usually need cold stratification to germinate. The seed is kept in soil at low temperatures around 4 C (like a fridge) for several months before returning to room temperature. This temperature change tells the seed winter has passed and spring has arrived. Simply leaving potted seeds in a cold frame overwinter is ideal in Europe.

Seeds along need oxygen since seedlings do aerobic respiration until they're mature enough to start photosynthesising. Hard packed or waterlogged soil may contain insufficient oxygen and stop seeds from sprouting. Many tree seeds need exposure to light through a thin layer of soil to let them know that there's a "clearing" in the forest.Most kitchen garden seeds do well with soaking and exposure to warm temperatures since they are originally tropical plants.

This plate of seeds was collected in January in Hyde Park, London.

#seeds#germination#seedstarting#PlantBiology#plantscience#seedstorage#stratification#TreeSeeds#katia_plantscientist#gardening#gardeningtips#plants#plantfacts#stratification#seedsaving#seedstartingtime#semillos#nuts#fruits#plantlife

[teddy-bear-naps-and-random-snaps]

[a-path-by-the-moon]

[retrogamingblog2]

Korok Leaf Identification Poster made by AbiToads

[geopsych]

From last October. The pods were still hanging on the honey locust tree because the large Ice Age mammals that used to eat them and spread the seeds just never come around anymore. I read but haven’t tested it that the stuff inside the pods around the seeds is sweeter than honey (not recommended b/c I don’t know if it’s toxic). Somebody back in the Pleistocene had a sweet tooth and it seems to be mastodons. Remnants of these pods have been found in their manure. And the huge thorns and spines at a certain height on the trees? They were to discourage mastodons from pushing the whole tree over to get the pods just out of reach! Now you know.

[serpentface]

It's peak springtime and everything's in bloom and nothing bad is ever going to happen again. Lets day-drink senseless in the bushes.

[transgendz]

This is going to be short bc i already have a post up explaining this situation, but I started having seizures, which led to medical costs I couldn't handle bc I have an autoimmune disorder that's been going untreated for years. I got the appts covered bc of an extremely generous friend on here, and had some additional medication costs which I thankfully had enough for. I've been applying to at least 10 jobs a day and had tons of interviews. I'm going through interviews and assessments for several jobs (got more scheduled for tomorrow) Then my card got stolen, and now I am screwed as far as rent goes, even if one of these jobs comes through like today we will still fall short because rent is due on the 1st and we don't get a grace period. I am trying to get the money that was taken when my card was stolen back, but I have been told to wait to hear back after submitting all the details, and have yet to hear back.

Dm me for proof or more details. I will do art for anyone who helps with this and you can commission me at my art blog @theartistrans I just desperately need to get rent. My roommates and I have a huge food garden planted and are working towards self-sufficiency, which we have no hope of if we can't pay rent.

PP -- $C -- V -- kofi

$45/$650

[naycelium]

Hinoki, Caretaker of the Forest and it's Seedlings 🐇 🌰

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - January 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Homes built with clay, grass, plastic and glass: How a Caribbean island is shying away from concrete

“[… Clay] traps moisture which then evaporates and pulls heat from the surface as it goes. […] The roof is covered in old recycled advertising banners and piece of a water tank, the other half of which is used to house some of Rahaman-Noronha's fish [… and] multi-coloured glass bottles inset into walls provide an avenue for streams of light and colour.”

2. To Combat Phoenix’s Extreme Heat, a New Program Provides Sustainable Shade

“The neighborhood workshops allow residents to get a shade plan tailored to their community’s needs and identify the locations where officials can plant trees. Meanwhile, the workforce-development side of the program creates the jobs needed to keep the trees alive for generations[….]”

3. Conservation corridors provide hope for Latin America’s felines

“[… S]cience has shown that to maintain healthy populations there needs to be connection between individuals. [… A] protected area that is close to another has more species and more potential for their survival.”

4. Social program cuts tuberculosis cases among Brazil's poorest by more than half

“The decrease [“in TB cases and deaths”] was over 50% in extremely poor people and more than 60% among the Indigenous populations. […] "We know that the program improves access to food [… and healthcare…] and strengthens people's immune defenses as a result.””

5. Geothermal has vast potential to meet the world’s power needs

“New geothermal systems could technically provide as much as 600 terawatts of carbon-free power capacity by 2050[…. C]ountries could cost-effectively deploy over 800 GW of geothermal power capacity using technology that’s in development today[….]”

6. New D.C. Catholic archbishop is pro-LGBTQ+ and anti-Trump

“In 2018, he objected to the blaming of gay priests for the clergy sexual abuse crisis, “saying that such abuse was a matter of power, not sexual orientation[….]” “We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies [… and] seek to rob our medical care, especially from the poor.””

7. Chesapeake Bay Will Gain New Wildlife Refuge

“The Chesapeake Bay area will have a new wildlife refuge for the first time in a quarter century. […] “This new refuge offers an opportunity to halt and even reverse biodiversity loss in this important place, and in a way that fully integrates and respects the leadership and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.””

8. Inside Svalbard seed vault’s critical mission to stop our favourite fruit and veg from going extinct

“[… T]he world’s largest secure seed storage […] sits proudly in a massive former coal mine[….] Right now, there are over 1,331,458 samples of 6,297 crop species. […] “During 2024, 61 seed genebanks deposited 64,331 seed samples, including 21 from institutes that deposited seeds for the first time this year[….]””

9. Medical debt will be erased from credit reports for all Americans under new federal rule

“The rule will affect more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points. [… S]tates and localities have already utilized American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans[….]”

10. 'Forgotten' water harvesting system transforms 'barren wasteland' into thriving farmland

“"The process started with the community-based participatory planning[….]” 10% to 15% of the water will actually soak into the ground to replenish the water table, creating a more sustainable agricultural process.”

December 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[botanyshitposts]

flowers blooming in such heft and numbers they bend the plant over and plants bearing fruit so hard they shower everything under it in fruits or make the very branches bend…. creatures are just experiencing vast bounty and good fortune out there fr fr

[katiajewelbox]

Today as I was walking to work, I passed by a Catalpa tree that grows wedged in between buildings and overspreads a parking lot. I wanted to get a seed pod so I could try germinating some seeds and grow my own Catalpa, but sadly all the seed pods on the ground were broken and muddy. All the pristine seed pods were high out of reach in the lofty boughs of the Catalpa. In disappointment, I muttered, "I wish I could get an intact seed pod". Suddenly, I heard a loud "crack" and a perfect clean seed pod fell from the tree and landed at my feet. I was so astonished that I said "thank you so much, Catalpa tree!" out loud. It makes one wonder if there's something to the old mythology of Dryads, Huldra, and Yakshini after all...

With its white orchid like flowers and parasol leaves, the Catalpa is a popular ornamental tree in the UK. This tree is commonly called the "Indian Bean Tree", which has misled many people to think it comes form India. In fact, the Catalpa is native to the Southern USA and the "Indian" in the name is the outdated term for Native Americans. Relatives of this tree are found in North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.

The Catalpa has a curious relationship with a caterpillar. Catalpa trees are relatively pest and disease free due to the high concentrations of iriod glycosides in the plant tissue. The Catalpa Sphinx Moth (Ceratomia catalpae) caterpillars exclusively feed on the Catalpa and sequester the toxins in their own bodies, making the caterpillars unappealing to their usual predators. Research shows that one species of Catalpa (C. speciosa) reacts to caterpillar damage by releasing nectar from glands that attracts ladybirds and ants, which prey on the caterpillars.

[teddy-bear-naps-and-random-snaps]

[marejadilla]

Ania Tomicka, “Astray”, from "Seed of Memory" exhibition, 2017, oil on canvas. B. 1985 in Łódz, Poland. From @beautifulbizarremagazine

“Seed of Memory is my representation of one of those really rare and precious moments in life that you know you will remember forever. It is just a second but it’s full of melancholy and beauty, even if sometimes it is not in a positive context.”

― Ania Tomicka

[margocooper]

Бабочка Полигония (Green Comma Polygonia faunus ) на спелых семенах чертополоха в лучах яркого осеннего солнца.Green Comma on ripe thistle seeds in the rays of the bright autumn sun.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Saturday 8 February 2025

A small spreading deciduous tree Acer griseum (paperbark maple) has cinnamon-coloured bark that peels each year and looks wonderful backlit by winter sunshine. This tree is fairly slow-growing and performs best in moist, well-drained soils.

Jill Raggett