How to Plant a Catalpa Tree Seed
The Catalpa is a fast-growing deciduous tree with showy sprays of flowers and long thin fruit. The shiny brown pods release winged seeds to be spread by the wind. Propagation is accomplished by many methods, but commonly the tree is grown from seed. The key to successful Catalpa seed growing is moisture. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Catalpa seeds
- Bowl
- Pin
- Planting container 3- to 6-inch diameter
- Seed starting mix (potting soil)
- Trowel
- Shovel
- String
- 2 wooden stakes
- Optional
- Hardware cloth
Instructions
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1
Poke a hole in the seed coat with a pin to speed absorption before placing the seed in a bowl of warm water. Repeat the process if, after two days, there is no sign of swelling or growth.
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2
Plant the swollen seed in the planting container or pot filled with seed starting mix at a depth no greater than ½ inch.
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3
Firm the soil around the seed, watering well. The seedling will be visible in less than one week.
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4
Loosen the soil in a 6-foot diameter around the final planting site, excavating a hole at the center to a depth of 12 inches.
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5
Back fill and gently firm the soil as needed to seat the seedling at its accustomed depth. Avoid planting too low, or in a low spot in the yard.
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6
Water the seedling thoroughly.
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7
Erect the stakes on either side of the tree, lacing the string around the seedling and between the stakes to support it.
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Tips & Warnings
Rabbits often kill young Catalpas. Chewing the tender bark, they inadvertently girdle the tree. Encircle the tree with a hardware cloth fence for protection. Remove the barrier once the tree is well established.
Use the bucket with holes in the bottom as a temporary growing container if it is likely that the young tree will soon be transplanted. Transplanting from this temporary container will be easier for gardener and seedling alike.
Remove fallen seeds from under the tree, and uproot "volunteer" seedlings before the Catalpa overruns the garden.
The larva of catalpa sphinx moth, known as the catalpa worm, is popular bait used for catching catfish. These caterpillars can even be frozen and used at a later time.
Watch for infestation by the larva of catalpa sphinx moth. These hungry creatures will devour many leaves. Repeated infestations can be damaging to the health of the tree, or even fatal.
References
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Comments
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I have a medium size catapa tree in my yard and I need to know exactly, how to take cuttings from it and transplant them down by our fish pond and start growing a few by it, so that when they fall from the leaves they will fall into the pond, but I need to know hot take cuttings from our exsiting tree and transplant them to a different location, but I need help on how and when to go about getting the cuttings from our exsisting tree..... thank you, Brian McCaleb.
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want to plant this tree from seed.
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my favorite tree!
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planted all over my yard grow to 35-45 feet in six years, great trees.
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very interesting
