Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
jamboy_md

Help growing Yellow Buckeye from buckeyes

jamboy_md
16 years ago

I live in Central Maryland and have a ~120' Yellow Buckeye on my property. My neighbor has one of similar size. These are not native or at least common in Maryland. I am worried about the life expectancy of my tree given it is ~6' in diameter at 8' and it has had a limb broken off by lightning.

The good thing is it still is producing beautiful flowers in the spring and hundreds (a couple of 5 gallon buckets full) of seeds that have fallen in the last two weeks. I have kept the seed moist and cool so they don't dry out but was looking for advice as to the best way to cultivate at least a few from the seeds. I know I will need to nurse at least twice as many seeds as I hope to have germinate because the success rate is usually 50%. If anyone has experience with cultivating buckeyes or horsechestnuts, I would really appreciate the help.

This is probably one of the prettiest and most majestic trees I have seen. Like I said I have untold amounts of the buckeyes that have fallen, so anyone especially a nursery, is welcome to have as many as they want.

Thanks for the help.

Comments (9)

  • alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama
    16 years ago

    This will be an interesting thread for me. I also will be starting yellow buckeye from seed next spring. I have some seeds from Maryland and Ohio that friends sent me. I saw some huge ones when I was on vacation in Tennessee and loved the way they look. I don't know if they will survive in south Alabama, but I'm going to give them a shot.

  • treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
    16 years ago

    I grew a few from seed two springs ago. I stuck the seeds in the crisper drawer of my fridge until the end of December. January first I put them in a container with moist sphagnum moss and tossed them back into the crisper drawer. Check once a week for germination, as mine germinated during cold stratification. Plant any that start to germinate. At the end of February/early March, plant any remaining seeds that have not germinated. Out of about a dozen, I only had 1 or 2 that did not germinate for me.

    Your alternative is to plant them in a pot, sink the pot into the ground, cover the top with mulch, and stick something overtop it to keep it squirrel/rodent proof. Mother nature will take care of the rest.

    Could you post a pic of the tree? It sounds very beautiful.

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    Buckeyes are easy to grow from seed - I have grown red buckeye, painted buckeye, bottlebrush buckeye ... very easy. I get one gallon pots, fill them about 2/3 with dirt and put the buckeye in there, just lightly covered with dirt. Throw in a little mulch on top or shredded leaves. Take a piece of hardware cloth (or chicken wire, they are similar) and push it into the top so it is snug - this is to keep out the squirrels. Leave the pot outside all winter where it will get rain. You'll see sprouts in the spring (and the roots will be growing in the winter). My success rate is usually 90% or better.

    In Georgia I don't have to sink the pots into the ground, not sure if that would be true for Maryland.

  • Dibbit
    16 years ago

    As Esh Ga and Treeguy suggest, do NOT store the seeds inside, except in the crisper drawer of your fridge, supposing you have room in there. It's probably safer to store them already planted, as suggested, or else in damp sawdust/sand in boxes in an unheated outbuilding. Once the seeds/nut dry out, they are dead.

  • alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama
    16 years ago

    Mine are in the fridge, in ziplock bags of moist potting soil. Will they be okay like that until after New Years day? Also, what is the furthest south anybody has seen A.flava growing?

    I did germinate Bottlebrush buckeye seeds last year, and some rotted even after germinating. I still don't know what caused that.

  • calliope
    16 years ago

    You might be interested to know that not all buckeyes need cold stratification. Red buckeye will start sprouting almost immediately. All buckeyes should be planted as quickly as possible. The longer you hold the nut dry, the less viable it becomes.

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    You might find this interesting. It contains a lot of information about germination for different members of the Aesculus family.

    I found it when I was looking up information on Aesculus germination being hypogeal (the definition from Wikipedia: In botany, a seed is described as hypogeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain non-photosynthetic, inside the seed shell, and below ground. The converse, where the cotyledons expand, throw off the seed shell and become photosynthetic above the ground, is epigeal.)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Aesculus

  • gottagarden
    16 years ago

    Wouldn't it best to just plant the buckeyes directly in the ground? Why use a pot if you know where you want it?

  • Iris GW
    16 years ago

    Well for one thing, when I plant them in a pot, I put screen over top so that the squirrels don't get them.

Sponsored
Land & Water Design
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars30 Reviews
VA's Modern & Intentional Outdoor Living Spaces | 16x Best of Houzz