Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Birch seeds will germinate under a water-light treatment without pre-chilling

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The seed of yellow and paper birches, like that of many other species, often exhibits delayed germination, which apparently is due to embryo dormancy. Stratification is usually recommended for overcoming this dormancy before the seed is sown or before it is tested for germination. This involves a chilling treatment for 1 to 2 1/2 months, which is best done under controlled temperatures with the seeds layered in a moistened porous material such as sand or sphagnum moss. For testing germination, seeds are transferred after stratification treatment to flats or germinators held at about room temperature. Since the seeds must be kept moist, this requires either a special setup to provide the moisture, or frequent manual watering. The method is time-consuming, and the requisite facilities are not always available.

Citation

Yelenosky, George. 1961. Birch seeds will germinate under a water-light treatment without pre-chilling. Forest Research Note NE-124. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 1-5
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/13074