Growing osage

[Badger]

   This year I planted 100 osage seeds in small pots. I think I had about 80% germination with about 75% overall survival until the first trans potting. I purposely used a variety of gorwing methods to see what worked best. I planted the seeds in late fubuary and my tallest plants right now are about 4 ft tall with about 1/2" trunk my smallest are about 6" with about 1/8" trunks. Transplanting to 10 gallon pots right after they got a few leaves seemed to make the biggest difference, the ones I gradually moved up in pot size are about 1/3 the size of the ones I put immediately in large pots. Just a standard tree fertilizer, well drained soil about 50% dirt and 50% compost gave me the best results. Now I have to find a place to plant them, I think I will bonsai the majority. I think I am down to about 30 plants now, many I culled just because I didn't like the way they were growing or they attracted bugs.

[druid]

Me too  this spring planted about 40 osages. They are very rare in my area and I am very interested how it will grow. Thay are very tough, maybe 2-3 are lost during replanting. It is good to have your own bow staves, where you want.

[JonW]

Having so much where I live I tend to take it for granted. This is a cool thing you are doing.

Jon W.

[Justin Snyder]

Good to hear Steve. How did you germinate them? I haven't had very good luck with germination?

[Eric Garza]

I've also been thinking about this a lot. I live in Northern Vermont, beyond the extent of osage's range. But climate's been changing fast here, winters are growing milder and summers longer. I don't know if osage would fruit here, but I'd like to see if it could grow. I've had great luck harvesting trees near the northern extent of their range as they yield fabulous ring structure, so if I could start growing osage that would be sweet.

[andy thomas]

how are you guys collecting your seeds?

[JonW]

the easiest way is to take the dried fruit and break it up real grood by crushing between your hands with a back and forth motion. Do this over a bucket of water and the seeds will fall to the bottom leaving the "chaff" on top of the water.

[mullet]

 Justin;
I used those germination kits they sell at Ace Hardware and I had about 90% germination. On the down side I planted two Osage trees from pots that were 18" tall 5 years ago and they are about 2' tall now. The trunk is a lot thicker. And this is pouring a lot of fertilizer to them also.

[Justin Snyder]

Thanks Eddie, I think I just didn't freeze mine long enough to get good germination.

[Badger]

   Justin, I did the germination in wet newspaper, I think it germinated in less than 2 weeks. As soon as the seeds developed a tail I moved them to small pots. I didn't freeze mine at all, they may have gone through a natural freeze but I will never know.