Betula UTILIS 'ALBOSINENSIS'

Sowing and germination

Chinese white birch seeds are very small, flat, light brown, with thin wings, ripen in disintegrating catkins. Sowing is carried out in the fall with fresh seeds or in the spring after cold, wet preparation. For spring sowing, scarification is not required, and small winged seeds are sown superficially in a sterile, moist substrate. To increase germination efficiency, cold stratification can be carried out for about 60 days at 2-5°C. The crops are carefully moistened from a spray bottle with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or biofungicide. After stratification, the container is transferred to bright diffused light and a temperature of about 18-22°C. The seeds remain on the surface or are only slightly pressed against the moist soil because they need light to germinate. The container is covered with a transparent lid or placed in a greenhouse; the surface is kept evenly moist, but not wet, with daily ventilation.