Pepper Tree: March 2022 outdoor planting

Recap: On New Years Eve I went out to a pepper tree, picked up a bunch of old seeds, and planted them, because I like the look of the Pepper Trees. It was successful enough that I’ve gone on something of a seed planting binge. Now 10 weeks later, they’ve outgrown the germination tray, and it’s time to go into a outdoor planter.

24th Feb: Free me!

As it happens, before going from enclosed tray to outdoors, you’re meant to spend about a fortnight ‘hardening’ the seeds: expose them to the outdoor environment for a few hours a day so they get used to temperature and the wind. Also, that’s probably what the controllable holes in the trays are for.

25th Feb: for 2 hours a day, we stand tall!

I want to say I noticed a difference, but looking back at the photos, I can’t see it.

4th March: Frater, dost thou lift?

Total haul: 20 baby pepper trees. Into a planter of seed potting mix with them.

12th March: the race is on. Each with a little baby off to the side.

And into the growing alley they go.

Free Sun! Free Air! Deep water.

The Lemon Myrtles spent time in these at about this density, and grew happily. Eventually they’ll need to come out and go in the ground somewhere… I’ll have to see what I find.

Oh, and before I sign off. The seeds were in various states when planted. Which ones germinated?

I thought of them as 1) pink and plump, 2) pale and dried, and 3) cracked.
The remainders were all that yellow type, which I guess is pale? Did the cracked ones germinate?

I think I had about 3 or 4 per seedling tub, and 56 tubs, so about a 10 to 15% germination rate.

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