Sycamore

[dun]

Some may recall the Sycamore that was hit by lightening last summer.

Well I guess a combination of lightening and the winters ice storms were just too much for it. The trunk that didn;t get hit is doing fine, the other is a little worse for wear

 

[flaboy?]

I have several of these things but for the life of me I can't get the seeds to start. I have dried them, froze them, and soaked them and narry a sprout.

How do I start them from seed Dun?

 

[Lammie]

I think you have to have one in the yard and then you get them all over. Our's is about 60 feet high. Someone told us that builders call them "trash trees" because they grow quickly then die after about 30 years. Our's was planted around '78, but it is still going on strong. It shades the whole yard and really makes it look like a park. We have the prettiest front lawn around here and it is largely because of that tree. I don't know what we will do it it dies.

Builders also don't like Mimosa trees for the same reason, but some of my best childhood memories were made sitting in my grandma's huge mimosa tree at her house. We practically lived in that old tree. We cried the day my uncle knocked it over to build a garage. A tree is a tree, I say. If it makes shade, it is pretty and it isn't growing roots into your pipes, then it's all good. Everyone here likes pecan trees, but they make such sticky sap in the summer, they have never been worth a few nuts.

 

[dun]

How do I start them from seed Dun?

Kind of funny. We've never had a sprout under either of the sycamores until this year. The ground around them is littered with seedlings. I've noticed the same under all of the oaks and hickorys too. I think it may be Ma Natures way of recovering from the ice storms that did so much damage.

 

[flaboy?]

I have 5 in my yard I planted back in 85. Never had one come up under any of them. I wanted to get some started to plant for shade trees in a couple pastures.

I had to scale the one in front of the house, put a rope 2/3's of the way up and tie it off to a pine tree to keep it up during the hurricanes. These things are like parachutes in the wind. I tie it up every year the first hurricane comes around. If it hit the house it would be nasty.

 

[Rustler9]

flaboy?
Go down to the creek is you have one close by and pull up a few sprouts and take em home and plant them. They'll live if you keep them watered good. When I was nine years old I went to the creek close to our house and brought back two Sycamore sprouts and gave my mother for her Mother's Day present. She has a big yard and loves trees. I don't have a clue how tall those Sycamores are now but they are huge, of course that's been 35 years ago.

 

[flaboy?]

Yeah, I am told they are really indigenous to Florida but they seem to do well. My uncle was clearing some old nursery and found a bucket full of sprouts and gave me the ones I have.

I was just wonder how you get these things started from seeds. I have tried everything. It sort of became a challenge. Normally just throw the seeds in potting soil (cow manure/dirt) and watch it grow.