It is not easy to grow beeches from beechnuts. Above all, you need a lot of patience until you see the first successes. But later you can be all the more proud of the beech tree in the garden that you grew yourself from seeds.

The individual steps for sowing beechnuts

  • collect beechnuts
  • Detach from the shell
  • Sow in autumn
  • Protect from mice and squirrels

Find viable seeds

It is best to pick ripe but still closed fruit directly from the tree. Test on other beechnuts to see if the seeds are white, i.e. really ripe.

Even if you only want to grow one red beech, collect at least 30 beechnuts, because not all of them will germinate later. Select only the thickest specimens.

Place the beechnuts in a bowl of water. Only the fruits that sink to the bottom are suitable for propagation. The others contain no seeds.

Beechnuts have a germination inhibition

Beechnuts have to be stored in a dark and cool place for some time. They only sprout after several weeks.

The germination inhibition is nature's protection so that the seeds only open when it is warm enough outside again.

If you do not want to sow immediately, it is best to store the beechnuts outside in the ground and cover them with a thick layer of beech leaves. Protect the seeds from mice and squirrels.

Prepare breeding site

Beechnuts germinate best in the same soil as the mother plant.

You can create similar conditions in the garden by mixing garden soil with chopped beech leaves, spruce needles and some sand.

To protect against animals that like to eat the slightly poisonous beechnuts, put a wire mesh around the seed.

Sow beechnuts

Insert the released seeds, point-down, several inches deep into the prepared soil. Cover the seeds with loose leaf soil.

In the spring, some corners should have germinated. Continue nurturing only the strongest seedlings until they are large enough to be transplanted to their permanent location.

tips and tricks

Growing a new beech is easier and quicker if you dig up freshly sprouted small beech seedlings in the spring and plant them in your own garden.

Category:

Vegetable garden