Cornus mas from seed

[Bart]

Does anyone have experience in growing Cornus mas from seed? I have a good quantity of seed from someone's tree and would like to have one for my garden; hard wood cuttings are perhaps better and quicker?

[brianw]

You can try this
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/lppi/sp103.shtml

[Carolyn]

Bart,
I have grown cornus mas and C. officinalis from seed. I don't recall any particular problem with germination, which was probably 7 or 8 years ago. I had my first flowers on one of my 3 shrubs last winter. I think you might get flowers a lot sooner from cuttings! I can't remember how I treated the seeds - probably sowed in a pot and left outside to enjoy the cold and wet I expect.

[johnw]

Ken germinates C. mas well with moist-cold stratification in the fridge and then spring sowing.  Lately he simply sows in pots, puts them in the frame for the winter and they sprout in spring.

No such luck with C. officinalis, they never sprout given the same treatment.  Got a good batch of seed in autumn 2017 and and trying 2 cold in the fridge and 2 warm periods moist stratified.  So far the seeds still look good in the fridge for their second cold.  As best as I recall we were told by the donor:

1. needs a long warm autumn so when received Oct 2016 they stayed moist and warm till mid March 2017

2. went to the fridge mid March 2017 

3. went back to warm in mid May 2017

3. went to fridge in late August 2017 till perhaps March 2018 when warm again.

We'll see but this is the last try.

john

[Bart]

Thank you all, I’ve sown a pot and will see what happens with the natural method. Will post a picture of flowering shrub in 10 years, if successful 😀