Growing Trees from Seed

Trees do so much for us: capture carbon from the atmosphere, reduce urban temperatures, absorb rain water, prevent erosion, create habitat for wildlife, and provide aesthetic beauty. Planting them is also a way to help mitigate climate change. That’s why the Civic Garden Center focuses on growing native trees from seed to plant in our ongoing habitat restoration projects.

Why Native?

Removing invasive species is only half the restoration battle. We also need to replant native vegetation to prevent the invasive plants from returning. With the help of students and volunteers, the CGC grows our own trees and shrubs from locally collected seeds, ensuring our trees come from good genetics that are adapted to our local climate conditions. When the trees are ready, we give them homes in the spaces we’ve cleared of invasive plants.

The Process

To date, we’ve grown and planted nearly 2,000 trees with the help of volunteers and students! Here’s how we do it.

Every year, volunteers collect seeds from the largest and oldest trees we can find in local Cincinnati parks. Collected seeds are checked for viability, cleaned, and then stored in moist conditions at 35 to 40 degrees for two to four months, depending on the species. This storage period, which mimics the winterlike conditions during which the seed prepares to germinate, is known as stratification.

Beginning in February, we move the seeds from our refrigerator to the greenhouse at Walnut Hills High School, where students sow the seeds into flats of soil. Viable seeds will germinate within a couple of weeks. Those that make it through the first few weeks will be moved into larger pots and grown in controlled conditions for two years before we plant them in a restoration site.

Get Involved

We don’t currently have any ways for the public to get involved with our tree propagation efforts. We’re working on them, though! The best way to stay up to date with developments is to sign up for our monthly newsletter.