Double your chances when planting maple seed

Q: I have seed pods on my laceleaf Japanese maple. How do I harvest and grow them?

RICK WOOD, by e-mail

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WALTER REEVES/Special

Japanese maple trees can be raised from seed but the seeds germinate erratically.

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A: Unlike, say, bean seed, Japanese maple seed germinate sporadically over a two-year period. Also unlike vegetable seed, maple seed require three months in a cool, damp environment before the rootlets emerge. To achieve some measure of success, try two methods.

• Plant the seed in a sunny spot in holes a half-inch deep immediately after gathering. Cover the area with one-inch mesh chicken wire to deter squirrels and voles.
• Place 25 seed in a resealable plastic bag. If they seem quite dry, add a few drops of water. Put the bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator and mark your calendar to check on them in 90 days. When roots have begun to emerge, plant those seed outdoors in April, again covering the area with chicken wire.

Q: A couple of weeks ago you recommended tree-form crape myrtles for low maintenance. Everyone I know complains long and loud about the annual pruning of crape myrtles. Do you advocate not pruning them?

SALLY BRINK, by e-mail

A: You are correct. I recommend no pruning on tree-form crape myrtles other than occasional removal of the small trunk sprouts. Folks who complain about annual pruning are those who chose the wrong type or size of crape myrtle in the first place.

Q: Some of my asparagus plants have red berries on them. What do I have? Can the berries be used like seed?

SPENCE WOOD, Cumming

A: The red berries contain asparagus seed. You can collect them as they turn red each fall and dry them completely on a paper towel indoors. When dry, rub between your palms to separate the seed from the skin. Save in a dry, cool spot until spring when the soil is very warm, usually late April. Plant the seed an inch deep and four inches apart in a sunny spot. Seedlings will appear by June. Let them grow until October, when they can be transplanted into a permanent bed. Don’t expect to harvest for a couple of years; allow the new plants to become large before cutting any spears.

Q: We have several large magnolias and fir trees in our back yard. What are the feeding requirements for them?

NORMAN COLLINS, Roswell

A: If the trees are large and established, they need little feeding, particularly if they are growing near a fertilized lawn. If you see that the leaves on a tree are slightly more yellow than similar trees nearby, fertilizing may help correct it. I’d prefer you base your feeding on a soil test (www.georgiasoiltest.com). But if you feel that you need to do something right away, scatter two cups of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of area covered by the tree branches. The best time to feed trees is in fall, after the leaves have dropped, and in early spring.