Growing maples from seed?

[scgargoyle]

As many maples as there are around, this may seem like a dumb question, but how hard is it to raise Red Maples from seed? Where my property is in up state SC, fall foliage can be hit or miss. But there's a red maple near my buddy's house that is a consistent performer in the fall. Nice shaped tree, too. I'm wondering if I can get seeds from it, what are the chances they'll produce trees with the same characteristics? Once I clear a spot for a house, and thin some of my woods, I'd like to have a few specimen trees on the edge of the woods, and these maples would be stunning in the fall.

[James P.]

scgargoyle , I am not a forester but having in the last few years thinned a few acres of tightly grown small gums 4 to 6 inches thinking I was going to improve their growth and recently clearcutting it all have noticed alot of red maples and small loblolly pines. I have no pines on my propert but a large old loblolly in some old woods next to my propert has set out alot of seedlings. I am noticing them every where. Same with the red maples they are very small just a few inches but it seems that since I let sunlight into the woods thru the yearly thinning it has caused them to finally start to grow. I think if you plant the seed  on the edge of your woods they would grow fine . I never realized what a role the sun played in the growth of the seedling. I actually have to watch where I am walking cause there are baby pines literally all over, which is exciting . I am not as happy about the maples but you are wanting the foliage . I will let some grow but hope to grow mostly pines and oaks if it works out. Good luck

[SwampDonkey]

Not hard at all to germinate. They do ripen a lot sooner than hard maples, by mid summer. I think they need to over winter before germination, but silver maple mature about the same time and germinate the same season. Only 1 of the two seeds in the double samara will be viable, the other is a dud.

[scgargoyle]

By 'over-winter', do you mean just letting them age, or actual cold stratification? I've done that before- planting seeds in the back of the fridge for a few weeks! I assume when they fall off of the tree, they are ripe?

[Tom]

I have more trouble getting rid of red maple seedlings than trying to get them to grow here. It's a never ending job.  I can't get down on my knees very good anymore and I'm on my third set of tweezers already this week. Just six more acres to go. 

[SwampDonkey]

By 'over-winter', do you mean just letting them age, or actual cold stratification? I've done that before- planting seeds in the back of the fridge for a few weeks! I assume when they fall off of the tree, they are ripe?

Yes to cold stratification and yes to when they fall from the tree they are ripe.

[scgargoyle]

Thanks for the help, guys! I'll have my buddy harvest some seeds next summer. Hopefully, I can get them started in the winter months. With any luck, I'll be up there building my house by then!

[Raider]

I have some Silver Maple(soft), that my Mom's Grand father started as a boy. Not sure on the year but my Mother is 88 yrs old. We taped the tree 4' off of the ground it was 19'-8" around. Tad big for the wood-mizer    Raider