Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir) seeds

Pre-sowing Treatment: Soak the seeds in water that starts off hand hot for 24 hours.

Sowing Instructions: Sow at any time of the year. Mix equal parts of peaty seed compost, eg. Levington with vermiculite, perlite or horticultural grit and sow seeds very thinly on the surface, then just cover them with a layer of vermiculite, perlite or grit. Seal inside a polythene bag and place in the fridge for 6 weeks. Move to a propagator or other warm place and maintain an optimum temperature of 18-21C. Germination should take place in 3-6 weeks. Note: Germination can be very erratic, so sow thinly and prick out the seedlings as they become large enough to handle disturbing the rest of the compost as little as possible.

[If sowing a large quantity, mix seeds with the compost/vermiculite and place in a resealable bag in the fridge. Open the bag and give the seeds a good shake to aerate them each week. Then sow thinly into trays or, in spring/summer, directly outdoors in a nursery bed]

An alternative method is to sow in pots as above during late summer to early winter then place in a cold frame and let nature take its course as the seasons change with the seedlings emerging the next spring.

Growing Instructions: Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5cm pots and grow on in a cold frame or nursery bed for a year or two then plant in their final position in sun or semi-shade.