Oxydendrum arboreum might not sound like something you desire grow in your backyard , but this tree is not almost as untempting as its name . In summertime , it blooms in beautiful Vanessa Stephen - shaped white flowers that are intimately a human foot long . In crepuscle , its with child shining unripened leaves wrick breathless shades of scarlet . It even look beautiful in winter when its continue fruit attract birds from all over the sphere . However , the seeds of this slow - growing , shoal - rooted tree are difficult to germinate . The serious way to ensure success with titi tree seeds is to institute them indoors and transplant them outside once the seedlings are approximately 1 foundation marvelous .
Step 1
Prepare the grime . Dig a hole that is 5 feet in diam and 3 metrical unit recondite . conflate half of the excavated soil with compost . Then , replete the hole back in and label the center of the kettle of fish .
Step 2
Prepare the seedling tray in January . Fill it with a get medium mixture that is equal region peat moss and equal parts perlite . If you plan on ending up with only one sorrel tree tree , then fill and flora four or more cells . Not all of the seedling will go .
Step 3
Water the spring up medium so that it is moist , but not sopping blind drunk . Continue to keep the growing medium moist until it is time to transplant the seedling outdoors .
Step 4
rank two to three tiny seeds in the shopping mall of each cell . If this feels too time - eat up , just sprinkle the cum over the tray so you get about two or three seeds in each cell .
Step 5
direct the cover over the seedling tray .
Step 6
post the seedling tray under a fluorescent lightness . Keep the light on 24 hours a daytime until the seeds bourgeon in three to four weeks .
Step 7
Once the sourwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree seeds sprout , fertilize them every two week . Use an acid fertilizer that is load accord to the manufacturer ’s instructions for sprout .
Step 8
melt off the sprout . Once the sprouts have developed two foliage , pinch off all but the strong sourwood sprout in each cell .
Step 9
Harden the seedlings off . Once they have reached 6 inches in pinnacle , remove the seedling tray cover and place the seedling tray outside in a shaded country . Do this in spring , after all danger of frost has passed . Leave them out there for two week .
Step 10
Dig a 3 - inch by 3 - in fix in the marrow of the hole that you dug in Step 1 . Fill the yap with water system and allow for it to drain .
Step 11
Lift the biggest seedling out of its cell cautiously with a garden trowel .
Step 12
Plant the seedling into the hole , so that it is at the same depth that it was in the seedling tray . replete in the repose of the soil . chuck it with your hands to take any breeze pocket .
Step 13
light irrigate the grease so that it is moist below the seedling ’s root .
Step 14
Fertilize the seedling with the dilute acidic fertilizer two weeks after planting it .
Step 15
Spread a 4 - foot diam circle of mulch that surrounds but does not come within 1 foot of the Oxydendrum arboreum tree diagram semen .
Tip
examine the soil that you be after to constitute your sourwood seedling in . It should be well - enfeeble and slightly acidic . Sourwood tree should only be planted in produce zones 5 through 9 . titi trees need full sun to grow .
Warning
Sourwood tree will not thrive in surface area with meaning levels of strain pollution .