Seed germination and seedling emergence

Abstract: In contrast to earlier reports, in this study Seabuckthorn seeds collected from ripe fruits proved to be non-dormant. Most of them germinated quickly at high temperatures (e.g. cyclically alternating tempera-tures of 20~30°C daily for 16 and 8 hours, respectively). At lower temperatures (3~20°C), seeds did not ger-minate or germinated slowly, but stratification at 3°C for 4–6 weeks increased their germination rate to 90–100 % within 2–3 weeks. Seedling emergence in the open nursery proved to be risky, even after 6–8 weeks of seed stratification, so spring sowing in the greenhouse (or plastic tunnel) is recommended. Additional key words: seed dormancy; stratification; propagation from seeds; Seabuckthor