I got my 50 Flying Dragon seeds today from FL DPI. Now all I need to do is get about half of them to sprout -- then maybe in a year or so I can go on another grafting binge! I am going to try the baggie method with a moist paper towel instead of soil. Should I treat the seeds with a fungicide?

Joe, I want to make cocktail trees out of a lot of these, is there anything I should do while they are small that would help in that area? Like pinching the top to force branching.

-- Skeet

Hi Skeet, excuse my 2 cents worth here. FD grow more slowly than P Trifoliate. I got a bad grafted citrus from (?) and the grafted citrus died leaving the P Tri rootsock growing shoots. I love it! It now has about 7 branches to graft onto.
I'd pinch it when small (I'm sure Joe will tell you same), & you will get more branching-- more to graft onto.
Also, if you have a plant with tri-f rootstock that has shoots growing out of rootstock...let it grow, & graft onto that too.

Skeet, Here in coastal SC I just plant the seeds right away. I sometimes keep them in the greenhouse, but have had good luck just sitting the pot outside. If planted early, the seeds will start growing right away. This late in the year, they would likely sit until spring before sprouting.

Using the baggie method may get you to a little earlier start though. I like to give them a little dusting with Captan, but I am not sure how much good it does.

My first try at FD seeds was with old 2005 seeds from FL DPI (Nov 2 post)-- they told me if I did not get at least 50 % germination they would make up the difference with 2006 seeds. I didn't get any to germinate---so right before Christmas I asked for some 2006 seed to replace them. They sent me 25 fresh seeds right after Christmas-- 8 have already sprouted.

I guess I will have some rootstock to graft in a year or 2.

Skeet

I am surprised they sent you year old seeds in first place. Shame on them!

My FDs werent big enough for my clumsy self to try to graft on at a year old. Ive got a bit of a problem with them because they look so good and green I dont feel like I need to fertilize them-

At one year old, ive got 4 or so really good looking to-be rootstock, and started some more seeds recently- No use in putting up with puny rootstock if I can help it!