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How to start Osage Orange from seeds

Started by wesdor, November 13, 2020, 07:20:01 PM

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wesdor

OK, you will all think I am crazy (and that is probably true).  However, I was cleaning up in the timber today and found a nice Osage tree - tall and straight.  Lots of hedge apples beneath it and I picked up half a dozen.

What must I do to start some hedge trees from these hedge apples?  I have a small indoor green house and will try to grow the seedlings there when the time is right and transplant them when they look healthy.

Any guidance is appreciated.

doc henderson

well this is interesting.  I know they must start from seeds, but around here they were all planted before I was born.  I would cut a hedge apple open and have a look.  I have never done it but now I want to.  I have a friend with a nursery and I will ask him.  He also managed all the parks for years.  I also know the forester affiliated with K State.  I will see what they know.  if you dissect one, some pictures would be nice.  @WDH 
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

LeeB

CAn't remember exactly what I read about it many years ago, but do remember you are supposed to mash the apple an let it rot/slash ferment in a bucket or such for a while before planting the paste containing seeds.

Ok, just googled this up. I was kinda close. 

Seeds and Plant Production Osage orange is easy to propagate from seed. Fruits can be collected in the fall. However, cleaning and extracting seed from the fruits are easiest if the fruit is stored in a moist place and allowed to decay for several months. Seeds can then be extracted in water by macerating the fruit and then floating off the pulp or screening it off. The average Osage orange fruit contains from 200 to 300 seeds per fruit. Osage orange can also be propagated by softwood cuttings in June or by hardwood cuttings harvested in January. Softwood cuttings should be treated with indole butyric acid (IBA) at 5,000 to 10,000 parts per million (PPM) and placed in sand beds under mist conditions (Dirr and Heuser, 1987). Hardwood cuttings from previous seasons growth should be placed in a cool greenhouse and provided bottom heat (68 °F) and 5,000 to 10,000 ppm IBA quick dip to encourage rooting of the cuttings. Covering of hardwoods with an opaque poly sheet will delay shoot development. Rooting is possible in six weeks with this method. Root cuttings taken in fall or early winter are also a possible source of vegetatively produced materials. Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and 
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

doc henderson

How to Grow Osage Orange Trees - YouTube

a lot of you tube stuff on the subject.  as well Tom H the nursery guy states that K State developed a thorn-less variety.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

John C. Pair Center @ K State off campus facility.  search thornless Osage orange.  Maclura Pomifera 'inermis'
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

wesdor

Thanks all,
Lots of good information.  I also fell into the "black hole of youtube".  Should have looked there first, but maybe getting a conversation started here was also a good thing.

Walnut Beast


kantuckid

What is the demand for a thornless Osage Orange tree? 
I can see that any native species like Osage has it's place in the environment, my wild guess is they are planted on conservation lands as animal food?
On that subject, just this week I've seen a local KY article where an environmental group was working to eradicated (Asian) Bush Honey Suckle around LEX, KY.
My neighbor who's been helping me log asked if he could have a couple of Burning Bushes? They show up now that frost has burned off other vegetation. I was helping him and said, "well I'm down to my last thousand Burning Bushes now".
 He is a big time gardener and former farmer yet didn't know they were an invasive plant.
Osage seedlings come up all around the mature trees in hedgerows.  
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

doc henderson

I think the idea was to have a thorn-less choice for landscape ect.  I do not think it was for an agricultural reason.  I think there is a thorn-less locust as well.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

jb616

lol, I am guessing that 1x would be enough for me...4 or 5 bites?  looney.

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

doc henderson

I do not see a ring on that finger for you single guys.  she has gumption I will give her that.  not sure what you will be gettin for supper!   :D :D digin_2:D   food3 sketti_1 food6 cone_1 smiley_beertoast smiley_love
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

SwampDonkey

"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

kantuckid

Racoons & possums eat them, poop the seeds and volia! ya got lots of osage seedlings :D 
 They were not all born before you Doc, just the hedge row original trees. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

doc henderson

@firefighter ontheside have you had sprouts.  @Cardiodoc has some walnut, oak and maple coming up
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

firefighter ontheside

I looked a couple days ago and there was nothing coming up in the planter where I put some of them.  I need to go look out by my pond where I planted more of them.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

doc henderson

when you forget about them in a year or so, they will pop up.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

farmfromkansas

Easiest way to start osage orange seeds is to feed them to cows.  Cows love hedge apples.  They poop them out and the hedge trees come up everywhere.  We have to spray pastures every year for new hedge trees.  If we did not spray hedge trees, the plains of Kansas would be a scrub forest.
Most everything I enjoy doing turns out to be work

Ianab

Quote from: farmfromkansas on June 02, 2021, 11:12:11 PMEasiest way to start osage orange seeds is to feed them to cows.


There is some science to back this up, It's thought that in pre-human days the seeds were spread by Mammoths or Giant Sloths eating the fruit then pooping out the "conditioned" seeds later. There is a much better germination rate from seeds that have been "digested". 
I imagine that a cows digestive tract is fairly similar to a giant sloths ???
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

firefighter ontheside

Unfortunately we will not be able to do any experiments comparing cows to giant sloths.  Maybe we could use a little sloth and a little cow.
Woodmizer LT15
Kubota Grand L4200
Stihl 025, MS261 and MS362
2017 F350 Diesel 4WD
Kawasaki Mule 4010
1998 Dodge 3500 Flatbed

Walnut Beast

Some of the hedge apples vary in size. When they get this big they are very heavy and when you sit in the deer stand in the hedge row you pay attention to these suckers above you. Luckily the one that was above me was not there this morning 😂

 

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