Vanwykshout |
Humble Beginnings |
I could not have started my journey with this tree any harder than by growing it from seed. Planted from a kit on 28 December 2002. Even though I followed the instructions about soaking the seed overnight before planting, my first attempt did not germinate. |
But that did not stop me. So I planted another on 10 January 2003.
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This time I did not follow the instructions. I just made a hole, dropped in the seed, watered and hoped for the best. For the first 11 days I thought that the seed was not going to grow. The morning of 22 January, there was still no sign. |
The seed has been sown |
The First Sign of Growth |
But then later that afternoon, there was a sign of life. A small shoot not longer than 10mm was peering through the soil. Just 2 leaves and a short stem. That was all it took to get me hooked. |
This is the most recent picture of the seedling. Unfortunately it was attacked by a beetle overnight that left some damage. This shocked the poor thing and it started to look a little worse for wear. After cutting back some of the leaves and moving it to a protected area, the seedling seems to be looking up a bit. |
A little taller |
Unfortunately, I killed this tree. Next time I will take a little more care. I am going to wait until next year before I try this tree again! |