Ginko trees thrive in full sun and loamy, well-draining soil.
Ginkgo biloba is an ancient tree and the only remaining member of the family Ginkgoaceae. According to the USDA Forest Service, the species has been around for 150 million years. Native to China, this ancient tree is used in urban settings both for shade and for its exceptional ability to absorb pollutants and thrive in a toxic environment. In a garden setting, the ginkgo tree is enjoyed as a long-living shade tree. An individual ginkgo biloba tree can grow to 120 feet tall and live for 1,000 years.
Instructions
1. Collect seeds from the ground in the fall or early winter. Ginkgo trees begin producing seeds when they are 30 to 40 years old.
2. Cold stratify the seeds. Fill a seed starting tray half full with damp peat moss or clean sand. Put the ginkgo seeds on the medium at least 1 inch apart. Cover the seeds with the peat or sand stratification medium.
3. Place the tray in a cold room where the temperature is about 40 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit. A refrigerator works well. Leave the seeds to chill for 30 to 60 days.
4. Remove the tray from the cold room in the early spring after the stratification process is complete. Take the ginkgo seeds out of the stratification medium for planting.
5. Fill 2-inch pots or cell packs with 2-inch compartments with a seed starting mix. Place one ginkgo seed 2 inches deep in each pot. Cover with soil and add water until it seeps from the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots.
6. Place the pots in an area with filtered sunlight where the temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the pots when the top of the soil begins to feel dry to the touch.
7. Transplant the strongest ginkgo seedlings into 8- to 12-inch pots when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. Fill the pots two thirds full with potting soil. Remove the seedling from the starter pot and place it in the new pot. The base of the stem should be 1 inch below the lip of the pot.
8. Fill in under and around the seedling, leaving 1 inch between the top of the soil and the lip of the pot. Water until the pot is thoroughly damp and water drains from the holes in the bottom of the pot. Keep the seedlings in a greenhouse or on a covered porch for the first year. Water when the soil begins to feel dry to the touch.
9. Prepare the planting site outside in the spring following germination. Select an area that gets full sun and has loamy, well-draining soil. Dig a hole slightly larger than the pot the ginkgo seedling is in.
10. Slide the young ginkgo sapling out of the pot, and place it in the hole. Keep the base of the stem at the same depth in the soil as it was in the pot. Fill in under and around the root ball. Pat down firmly using the flat of your hand.
11. Water once a week or when the soil begins to feel dry to the touch for the first year. Once established, gingko trees are drought tolerant and will need water only in very dry weather.
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