Honey Locust Propagation

The honey locust, or Gleditsia triacanthos, is a deciduous tree native to North America. Honey locusts can reach a height of twenty to thirty meters, and are relatively short-lived. Their life spans are usually only around 120 years, though some can live longer than that. The leaflets are only a few centimeters long and bright green. They turn yellow in the fall. Strongly scented cream-colored flowers appear in late spring.

A honey locust's leaves turn yellow in autum

A honey locust’s leaves turn yellow in autum

Honey locusts produce pods that mature in early autumn. The pods are generally between 15–20 cm. The pods contain edible seeds that many herbivores eat. The animals’ digestive systems help in breaking down the hard seed coat. The seeds cannot germinate until this seed coat is somehow broken. Honey locust seed pods ripen in late spring and germinate rapidly when temperatures are warm enough.

Many honey locusts are popular ornamental plants. It can tolerate many conditions, and it transports easily. It is resistant to gypsy moths, but is attacked by the mimosa webworm, spider mites, cankers, and galls. Some varieties of the honey locust have thorns, but many ornamentals are cultivated to be thorn-free.

 

Propagation

Gleditsia triacanthos can be propagated in different ways. Some people take cuttings and use rooting hormone to produce roots and a new tree. Propagation of high quality clonal stock can be achieved by grafting, budding, and cuttings from hardwood, softwood, and roots. Sometimes other species or varieties are grafted onto the rootstock of honey locust.  Today, we will be discussing propagation by seeds. The seeds of honey locust are readily available. When prepared properly, the seeds of the Gleditsia triacanthos can easily be used to propagate with.

 

Tools

Honey locust pod

Boiling water

Soil

Pot

 

Collect your seed pod

Before you plant, you need to collect a seed pod off of a honey locust tree. Gleditsia triacanthos grow all over North America, so one should not be too difficult to find. Be sure that the seed pod is dried. If you need to store the seeds for a period of time, store them in a cool, dry place.

 

A honey locust's seed pods

A honey locust’s seed pods

Prepare the seed

Honey locust seeds have a very hard seed coat on them. The seeds will not grow until this coat is broken down. There are multiple ways you can go about breaking down the seed coat. Some people sand the seed coat down with a file. You do not need to file the entire seed, just enough to make a small hole in it for nutrients and water to get through. Many nurseries soak the seeds in acid or other corrosive products. What I will be discussing today is boiling the seed. When propagating on a small scale, boiling the honey locust seeds works just fine.

Boil a pot of water with four times the volume as the seeds. Once boiling, take the water off the stove and let the temperature drop to 190 degrees Farenheit. You can use a candy thermometer to check the temperature. Place the seeds in the water and let the water cool to room temperature.  Keep the seeds in the water until they swell to three times their normal size. They are then ready to plant immediately.

 

Plant the seeds

Fill a pot with high-quality potting mix. Honey locusts like moist soil, so be sure that the soil is watered well. Plant the seeds, giving them enough room grow (about three inches apart). Plant them at a depth of about one half inch, and cover them in soil. Place plastic wrap over the pot, and punch a few small hole in the plastic for ventilation. This creates a mini greenhouse for your plantings. Keep your newly planted seeds in a place that receives bright sunlight, and keep the soil moist. Remove the plastic when you see sprouts emerging. If both seeds germinate, remove the seedling that is smaller.

 

Transplanting

Before you fully plant the tree outdoors, you need to harden it off. This process takes about one week. Move the young tree to a protected area outside, and leave it there, in its pot, for at least a week once the night temperatures are above fifty degrees. Transplant the tree to a larger container and continue to keep it outside in a sunny area. Let the tree grow three feet tall before you plant it in a permanent outdoor location.

A honey locust and its leaves

A honey locust and its leaves

Once you are ready to permanently plant it, pick out a sunny spot with well drained soil. Dig a hole that is as deep as the pot it is in and two times wider. Remove the tree from the pot and place it in the hole. Fill in the hole with the dirt you removed to dig it. Water the tree every day until it is well established. For the first year, water the tree once a week when it is particularly dry out.

 

 

 

References

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-honey-locust-branch-24861.html – accessed 4/20/14

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/propagate-honey-locust-trees-22748.html – accessed 4/20/14

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/et pmcfs8420.pdf – accessed 4/20/14

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/gleditsia/triacanthos.htm – accessed 4/20/14

One response to “Honey Locust Propagation

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