Growing birch from seed

Tips please

I lost my 30ft silver birch last year to winds, and I've just found some seeds I saved from it. Woohoo!

I tried once before to sprout some from another lot I'd saved but didn't have any luck at all - I froze them for 6 weeks, as I'd read to do, then put them on seed compost outside this time last year but nothing happened.

So, what's the best way? I've got plenty to play with but I really want some success with this - that tree came up with me as a little sapling from my childhood home so there's some sentimentality going along with this!

 

I've never had much luck growing from seed in compost, but one thing that does happen is that the seeds that fall into my gravel driveway seem to do ok and i have had lots of trees this way, weather it's because of the lime stone and free draiage i don't know or weather it's because the seeds have been in the stone for a long time

 

I felled one about 25 foot high (the logs don't last well if saving for fuel), but not before there was loads of saplings downwind of it that I coppice every 2 years for pea sticks, but the relevant bit is I have heavy clay soil, and where the seeds sprouted was a particulary heavy, badly drained patch but they sprouted absolutely everywhere and had to be thinned out for my coppice patch or it would have been a jungle.

 

Found this.....http://treegrowing.tcv.org.uk/grow/tree-recipes/silverbirch

I don't think you're meant to freeze the seeds - just give them cold treatment in the fridge.

 

I'd be inclined to just sprinkle some over the surface of a pot of compost and cover with a shallow layer of fine grit.
The last thing you want is seed sprouting before next April, so put the pot outside with an old tile or similar on the top to allow airflow but stop excessive moisture.

 

Ok, thanks. The tree I lost sprouted in a planted double wall feature in my last house - that was growing well in ericaceous compost!