VOA慢速英语2021--Growing Trees From Seeds

 

Maple¹ and oak² trees with branches full of seeds at the end of summer got American plant expert Lee Reich thinking about how trees grow.

He remembers how, a few years ago, he decided³ to drop an apple seed into some soil he had placed in a small container. Reich imagined his small seed would turn into a beautiful apple tree. But, it didn't work out. The seed germinated⁴ and started growing. But then, it stopped growing when it was just 10 centimeters tall.

How come?

Reich said most seeds that come from colder parts of the world need special treatment before they will grow. He found out that he was lucky his seed grew at all!

Reich now knows how to grow a tree from seeds. When those seeds fall from the branches of tall trees, they cannot start growing right away. Reich noted⁵ that the young trees would die during the cold winter if they start growing immediately.

So, most seeds know how to stay asleep during the winter until warmer weather comes. That is when they can grow well. But, if you do not want to wait all winter for your seeds to grow, Reich has some suggestions.

‘Fool the seed'

Reich said you can "fool the seed" into starting to grow.

The way to do this is by placing the seeds into plastic bags filled with potting soil that is a little wet. Then put the bags into a cool place like a garage or refrigerator. The process is known⁶ as "stratification."

It is important to keep the seeds cool, but not too cold, for a few months. The temperature needs to be above freezing but below 10 degrees Celsius⁷.

Reich said you might have a little more work to do before stratification, depending on what kind of seed you are growing.

Harder seeds first need to be softened⁹ to let water get in. Such hard seeds come from redbud, juniper and hornbeam trees.

To get water inside the seed, you need to nick them with a small, sharp object. The other way to soften⁸ a seed's hard shell¹⁰ is to put them in soil and leave them in a warm room for two or three months. Then you can begin stratification.

Once the seeds are stratified and conditions are right, they will start to grow roots. For sugar maple trees it might take three months. For apple seeds, it might take only two months.

But Reich shares a warning¹¹. Don't forget about your stratifying seeds! One week, he said, they could be asleep. The next week, they could have fat, white roots. Once your seeds start to grow roots, you can put them in a container, or pot. Or, if you are not ready, keep them somewhere cool until you are ready to plant them outdoors.

Reich noted that some people may wonder what the point is of all this trouble when you can just buy a small tree at a garden center.

"You're a gardener, you like to grow plants," he explained.

Reich also said how satisfying¹² it is to look up after many years at a tall tree that you once started from just a seed.

Words in This Story

branch –n. a part of a tree that grows out from the main body, or trunk

gardening¹³ –n. the act of taking care of the plants on an area of ground (v. garden)

germinate– v. to begin to grow (a seed)

pot– v. to plant something in a pot

garage– n. a building or part of a building where a car is kept

refrigerator – n. a device¹⁴ or room that is used to keep things (such as food and drinks) cold

stratification – n. the act of arranging¹⁵ something in layers

nick– v. to cut or damage a small part of the surface of something

1 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

2 oak   

n.栎树，橡树，栎木，橡木

参考例句：

• The chair is of solid oak.这把椅子是纯橡木的。
• The carpenter will floor this room with oak.木匠将用橡木铺设这个房间的地板。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 germinated   

v.（使）发芽( germinate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• First, the researchers germinated the seeds. 研究人员首先让种子发芽。 来自辞典例句
• In spring they are germinated and grown for a year in beds. 春季里，他们在苗床发芽并生长一年。 来自辞典例句

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

9 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

10 shell   

n.贝壳，壳，外形；v.去壳，脱落；n.[计算机] DOS命令:安装备用的COMMAND.COM文件，并改变环境尺寸

参考例句：

• Please shell some peanuts for the cake.请为做点心剥点胡花生。
• This kind of beetles have hard shell.这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。

11 warning   

n.警告，告诫，训诫，警戒，警报

参考例句：

• The other side paid no attention to our warning.对方不重视我方的警告。
• He realized that his doctor was warning him off drink.他意识到医生在告诫他戒酒。

12 satisfying   

adj.令人满意的，令人满足的v.使满意，满足( satisfy的现在分词)

参考例句：

• It's satisfying to play a game really well. 一种游戏玩得特别好是一桩惬意的事。
• The book is more satisfying if you read each chapter in sequence. 这本书依次读各章会更好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 gardening   

n.造园，造园术，园艺

参考例句：

• Dad is always in a good humour for gardening.爸爸干园艺活时，心情总是很好。
• She's outdoors gardening every afternoon.她每天下午都在户外搞园艺。

14 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

15 arranging   

v.安排，准备( arrange的现在分词 )；把…（系统地）分类；整理；改编（剧本等）

参考例句：

• He put a lot of effort into arranging the concert. 他为音乐会的筹备工作付出很大力气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings. 担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。 来自《简明英汉词典》