Red Bud tree

Question

Last winter I was in Texas and bought some Red Bud seeds, via the internet. Back in Denmark, in March, I planted 5 seeds and nothing happened. Then I read an article on the web, about sanding the seeds so they started to show the white stuff inside. I did that with another 5 seeds, put them in soil and then – as the article said – put them in the fridge for about a month. Around July 1st I took them out and after some weeks 2 of them surfaced. I was thrilled and watched, checked and nursed them every day. And the 2 seed started to grow into small beautiful trees. A couple of weeks ago, they were 3-4 inches tall and I was very excited, but suddenly one of them started to curls the leaves and turn brown, and now the other one is doing the same. Can anybody tell me what’s wrong or what did I do wrong ????? Or is it just a sign of the fall coming. I still have 5 seeds left, and of course I’ll try again, but what can/shall I do to to make the grow and stay alive?

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Answer 1

I'm looking at that soil, and it looks very wet. I'm not completely certain, but it looks like there may be wood ashes in there as well. It Seems to me that something is not quite right with the soil. They they are showing extreme cases of deficiency, and whole plant wilting, which, to me, signifies that the soil pH is off kilter. I suggest either a pre-bagged potting mix, or you can make your own soil with a large number of different recipes. Here is an article on composting, which will help you to craft your own mix of soil: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/composting-basics.htm