Catalpa Tree

I have an old Catalpa tree in the yard and have tried unsuccessfully to propagate a new one from seed. Oddly enough I don't get any volunteer seedlings underneath it. Obviously I must be doing something wrong. Anyone have any success or advice on how I can start a new one?

Here are some links that have info on starting them from seed:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/723563/
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13927
http://www.backyardgardener.com/tm.html

Thank you so much ecrane. I did a search on Dave's before I posted but i guess I just didn't know exactly what to search for. Leave it to you for good answers though. Your great!

I didn't exactly search Dave's either...I went to Google and the DG thread happened to come up as one of the results! LOL

I just put the seeds in the ground in the spring. They grew at an amazing rate- almost 4 ft that first year.

Melsalz is in NC (as I am) The catalpa that we see driving through the NC countryside is C. bignonioides, or Indian seegar tree as we called them as kids (we dried and smoked them!). Seed pods were about 10 to 12 inches long and essentially round (i.e., not flat).

C. speciosa has smaller seeds (Indian cigarette trees? lol) and is called Northern Catalpa by Dirr. Oh, I just noticed that Dirr said the C. speciosa has "Fruit: Capsule 8 to 20" long, 1/2 to 3/4" wide, wall thick, seeds fringed, persisting into late Fall and Winter. So, I'm not sure what Catalpa species I had unless Dirr is (horrors) wrong- I doubt that! Hardiness is listed as "Zone 4 to 8(9)" by Dirr.

Dirr said "Propagation: Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment; cuttings of root pieces taken in December can be used for most species." Although the propagation info was under the C. speciosa entry, there is no propgation entry under C. bignonioides indicating, I am pretty sure, that there is little difference in the 2 species propagation methods.

So, Melsalz, you may just have a "too old to tango tree". Surely someone on DG would be willing to send you seeds from their tree in the Fall. I bought a 3' C. speciosa tree, the label said, in 2000 when I lived near Charlotte and it grew to about 12' before the people who bought my house dug it up and threw it away about 2006. Pretty white flowers but I just didn't like the flavor of the Indian cigarettes!!!!
If I can find the seed pod I picked from a C. bignonioides tree in 2007 I will send you some seeds.

note: I have the Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr, Fifth Edition

I checked the DG Plant Files and saw the progation for C. bignonioides is:
Propagation Methods:
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
From seed; direct sow after last frost

so maybe you should let your tree's seeds get cold (two weeks ago would do it) and then try sprouting them in the Spring.

Pbyrley,

I'm a bit slack on responding, Thank you so much for the info. I'm thinking that the first thing I'm doing wrong is not letting them go through the cold spell. I've always taken the seed in at the end of the year and not let them go through the winter. It's possible that my tree is "too old to tango", ha ha. I'm estimating (judging from all our other trees) that it's at least 50+ and it's been hit by lightning before. I don't get very many seed pods either. So that it why I'm wanting to start a new one. I believe it may be on it's last limb, pun intended. I was looking for a photo can't find one right now, may have to take one later.